Johnny Marr

John Martin Maher was born inManchester on 31st October 1963 to Irish Immigrant parents.

Johnny Marr was and is quite simply one of the most influential and talented Guitarists to ever emerge from the British Isles. His unique "Flangy" Guitar style was in itself sourced from a number of influences - Bo Diddley, Roger McGuinn and Keith Richards amongst others.

He started out life as a footballer and is supposed to have been scouted by Nottingham Forest and gone through trials with Manchester City.

He is reputed to have started out in a band- The Paris Valentinos with Andy Rourke and Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts of Coronation Street). He then formed the band The Smiths in 1982 with Patrick Morrissey ("Morrissey") and with Andy Rourke on Bass and Andy Hibbert and later Mike Joyce on Drums. They are reputed to have chosen the name on account of its ordinariness as opposed to the arty-farty fakery of contemporaries like Depeche Mode, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark etc. He changed his name to Marr to avoid confusion with the eponymously named Buzzcock's drummer

The duo were to establish themselves as one of the UK's most influential and critically acclaimed partnerships, with Morrissey's deep and prosaic lyrics foiled by Marr's melodious and sometimes complex musical arrangements, which was to be the case throughout the band's existence. The Band's first single was the old Sandie Shaw hit- "Hand in Glove" in 1983, which like a lot of other such was actively promoted by John Peel, it however wasn't very successful. However with encouragement from Peel and Kid Jensen, subsequent singles "The Charming Man" and "What difference does it make" were more successful.

The Band's first album "The Smiths" achieved chart success in 1984 going to number two and containing the controversial tracks- "Suffer little children" themed on the Moor's murders, "Pretty Girls make graves", "Reel around the fountain"and "The hand that rocks the cradle" both suggestive of paedophiliac themes. The band however it must be said did not celebrate Paedophilia and only highlighted the theme for focus and in fact a reading of the lyrics suggested the contrary. In 1984 a number of non-album singles were released- "William it was really nothing" and "Heaven knows I'm miserable now". The former is poignant to me, being the foirst Smiths song I ever heard, having been lent the single by an ex-girlfriend in 1984 and having worn it out by constant play. The most striking thing for me being Johnny Marr's exceptional Guitar lines, which were both speedy and exceptionally tonal and characterised by the trade-mark jangly sound. A brief word about that sound, I believe it to have been produced using combined Flange and Reverb Guitar effects.

The Smiths recorded all their albums with Rough Trade Records (produced by Stephen Street). There was another album release- "Hatful of hollow" released in 1984 which achieved marginal success The third album was released in 1985 "Meat is Murder" (themed on Morrisey's Vegetarianism) featuring the singles "Nowhere Fast", "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Barbarism Begins at Home" and a track characterised by Marr's rockabilly riffs on "Rusholme Ruffians". The album was preceded by the re-release of B-side "How Soon is Now?" as a single, and although that song was not on the original LP, it has been added to subsequent releases.

The third album "The Queen is dead" was released in 1986 and remains one of my personal favourites with the singles- "Bigmouth Strikes Again", "Never Had No One Ever", "Frankly, Mr. Shankly, "There is a light that never goes out" and "Cemetry Gates" this album is one of my personal favourites and was rated by NME, Melody Maker and SPIN magazines as one of the best albums ever made.

Other album releases followed- "The World won't listen" (1987) being an expression of frustration at the band's lack of success outside of the UK, "Louder than bombs"- 1987 a compilation intended for the International market and containing the excellent single's "Stretch out and wait", "Unloveable" and "These things take time" amongst others. "Strangeways here we come" marked the end of the Smiths and the discordant notes in the tracks in this album showed the end of the chemistry between Marr and Morrissey.

Johnny Marr, after the Smiths played Guitar and Harmonica for the band The The. Notably featured his grinding Guitar lines and sonorous Harmonica on the excellent single "Dogs of lust". He then teamed up with New Order's Bernard Sumner to form Electronic. He was also much sought after as a Producer/Sessionman working with Bryan Ferry, The Pretenders, Kirsty MacColl, Talking Heads, Black Grape, Billy Bragg, Pet Shop Boys, Beck and Oasis.

He then formed a Band- Johnny Marr and the Healers in 2000, with Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) on drum's and Kula Shaker Bassist- Alonzo Bevan. Notably playing at the "Manchester Beats Cancer" Concert on 2005, in a massive set featuring Andy Rourke and Shaun Ryder.

Marr has more recently been involved as part of a Seattle based Rock Band Modest Mouse, he will however always be remembered as one of the most distinctive and talented Guitarists Britain has ever produced and a direct and acknowledged influence to a whole generation of British bands particularly the Brit-Pop generation, such as Oasis (Marr is specifically cited by Noel Gallagher), Blur and a whole host of others.

A deeply creative and competent musician Marr, I remain one of his most loyal fans.