Morrissey In Profile

Born Steven Patrick Morrissey on May 22, 1959 in Manchester, England, Alternative Pop/Rock vocalist Morrissey became famous as the lead singer for '80s band The Smiths. Since leaving that group in 1987, he has released eight studio albums. He is known for his animal rights activism and avowed celibacy almost as much as he is for his witty and poetic lyrics. The child of Irish Catholic immigrants, Morrissey moved to Dublin and then resettled in Los Angeles in the late '90s. In 2006, he relocated to Rome.

After the breakup of The Smiths, Morrissey teamed with producer and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Street for his solo debut, March 1988's Viva Hate. Mostly Smiths-like guitar-pop, it also featured a string section arranged by Durutti Column's Vini Reilly. The album hit #1 in the UK and #46 on the Billboard 200, while receiving high critical marks. Confusingly, the next full-length Morrissey released, 1990's Bona Drag, was actually a compilation of singles released from '87 to '90. Despite the previous availability of its track listing, it reached #9 in England and #59 on in the US.

Morrissey released his proper sophomore album, Kill Uncle, in March 1991. The record did well on the charts (#8 UK and #52 US), but was a critical disappointment. An erratic disc with few highlights, it is not among his better works. Morrissey took a stylistic leap with July 1992's Your Arsenal. It introduced regular guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain White. Former David Bowie sideman Mick Ronson produced, giving the album a hard-rocking glam feel. The critics were impressed, and it charted well: #8 UK and #21 US. In May '93, Morrissey issued his first live album, Beethoven Was Deaf (#13 UK).

Morrissey's fourth LP was March 1994's Vauxhall And I. His second UK #1, it peaked at #18 in the US. The first of three albums helmed by veteran producer Steve Lillywhite, it introduced the singer's more mature sound. The disc received more strong praise from critics. Its similar-sounding follow-up, Southpaw Grammar (August '95), got mixed reviews. Still, it hit the UK #4 and US #66. Along with the single "Dagenham Dave," the two long cuts bookending the record are highlights, but the LP suffered from too much filler. August 1997's Maladjusted (#8 UK, #61 US) was received with moderate enthusiasm.

After leaving Sire Records in '98, Morrissey spent the next five years as a touring act. He signed with Attack in '03 and released You Are The Quarry in May 2004. Heralded as a triumphant comeback, the record was his strongest since Vauxhall and peaked at #2 in England and #11 in the US (his best ever in America). Live At Earl's Court (March '05) kept the comeback rolling. April 2006's Ringleader Of The Tormentors consolidated Morrissey's return. Brooding and dense, it was produced by another Bowie collaborator, Tony Visconti. It became his third UK #1 LP and hit #27 in the US.