Morrissey Sean Patrick Morrissey, Better

Morrissey

Sean Patrick Morrissey, better known by his fans and the world at large as simple Morrissey, has been called "one of the most singular figures in Western pop culture from the last 20 years" (DiCrescenzo par. 3). Certainly, he has been one of the most influential singer-songwriters of his time. Bridging the gap from punk in the seventies to pop in the eighties -- no mean feat given the drastically different fan bases -- has earned him an almost fanatical following, and his always-on megawatt personality stokes these fires incredibly well. All in all, however, it is Morrissey's ability to adapt as an artist while maintaining the integrity of his music and lyrics that has caused him to remain so popular for so long, and has caused him to be so influential.

Morrissey first met major success with the punk band the Nosebleeds in the 1970s. Though he only briefly fronted the group, his "charisma" and insight into the "magic" of rock'n'roll were noted by critics (Punk 77 par. 24). Morrissey went on to form several other bands, none of them lasting long. In addition, he was earning a decent living running a club, proving that he was business savvy as well as artistically talented ("Legion of the Cramped" par. 9). But though he met success with the club business, he found true wealth and glory with his music.

His adaptability has made Morrissey enduring, but his ambition and intelligence have allowed for that adaptability. It was largely the intelligence evident in his lyrics that drew fans towards his first truly successful band, the Smiths (Christian par. 12). Morrissey is able to speak to people in a way that is genuine, and that is in common with their own language. This goes directly to his adaptability -- it is a natural outgrowth of his genuine empathy. At the same time, he showed a great stubbornness in the music he wanted to play, which eventually led to the breakup of the band (Rogan pp. 35).

But though the Smiths had broken up, Morrissey's career and success were far from over. His tremendous sense of industry enabled him to release a solo album only six months after the Smiths broke up, and it was deemed a good move by many critics. Rolling Stone said "Viva Hate reveals the talents of its maker: innocent vocal hooks and vivid guitar riffs belie twisted lyrics full of the usual bizarre imagery, provocative observations and campy asides" (Coleman par. 1). This is a prime example of what made Morrissey so popular -- he is completely accessible without being shallow or repetitive, which many in the alternative rock genre took to heart (Flannagan, pp. 63).

A cursory examination of Morrissey's life might make it seem easy. But easy lives seldom lead to such complex and influential people, and part of Morrissey's popularity and influence exist because of his ability to deal with adversity. After experiencing the loss of three close friends in a short span of time, Morrissey felt he was finished, and wrote what he believed to be his last album -- now one of his greatest successes (Roberts, 379-80). Morrissey himself attributes his continued popularity and influence on other musicians at least in part to this same resilience and persistence that he has shown throughout his life (Morrissey).