In the last few weeks, Morrissey has made several accusations against his former bandmate The Smiths, Johnny Marr. Marr has now responded to Morrissey’s claims in a new statement released by his management.
Marr first commented on Morrissey’s recent statement in which he claims he acquired the rights to the band’s name without “any consultation.” According to Marr, he contacted Morrissey in 2018 after learning that the trademark was not owned by the band, to “work together on protect the name The Smiths.” However, after receiving no response, Marr decided to register the trademark himself.
According to the statement, Morrissey’s lawyers later agreed that this trademark would be in the “mutual interest” of Marr and Morrissey. As a “goodwill gesture,” Marr moved to legally assign joint ownership in January 2024, but the document awaits Morrissey’s signature.
“To prevent third parties from profiting off the band name, it was up to me to protect this legacy,” Marr said. “I did this on behalf of both myself and my former bandmates.”
Marr then responded to Morrissey’s claim that he had ignored a “lucrative offer” to reunite the group: “As for the tour offer, I didn’t ignore the offer—I said no.” He also denied Morrissey’s speculation that Marr would want to perform as The Smiths with another singer, saying: “We have no such plans.” However, Marr confirmed that he turned down the proposal for a greatest hits album “given the number that already exists.”
It all started last month, when an Oasis reunion prompted one fanatic to speculate about a possible Morrissey-Marr reconciliation. Marr quickly shot down the idea, leading to Morrissey’s claims of a proposed reunion, a “blocked” greatest hits album and Marr allegedly claiming the rights to the band name on his own.
Marr will soon be embarking on a joint North American tour with fellow Manchester bandmates James.
Source: balkanrock.com
