After spending the better part of the past month in a public spat with his former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr, Morrissey has now announced that he’s “severed all connections” with his management.
The announcement came in the form of a very to-the-point statement posted on Morrissey’s website, which read: “Morrissey has severed all connections with Red Light Management / Pete Galli Management.” Beyond that, there are no details as to why the parties parted ways, but Morrissey had only signed with Red Light this past February, making their working relationship a relatively short one.
Of course, the timing of this seems to align with all the recent Smiths drama. In the past few weeks, Morrissey claimed that Marr ignored a Smiths reunion request, blocked the publishing of a Smiths greatest hits album, and unilaterally acquired trademark rights to the group’s name (which Morrissey claimed gave Marr the power to hire a new vocalist for the band).
In response, Marr’s management issued a statement this past Tuesday (September 17th), asserting that Marr had acquired the trademark after Morrissey’s representatives failed to respond to his inquiries in 2018, and that Morrissey’s lawyers even agreed that the trademark was held for the “mutual benefit” of both Morrissey and Marr. Further, the statement alleges that Marr moved to legally assign joint ownership of the trademark in January 2024, but Morrissey hasn’t made it official with a signature yet. It also clarifies that Marr did not “ignore” the Smiths reunion offer, but explicitly declined it.
It’s possible that Morrissey’s split with Red Light could be related to Marr’s statement, but as of now we can only speculate. Additionally, Morrissey’s had other recent career frustrations, claiming that the new album he first announced in 2022, Bonfire of Teenagers, has been “refused” by “every major label in London” due to its controversial nature. Up next, he’ll hit the road for a North American tour this fall (get tickets).
As for Marr, he’ll be embarking on a joint tour with Manchester band James. Get tickets here.
