Why no paycheck could bridge the Morrissey divide.
Johnny Marr could have banked a generational fortune last year when promoters dangled an “eye-watering” nine-figure offer to reunite The Smiths for a 2025 world tour.
Instead, the legendary guitarist chose creative fulfilment over nostalgia cash, telling the Stick to Football podcast: “I just think the vibe’s not right”.
The refusal came despite Morrissey’s public acceptance of the deal, with the polarising frontman framing it as a farewell gesture to fans: “We’ve all begun to grow old… It wasn’t because I had any emotional attachment to Marr. I have absolutely none”.
Their fractured dynamic—fuelled by decades of political spats, copyright battles, and Morrissey’s 2022 demand that Marr “stop mentioning my name”—made collaboration unthinkable.
For Marr, the decision was both practical and philosophical. Now 61, he relishes his solo career and collaborations with acts like New Order, quipping: “I still want to write the best song I’ve ever written”.
He also hinted at discomfort reviving The Smiths without late bassist Andy Rourke, who died in 2023.
The missed reunion echoes rock history’s great “what-ifs,” but Marr shows no regret.
As he told the podcast: “I was having a great time until I wasn’t… Relationships break down, and that’s life”. Meanwhile, Morrissey continues solo tours to packed arenas, proving both icons thrive—just never again together.
