Morrissey keen on "lucrative" offer for The Smiths to reunite – Johnny Marr...not so much

Johnny Marr (left) and Morrissey of the group The Smiths pose under the branches of a willow tree in London in 1983. — (Image credit: Photo by Clare Muller/Redferns)

Morrissey says he was ready to sign on for a "lucrative" deal to reunite The Smiths this year – but guitarist Johnny Marr ignored the offer.

With Oasis having stunned the world by announcing feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher will join forces for a 2025 stadium tour, fans were dreaming of another big-name Manchester band getting back together.

But earlier this week Marr seemed to quash the idea when he responded to a post from a fan on X saying if Oasis can reform, so could The Smiths.

Marr replied with a picture of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage – thought to be a reference to Morrissey's recent trend of expressing right-wing political opinions.

But now the singer has posted on his website claiming he and Marr were approached about a reunion, and that the guitarist ignored it. And Morrissey was unable to resist taking a swipe at Marr, suggesting his own solo career was outshining his former bandmate's.

The Morrissey website post 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."

There has been no love lost between Marr and Morrissey since they parted company back in 1987 when The Smiths broke up.

In 2022, Morrissey posted an 'open letter' to Marr on his website, asking, “Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?

“The fact is: you don’t know me. You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts.

“We haven’t known each other for 35 years – which is many lifetimes ago. When we met you and I were not successful. We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today. Can you not just leave it at that?”

Marr responded to the post by writing, “An ‘open letter’ hasn’t really been a thing since 1953, It’s all ‘social media’ now. Even Donald J Trump had that one down. Also, this fake news business… a bit 2021 yeah?” adding the hashtag 'makingindiegreatagain'.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.