In a striking and emotionally charged announcement titled “A Soul for Sale,” Morrissey has offered to sell his entire business interest in The Smiths to any willing buyer. Shared on his official site, the singer declared he’s “burnt out by any and all connections” to his former bandmates—Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, and the late Andy Rourke—and sees the sale as essential to reclaim his peace and health.
The sale package is comprehensive: rights to the band’s name and artwork (which Morrissey himself created), merchandising, lyrics, compositions, synchronization agreements, recordings, and publishing contracts.
Despite this dramatic move, legal entanglements remain unresolved. Although Marr secured the Smiths trademark in 2018, and even offered Morrissey a joint ownership agreement in 2024, Morrissey has yet to sign it.
Morrissey frames the sale not as capitulation but as self-preservation: “The songs are me—they are no one else—but they bring with them business communications … I must now protect myself, especially my health”. The offer’s viability—and the impact on the band’s legacy without Ritz as a public figure—remains to be seen.
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