Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), known primarily as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter.[1] He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. After the band's break-up in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom on ten occasions. Widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music,[2] Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as "one of the most influential artists ever," and The Independent has stated that "most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status that he has reached in his lifetime."[3] Pitchfork Media has called him "one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last 20 years."[4]
Morrissey's lyrics have been described as "dramatic...bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home."[5] He is also noted for his unique vocal style.[6] His forthright, often contrarian opinions have led to a number of media controversies, and he has also attracted media attention for his advocacy of vegetarianism and animal rights.
As a child, Morrissey developed a number of interests and role models that marked him out among his peers, including '60s girl groups, and female singers such as Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull and Timi Yuro. He was also interested in the "kitchen sink"-style social realism of late 1950s and early 1960s television plays,Coronation Street's Elsie Tanner, actor James Dean, as well as authors Oscar Wilde and Shelagh Delaney. The Moors Murders—which involved a young working-class couple,Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, who had abducted, raped and killed three children and two teenagers from the Manchester area between July 1963 and October 1965—devastated and scandalised the city when the matter came to trial in April–May 1966, and this collective trauma made a profound and lasting impression on Morrissey growing up.
In adolescence, Morrissey's athletic ability saved him to a large degree from bullying. Nevertheless, he has described this period as a time when he was often lonely and depressed. As a teenager, he began taking prescription drugs to help combat the depression that would later follow him throughout his life.[8] He attended St Mary's Secondary Modern School and Stretford Technical School, where he passed three O levels, including English Literature. He then worked briefly for the Inland Revenue, but ultimately decided to "go on the dole."
Courtesy of wikipedia. I have highlighted key points.
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