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■ Morrissey
Morrissey is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of the rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then he has pursued a successful solo career. Morrissey’s music is characterised by his baritone voice and distinctive lyrics with anti-establishment stances and recurring themes of emotional isolation, sexual longing, self-deprecation, and dark humour.

Unhappy Birthday

It’s somewhat of an unofficial holiday around here, every May 22, we celebrate Morrissey’s birthday.

With that in mind, Morrissey announced five additional UK dates to his 2026 tour, what a way to end the year.

HAPPY NEW TOURS

Sunday December 6
BRIGHTON Center

Thursday December 10
CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena

Saturday December 12
LIVERPOOL Echo Arena

Wednesday December 16
GLASGOW OVO Hydro Arena

Saturday December 19
LEEDS First Direct Bank Arena

All tickets on sale May 22

To keep track of which dates will be cancelled, head over to our new shortcut: moz.weheartmusic.com. The reason for the easy to remember URL is because I was trying to send someone I know the cancellation link, and the link was so long that it wasn’t worth typing it – so I created that short cut. Other new shortcuts includes 2026.weheartmusic.com and rip.weheartmusic.com.

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■ The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band’s songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important British bands and one of the pioneers of 1980s independent music.

Tony Fletcher

Best-selling biography author Tony Fletcher is releasing his memoir called POW! When UK Pop Went Punk 1980-1984 on August 18, 2026.

Smiths fans will know Fletcher from his 2012 book A Light That Never Goes Out, which most people regarded as one of the most comprehensive biographies of the band.

His relationship with the band, particularly Johnny Marr must have been good that they got permission to use Marr’s quote for the book:

Tony writes with the energy of the music he loves and knows. Forward motion: it’s the life he’s lived.

Here are more details about the book, provided by the publisher, trouserpressbooks.com:

Before authoring eleven books, including best-selling biographies of Who drummer Keith Moon, R.E.M. and the Smiths, Tony Fletcher was a teenaged music magazine publisher (Jamming!) in his native England. But, with a degree of industry that sounds absolutely exhausting, he also ran a record label, interviewed rock stars, led a band, promoted concerts, worked as an on-air TV interviewer — and still found time for romance.

Fletcher chronicled the early days of his life and career in Boy About Town (2013), but he went on to have many more extraordinary experiences, which are detailed in this colorful and engaging memoir, where the story gets really interesting.

1980–’84 was an explosive time in British rock, as the disruptive energy of bands like the Clash and Sex Pistols gave way to more sophisticated and chart-friendly genres and bands. Fletcher was on the front lines, attending all the important concerts and meeting the top acts, many of whom became MTV regulars: Madness, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Wham!, the Human League, Echo and the Bunnymen, Killing Joke Adam and the Ants. Then there’s the time he interviewed Paul McCartney…

This is a coming of age story, the tale of a naïve young man in a cultural whirlwind who learns some hard lessons about business, journalism, love and sex – all the while trying to get his own band a record deal.

Registered Historical Facts* is my regular series on Morrissey and the Smiths’ appearances in pop culture.

* The title comes a line in The Queen is Dead:

So, I checked all the registered historical facts
and I was shocked into shame to discover
how I’m the 18th pale descendant
of some old queen or other
has the world changed, or have I changed?