Morrissey says Johnny Marr turned down an offer to reunite The Smiths
Morrissey has claimed he accepted the offer to reunite the band, but his bandmate “ignored” the “lucrative” proposal.
Morrissey has claimed that he accepted an offer to reunite The Smiths this year, but his bandmate Johnny Marr rejected the proposal.
In the wake of the news of Oasis’ massive 2025 reunion tour, fans of The Smiths had reached out to Marr on social media suggesting that his Manchester-based band should also bury the hatchet and reform.
In response, Marr simply shared a photo of far-right politician Nigel Farage, hinting that Morrissey’s political views were the stumbling block for a Smiths reunion.
Morrissey endorsed the far-right political party For Britain in 2019, but has repeatedly denied accusations that he is racist.
Now, in a post on his website, a representative for Morrissey has claimed that a Smiths reunion offer landed on both Morrissey and Marr’s desks earlier this summer, with the singer accepting the proposal but his bandmate not doing the same.
It reads: “In June 2024 AEG Entertainment Group made a lucrative offer to both Morrissey and Marr to tour worldwide as ‘The Smiths’ throughout 2025.
“Morrissey said Yes to the offer; Marr ignored the offer.
“Morrissey undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November.
“Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.”
Rolling Stone UK has reached out to representatives of Johnny Marr for comment.
Andy Rourke, who played bass in the Mancunian indie band, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 59, sparking a wave of tributes from across the music industry.
In tribute, Morrissey said that he hoped that “wherever Andy has gone … that he’s OK,” adding: “He will never die as long as his music is heard. He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else.”
In his own tribute, Marr said: “Andy and I spent all our time studying music, having fun, and working on becoming the best musicians we could possibly be. Back then Andy was a guitar player and a good one at that, but it was when he picked up the bass that he would find his true calling and his singular talent would flourish.”