“Get rid of the guitar player and get somebody else. Nobody cares.” Kiss' Gene Simmons urges Morrissey to reunite The Smiths without Johnny Marr, but there's a plot twist

Simmons, Morrissey, Marr — (Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation | Brian Rasic/Getty Images)

Kiss bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has offered his thoughts on Morrissey's claim that his former bandmate Johnny Marr has ignored a multi-million pound to reform The Smiths for a reunion tour.

In the wake of the news that Oasis have reformed for a tour estimated to gross around £400 million, the former frontman of The Smiths recently posted a message on his website, stating: '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.'

This message followed on from Marr posting a not-terribly-cryptic reference as to why he'll never stand on stage again with the singer.

The topic was raised with Gene Simmons during an interview with Forbes, with journalist Derek Scancarelli suggesting that Morrissey might be “frustrated" by Marr's reaction. Simmons' solution was typically free of sentimentality.

He said: “Get rid of the guitar player and get somebody else. Nobody cares. They just want to hear the songs. I keep saying this over and over again. If you go down the street, and with all due respect to Johnny Marr, you go down the street and ask the general person, “Who's Johnny Marr?” they won't know who you're talking about.[Hypothetically], saying no to $100 million dollars would be lunacy.”

However, there's been a plot twist... for Morrissey says that, in fact, Marr now owns all of the band's “trademark rights and Intellectual Property”, and can tour as The Smiths “using the vocalist of his choice”.

A new message titled The Plot Thickens on the singer's website states:

“J Marr has successfully applied for 100% trademark rights / Intellectual Property ownership of The Smiths name. His application has been accepted on whatever oaths or proclamations he has put forward. This action was done without any consultation to Morrissey, and without allowing Morrissey the standard opportunity of 'objection'.

“Amongst many other things, this means that Marr can now tour as The Smiths using the vocalist of his choice, and it also prohibits Morrissey from using the name whilst also denying Morrissey considerable financial livelihood.

“Morrissey alone created the musical unit name 'The Smiths' in May 1982.”

Doubtless this saga will have more twists.

Artists

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.