Morrissey calls on Johnny Marr to 'stop using my name as clickbait'

Singer Morrissey has made a "polite and calmly measured" call for his former bandmate Johnny Marr to "stop using my name as clickbait".

In an open letter addressed to the guitarist, Morrissey said they had not "known each other for 35 years" and Marr should "move on".

The pair played together in music legends The Smiths before an acrimonious split in 1987.

In a tweet, Marr said an open letter had not "been a thing since 1953".

The songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr made their Manchester band one of the most important groups for a generation of music fans and they produced four albums which arguably redefined British guitar music.

Marr left the band a few weeks before the release of their final album, fuelled by a reported frustration that Morrissey was stuck in his ways, while the singer was said to have been equally annoyed that Marr was playing with other groups.

The pair have gone on to have successful solo careers, with Marr also playing with a huge range of artists, including Billy Bragg, Beck, Crowded House, Oasis, Pet Shop Boys and Girls Aloud.

In his letter, Morrissey said Marr should concentrate on discussing his "own unstoppable solo achievements" and "please just leave me out of it".

He said while they "both helped each other become whatever it is we are today", Marr no longer knew him and knew "nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings".

"We haven't known each other for 35 years - which is many lifetimes ago," he added.

Morrissey said Marr "persistently, year after year, decade after decade" blamed him for everything from a tsunami to "the dribble on your grandma's chin".

He added that he had "openly applauded" Marr's "genius" during the last days of The Smiths and had "not ever attacked" the guitarist's solo work or "solo life", but had been the subject of his quotes "whenever the press require an ugly slant on something I half-said".

"Just stop using my name as click-bait," he said.

Responding on social media, Marr said "an 'open letter' hasn't really been a thing since 1953".

He said it was "all 'social media' now", adding: "Also, this fake news business… a bit 2021 yeah?"