Following the success of Morrissey’s memoir, fellow Smiths founder Johnny Marr has announced that he will release his own autobiography in autumn 2016.
“For the past few years, as I’ve been out on tour promoting my solo work, fans and journalists have been asking me when I’ll write my book,” the guitarist says. “I’m very happy to say that the time has come to tell my story.”
Although best known for his time in the Manchester group, Marr’s autobiography should also enlighten fans on his time with Electronic, his group with Bernard Sumner, and his experience as a solo artist. It should also touch on his collaborations with the likes of the Pretenders, the The, Modest Mouse and the Cribs.
Ben Dunn, director of publishing house Century, said: “It’s the book Smiths fans have been waiting their whole lives for, and the early material that Johnny has written is utterly breathtaking. I’m delighted that Johnny has chosen Century to be his publisher.”
Dispelling myths and divulging details about the Smiths, sexuality and his upbringing, Morrissey’s book was predictably a bestseller in 2013: the Penguin-published Autobiography sold just under 35,000 copies in its first week, outselling Helen Fielding’s latest Bridget Jones novel Mad About the Boy. Asked after the release of Morrissey’s book why he hadn’t read it yet, Marr replied: “I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of books to get through.”
Perhaps the desire to finally write about his past experiences was prompted by the ever expanding pile of Smiths biographies in circulation. “If we need to think about what went on in the Smiths, then we can torture ourselves by reading those books,” he told the Guardian in 2013 when asked about the band.
