Steven Patrick Morrissey (IPA: /ˈmɒɹɪsiː/; born May 22, 1959), who goes by his surname Morrissey, is an English writer, singer and lyricist of Irish descent. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The UK music magazine NME called him the "most influential artist ever" for his role in the band. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, in which he continued the jangle pop sound of The Smiths. His solo albums have garnered ten Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom.

His sardonic, literate lyrics tend to be "dramatic...bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home." [1] He sings with a baritone voice, occasionally using a high falsetto voice for emphasis. His "forthright, often contrary opinions" led to a number of media controversies, such as his criticism of the Band-Aid hunger-relief effort and his statements against political leaders from 1980s-era Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to US President George W. Bush. As well, he has also attracted media attention from his advocacy of vegetarianism and animal rights.

Indexed at Wikipedia.