The Smiths

The Smiths, hugely influential British rock group and 'Indie Music' pioneers. The group was formed in early 1982 by Manchester residents Steven Patrick Morrissey (b. May 22, 1959), and Johnny Marr (b. John Maher, October 31 1963). The pair began to write songs, based around Marr's guitar playing and lyrics by Morrissey, an occasional and non-too-successful music journalist.

After playing with a number of candidates, they recruited local bass player Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. After signing to Rough Trade records, the released their first single "Hand In Glove" and May 1983. The record, like many of their later singles was championed by DJ John Peel but failed to chart. The follow-ups, "This Charming Man" and "What Difference Does It Make", fared better and, aided by much praise from the music press, began to pick up a fanatical following. Morrissey's lyrics, superficially depressing, were often full of mordant humour ("one of the few bands capable of making me laugh out loud", said Peel) and his lovelorn tales of alienation found an audience amongst a disaffected section of youth culture, bored by the ubiquitous synthesiser new romantic bands that dominated the charts. By February 1984 this fanbase was sufficiently large to launch the band's long-awaited, self-titled debut album to #2 in the UK chart.

Though commercially unsuccessful at the time (two singles "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "Sheila Take A Bow" made #10 in the UK chart, none got above #55 in the US), a growing cult following throughout the last two decades of the twentieth century lead to increased acknowledgement in the 1990s, and a #8 chart placing for the re-released "This Charming Man". The band released (not including the numerous singles/B-sides compilations) just four albums before disputes between main songwriters Morrissey and Marr caused the band to permanently split in 1987. In 2002, they were voted 'most inspirational band' by NME magazine.