Morrissey

Morrissey

Morrissey is a British singer and songwriter best known for his work with The Smiths. He later moved into a solo career that extended his reputation as a distinctive voice in alternative rock.

Quick Facts

Canonical Name Morrissey
Born May 22, 1959
Birthplace Davyhulme, Trafford, Greater Manchester, North West England, England, United Kingdom
Country United Kingdom
Occupations composer, singer, poet, singer-songwriter, autobiographer
Instruments piano, voice
Gender male
Genres alternative rock, jangle pop, indie rock, indie pop
Associated Acts The Smiths, The Nosebleeds
Active Years Active since 1977

Identity and Aliases

Name Type Source
Morrissey Canonical Name System
Steven Patrick Morrissey Alias Wikidata
Moz Alias Wikidata
Morissey Alias Wikidata
Morissey Alias MusicBrainz
Morrisey Alias MusicBrainz
Morrissey, Moz, Mozza, Mozzer Alias MusicBrainz
Steven Patrick Morrissey Legal name MusicBrainz
Whores in Retirement Artist name MusicBrainz
モリッシー Artist name MusicBrainz

Biography

Morrissey is a British singer, songwriter, poet and autobiographer whose name is closely tied to The Smiths. Born in Davyhulme, Trafford, Greater Manchester, he began his professional work in 1977 and built a career around sharply personal writing and a voice that became central to his identity.

He is associated with alternative rock, jangle pop, indie rock and indie pop, and his work is linked with piano and voice. Beyond The Smiths, he was also a member of The Nosebleeds, and his solo catalogue includes albums such as Viva Hate, Bona Drag, Vauxhall and I, You Are the Quarry and Years of Refusal.

His career has also been marked by a substantial recorded output connected to his name, along with a number of release collections and live material. Morrissey has remained a recognisable figure in British music through both his songwriting and his literary, autobiographical bent.

Career Timeline

Year / Period Event Detail Source
1959 Born Davyhulme, Trafford, Greater Manchester, North West England, England, United Kingdom Wikidata
1977 Career Start Active period begins Wikidata
1978–1978 Member of The Nosebleeds MusicBrainz
1982–1987 Member of The Smiths MusicBrainz

Musical Roles

Singer, songwriter, composer, poet and autobiographer; associated with piano and voice.

Role Source
composer Wikidata
singer Wikidata
poet Wikidata
singer-songwriter Wikidata
autobiographer Wikidata

Bands and Projects

Band / Project Relationship Source
The Smiths Member of Wikidata
The Nosebleeds Member of Wikidata

Releases and Appearances

MusicBrainz lists several release entries connected to Morrissey. These entries may include solo releases, guest appearances, live recordings, and catalogued metadata records.

MusicBrainz-listed Releases and Appearances

Title Year Type Classification Source
Make-Up Is a Lie 2026 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
I Am Not a Dog on a Chain 2020 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
California Son 2019 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
This Is Morrissey 2018 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Low in High School 2017 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
World Peace Is None of Your Business 2014 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Very Best of Morrissey 2011 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Years of Refusal 2009 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
The HMV/Parlophone Singles ’88–’95 2009 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Swords 2009 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Greatest Hits 2008 Album compilation MusicBrainz
Ringleader of the Tormentors 2006 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
You Are the Quarry 2004 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
¡The Best Of! 2001 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
My Early Burglary Years 1998 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz

Recorded Performances & Appearances

MusicBrainz-listed recording entries connected to Morrissey include:

Song Title Artist / Group Relationship Source
"Off the Beaten Track, as It Were" Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden [Nashville Alt. Recording] Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
(I'm) The End of the Family Line Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
(I'm) The End of the Family Line [Fan edit] Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
[band intro] Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
[encore break] Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
[Fans Voicemail] (KROQ radio session, Hollywood, 03-6-91) Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
[Imperfect List intro] Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz
[intro band] Morrissey Performer MusicBrainz

Musical Style and Instruments

Morrissey is associated with alternative rock, jangle pop, indie rock and indie pop. His work is shaped by a strong vocal identity and a writing style that connects music with poetry and autobiography.

Genres

alternative rock jangle pop indie rock indie pop

Instruments

piano voice

Collaborations and Guest Relationships

Artist Relationship Source
Boz Boorer Instrumental supporting musician MusicBrainz
Alain Whyte Instrumental supporting musician MusicBrainz
Mexrrissey Tribute MusicBrainz
Morrissey Indeed Tribute MusicBrainz
Salford Lads Club Tribute MusicBrainz
The Smiths Indeed Tribute MusicBrainz
The Smiths Presumably Tribute MusicBrainz
The Smiths Utd Tribute MusicBrainz
Viva Morrissey Tribute MusicBrainz

External Identifiers & Authority Control

Morrissey is associated with profiles and identifiers across major music and authority platforms, including MusicBrainz, Discogs, Spotify, IMDb, VIAF, ISNI, GND and the Library of Congress.

Platform Identifier Purpose Source Confidence Link
MusicBrainz 013fa897-86db-41d3-8e9f-386c8a34f4e6 Music metadata Wikidata High View Profile
Discogs 92577 Discography database Wikidata High View Profile
Spotify 3iTsJGG39nMg9YiolUgLMQ Streaming profile Wikidata High View Profile
IMDb nm0973541 Film/media profile Wikidata High View Profile
VIAF 95084956 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
ISNI 0000000108035396 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
GND 119433923 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
Library of Congress n91116097 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile

Semantic Graph Data (Knowledge Graph)

Subject Predicate Object Source Confidence
Morrissey citizenship United Kingdom Wikidata high
Morrissey date_of_birth May 22, 1959 Wikidata high
Morrissey family_name Morrissey Wikidata high
Morrissey gender male Wikidata high
Morrissey given_name Steven Wikidata high
Morrissey place_of_birth Davyhulme, Trafford, Greater Manchester, North West England, England, United Kingdom Wikidata high
Morrissey member_of The Smiths Wikidata high
Morrissey member_of The Nosebleeds Wikidata high
Morrissey instrument piano Wikidata high
Morrissey instrument voice Wikidata high
Morrissey occupation composer Wikidata high
Morrissey occupation singer Wikidata high
Morrissey occupation poet Wikidata high
Morrissey occupation singer-songwriter Wikidata high
Morrissey occupation autobiographer Wikidata high
Morrissey genre alternative rock Wikidata high
Morrissey genre jangle pop Wikidata high
Morrissey genre indie rock Wikidata high
Morrissey genre indie pop Wikidata high
Morrissey genre alternative rock MusicBrainz medium
Morrissey genre indie pop MusicBrainz medium
Morrissey genre indie rock MusicBrainz medium
Morrissey member of band The Nosebleeds MusicBrainz high
Morrissey member of band The Smiths MusicBrainz high
Morrissey sameAs MusicBrainz Artist ID: 013fa897-86db-41d3-8e9f-386c8a34f4e6 Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs Discogs Artist ID: 92577 Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs Spotify Artist ID: 3iTsJGG39nMg9YiolUgLMQ Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs IMDb Artist ID: nm0973541 Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs VIAF Artist ID: 95084956 Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs ISNI Artist ID: 0000000108035396 Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs GND Artist ID: 119433923 Wikidata High
Morrissey sameAs Library of Congress Artist ID: n91116097 Wikidata High

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Morrissey best known for working with?

A: He is best known for his work with The Smiths. That association remains central to his public profile.

Q: What kind of artist is Morrissey?

A: He is a British singer and songwriter, and also works as a composer, poet and autobiographer.

Q: Where was Morrissey born?

A: He was born in Davyhulme, Trafford, Greater Manchester, in North West England.

Q: What genres is Morrissey associated with?

A: His work is associated with alternative rock, jangle pop, indie rock and indie pop.

Q: What instruments are associated with Morrissey?

A: Piano and voice are listed among his instruments.

Q: Which bands has Morrissey been a member of?

A: He has been a member of The Smiths and The Nosebleeds.

Q: When did Morrissey's career begin?

A: His work period is listed as beginning in 1977.

Q: What are some albums connected to Morrissey?

A: Albums associated with him include Viva Hate, Bona Drag, Vauxhall and I and You Are the Quarry.

Data Quality and Sources

Quality Score
96/100
Last Updated
May 18, 2026
Entity Stats
34 Facts
8 Identifiers
29 Relationships
Primary Sources
Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Discogs, GuitarRank Editorial