Morrissey

Morrissey gained fame in the 1980s as the co-founder and frontman of the Smiths, a British rock band. With his eccentric style and acid-tongued lyrics, he became an icon for disaffected youth. After the band’s breakup in 1987, Morrissey embarked on a successful solo career, while also continuing to make waves with his many controversial comments.
Highly influential, Morrissey has been credited as a seminal figure in the emergence of indie pop, indie rock, and Britpop. In a 2006 poll for the BBC’s Culture Show, Morrissey was voted the second-greatest living British cultural icon. His work has been the subject of academic study. He has been a controversial figure throughout his music career due to his forthright opinions and outspoken nature, endorsing vegetarianism and animal rights and criticising royalty and prominent politicians. He has also supported far-right activism with regard to British heritage, and defended a particular vision of national identity while critiquing the effects of immigration on the UK.