Music Folks
Johnny Marr: The Smiths Guitarist Who Never Stopped Moving
October 22, 2026 · by Music Folks
Johnny Marr is the guitarist whose bright, intricate playing defined the sound of the Smiths and who then built one of the most varied careers in British rock. Over four decades he has been a bandmate, a hired collaborator and, more recently, a solo artist in his own right.
Quick Facts
- Born: October 31, 1963, Manchester, England (as John Martin Maher)
- Known for: Guitar and co-songwriting in the Smiths
- Also with: Electronic, The The, Modest Mouse, the Cribs
- Solo albums: The Messenger (2013), Playland (2014), Call the Comet (2018), Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 (2022)
- Honors: NME Godlike Genius award (2013), honorary doctorate from the University of Salford (2012)
A Wythenshawe Guitar Kid
Marr grew up in Wythenshawe, Manchester, in a family with roots in County Kildare, Ireland. He taught himself guitar, formed his first band at 13 and took the spelling “Marr” around 14.
The Smiths and After
In 1982 he teamed up with Morrissey to form the Smiths. Together they made four studio albums, including Meat Is Murder, which reached No. 1 in the UK, and The Queen Is Dead. Marr's jangling, layered guitar became the band's signature. He left in 1987.
What followed was a run of collaborations: a short spell with the Pretenders, years with the The, and Electronic, which he co-founded with Bernard Sumner. He joined Modest Mouse, whose 2007 album reached No. 1 in the US, and played with the Cribs between 2008 and 2011. His credits also include sessions with Talking Heads, Pet Shop Boys, Beck, Blondie, Billie Eilish and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds; see our Noel Gallagher profile. He also contributed to Hans Zimmer's score for Inception and played on the theme for No Time to Die.
Out Front
Marr released Boomslang in 2003 with the Healers, then began recording as a solo artist with The Messenger in 2013. A memoir, Set the Boy Free, appeared in 2016, and he received the Boss Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.
As of October 2026, he is releasing a new solo album, The Age of Everything, on BMG on October 2, led by the single “Spin.” His biggest solo headline show so far, at London's OVO Arena Wembley, is set for October 24.