Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player, and singer. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, where he formed an influential songwriting partnership with Morrissey. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and has been a member of Modest Mouse since 2006. In 2008, he joined The Cribs after touring with them on 2008's NME Awards Tour. Marr is widely regarded as being amongst the most skilled and influential rock guitarists of the 1980s.
(July 2001) Voted the North West of Englands best guitarist in Total Guitar Magazines poll of the greatest 12 British guitarists.
Radiohead s Ed OBrien claims Marr was the reason he picked up a guitar as a teenager.
Supports Manchester City football club.
Used to play football and was approached by Nottingham Forest but decided to concentrate on his music.
(June 2004) Despite his reputation as British indie rocks most respected and influential guitarist, not a single Marr riff was voted into the Total Guitar Magazine poll of the 100 greatest riffs of all time.
His favorite album is "Raw Power" by Iggy & the Stooges.
Winner of the 2007 Q Lifetime Achievement Award.
His trademark sound was created on a Black 1983 Rickenbacker 330 guitar.
It was good to be in a group that stood for and against certain things.
[on how he relaxes] By staying up too late watching nonsense on YouTube.
[asked whether he ever spent a night in a hospital] No, not a full one.
I used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day. It took me about three attempts to,stop - and it was tortuous, to say the least.
I played guitar from the age of four or five. Every year there would be a slightly larger triangular box under the Christmas tree, until finally I got one that was big enough to make a proper sound.
