Biography

He was a fan of the British indie rock band The Smiths and once said that they were the only good thing about 1980s music.

His album "Grace" was Mojo magazine's album of the year in 1994.

Turned down an offer to write the theme song of a Quentin Tarantino film.

Famous fans include Jamie Cullum, Badly Drawn Boy, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Fraser, Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith, Katie Melua, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Fran Healy, Steve Hogarth, & Björk.

He is referred to in his father's songs "Dream Letter" and "I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain". Several other artists have written songs about him. These include Rufus Wainwright's "Memphis Sky Line" (from his album "Want Two"), PJ Harvey's "Memphis" and Chris Cornell's "Wave Goodbye". His death is referred to in the Badly Drawn Boy song "You Were Right".

I resent the fact that a parental warning sticker has to be included on an album as cover art. To me that's censorship.

I don't want my reputation to take me over, I just want to be judged on my songs. I want people to come and see me because they want to, not because fashion dictates it. I don't belong in magazines, I belong on stage, in front of the audience, one-to-one. There's something that happens there. The rest is just crap.

I've always felt that the quality of the voice is where the real content of a song lies. Words only suggest an experience, but the voice is that experience.

I want to be ripped apart by music. I want it to be something that feeds and replenishes, or that totally sucks the life out of you. I want to be dashed against the rocks.

The Smiths hasn't been equaled. That goes for the composition of the songs, the lyrics, and the performance. What Johnny Marr and he [Morrissey] did was fabulous, nobody can beat that. If I'd ever start a rock band, I'd want to approximate that level.