Overview
- This week Morrissey published a lengthy post on his Morrissey Central site that was later deleted, attacking Johnny Marr and saying he was excluded from a forthcoming BBC Smiths programme; the claimed July 13 air date has not been confirmed by the BBC.
- Morrissey alleges Marr has intentionally split the band’s audience into ‘Marr or Morrissey’ factions and says Marr has legally claimed The Smiths trade mark, a charge reported by outlets that noted it came from Morrissey’s post.
- He denies longstanding stories that he fired bassist Andy Rourke, asserts he is the primary creative force behind The Smiths, and says recent coverage is erasing his role in the band’s origin and work.
- Morrissey singled out producer Grant Showbiz, calling his recorded commentary in the programme “slanderous,” and said he was not approached to contribute to the production or its telling of the band’s history.
- The exchange revives a decades‑long public feud over authorship, rights and reunion plans that has involved past claims about trademarks and blocked releases, and it leaves observers watching for an official BBC statement and responses from Marr or his team.