Born October 31: Johnny Marr, The Smiths’ guitarist that doesn't look back
Johnny Marr was born in 1963 in Manchester. Even though his already long solo adventure is nothing to be ashamed of, his few years with the Smiths will forever mark the history of rock.
Like many kids his age in the mid-70s, John Martin Maher (his real name) dreamed of only one thing: setting up a band and hitting the stage. He only half-heartedly admits in his 2016 autobiography "Set the Boy Free" (also available in French) that music was also a way to seduce girls more easily. Even if we can wonder whether it was ever very complicated for him...
From the age of 13, he flitted from short-lived bands to one-off projects. It was also at this time that he chose to be called Johnny Marr to avoid, wait for it, being confused with the drummer of Buzzcocks! At the time, he was already performing regularly with bassist Andy Rourke who quickly joined the Smiths as soon as they were born and brought the rhythmic lines to the indefinable magic that the quartet would perpetuate for about five years. The singer Morrissey also wrote the lyrics and Johnny Marr, largely indebted to the melodic framework, produced little gems such as "This Charming Man" and "Hand in Glove" (1983), "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "What Difference Does It Make?" (1984), "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and the iconic "Meat Is Murder" (1985) or "Panic" and "Ask" (1986). For the anecdote "Panic" will never become the anthem of Tomorrowland, the largest gathering of its kind in Europe, since Morrissey repeats ad libitum "Hang the DJ"!
Johnny Marr: invitations come rushing
But all good things usually come to an end. The separation, painful and still not healed, took place in 1987 after the release of "Strangeways Here We Come", the fourth album and far from being their best.
Johnny Marr now had a free hand to respond to the invitations that came rushing. Briefly hired by Chrissie Hynde to tour with the Pretenders, he then joined Matt Johnson in The The. His association with Bernad Sumner of New Order for their duet Electronic may seem less natural since, on their two albums, without being totally absent, the guitar nevertheless plays second fiddle. Satisfied with a certain discretion, he played on recordings by Bryan Ferry, the Taking Heads (on their latest album "Naked"), Beck, Billy Bragg, Jane Birkin, Pet Shop Boys and even Oasis. Eclectic Johnny! He also collaborated with Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr, (Beatles) for an occasional project called The Healers and, among others, with The Cribbs.
But we had to wait until 2013 to finally see him release an album under his name with "The Messenger". His latest and fourth album "Fever Dreams Pt. 1-4" proves that Johnny Marr still has his say with some hard-to-miss firebrands such as "Easy Money" and apocalyptic concerts last summer at festivals.
(AK/ML - Photo: Christophe Dehousse/Music Belgium Photos)
Photo: Johnny Marr on one of the stages of the Werchter festival on July 4, 2024 (© Christophe Dehouse/Music Belgium Photos)