Morrissey has been invoking his former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr’s name a lot lately. A few weeks back, Moz said Marr “ignored” a lucrative offer to tour together as the Smiths next year. Last week he said Marr blocked a forthcoming greatest hits album called Smiths Rule OK! Monday, he announced that Marr had acquired a trademark on the Smiths’ band name and could legally tour as the Smiths with a different vocalist. Today, Marr’s management has logged on to set the record straight.

In a statement posted to Marr’s Instagram page, the guitarist asserts that his people reached out to Morrissey’s people in 2018 to trademark the Smiths name together after learning of a third-party attempt to secure the trademark. Morrissey’s team did not respond, so Marr trademarked the name himself. He says that this past January, as a gesture of goodwill, he signed an assessment of joint ownership to Morrissey, but Moz still hasn’t signed it. The statement confirms that Marr declined to release a new Smiths compilation “given the number already in existence.” In a section of the statement attributed directly to Marr, he adds, “As for the offer to tour, I didn’t ignore the offer – I said no.”

Here’s the full message:

A statement from Johnny Marr’s management:

Recent statements made by Morrissey on his website regarding the trademark of The Smiths’ name are incorrect.
Here are the facts:

In 2018, following an attempt by a third party to use The Smiths’ name – and upon discovery that the trademark was not owned by the band – Marr reached out to Morrissey, via his representatives, to work together in protecting The Smiths’ name.

A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark himself.

It was subsequently agreed with Morrissey’s lawyers that this trademark was held for the mutual benefit of Morrissey & Marr.

As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed an assignment of joint ownership to Morrissey. Execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.

In the interests of accuracy and clarity regarding the trademark, and to answer recent reports that Marr ignored a promoter’s offer to tour as The Smiths, Marr says:

“To prevent third parties from profiting from the band’s name, it was left to me to protect the legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former bandmates.”

“As for the offer to tour, I didn’t ignore the offer – I said no.”

Additionally, speculation about Johnny Marr touring with a different singer as The Smiths is not true. There are no such plans.

Johnny Marr also confirms that he declined a suggestion for another greatest hits compilation from Warner Music Group given the number already in existence.

So Morrissey is being melodramatic and deceitful about all of this? That’s so unlike him.

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