Morrissey says “has no choice but to offer for sale all of his business interests in “The Smiths” to any interested party / investor.”
The offer came via a blog post on his website Morrissey Central titled “A Soul to Sell,” where he writes, “I am burnt out by any and all connections to Marr, Rourke, Joyce. I have had enough of malicious associations. With my entire life I have paid my rightful dues to these songs and these images. I would now like to live disassociated from those who wish me nothing but ill-will and destruction, and this is the only resolution. The songs are me – they are no one else – but they bring with them business communications that go to excessive lengths to create as much dread and spite year after year. I must now protect myself, especially my health.”
Morrissey says any interested party for the right price would get (this is all straight from the post):
1. The name ‘The Smiths’, as created by Morrissey.
2. All Smiths artwork, as created by Morrissey.
3. All Smiths merchandising rights.
4. All Smiths songs lyrically / musically.
5. All synchronisation rights.
6. All Smiths recordings.
7. All contractual rights for Smiths publishing.
Of course there is a wrinkle, in the form of his former Smiths songwriting parter Johnny Marr, who owns 50% the rights to The Smiths. Does that make Morrissey half a band?
We’ll let them sort that out, but Morrissey did offer up an email address — eaves7760@gmail.com — for any serious investors (and not for anyone to, you know, troll Morrissey or management).
UPDATE: Morrissey has shut down the “eaves” email address after getting too many responses: “The ‘eaves’ business email address has been switched off due to the colossal response to Morrissey’s announcement of his wish to pass his ‘Smiths’ interests over to an investor. Although Morrisseys’ love for the songs of the Smiths era will never waver, he is tired of the disagreeable and vexatious characters involved in “The Smiths” business. After thirty-eight years of insults and abuse, Morrissey has had enough. All (or most) of the ‘eaves’ emails will be answered in time.”
How many of those emails were real offers?