Johnny Marr

John Martin Marr, born Maher on 31 October 1963, is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He first achieved international recognition as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the indie rock band the Smiths, active from 1982 to 1987. Following the group's dissolution, Marr joined several other prominent bands, established himself as a prolific session musician, and launched a solo career.

Born at Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester to Irish emigrant parents, Marr spent his early childhood in Ardwick Green before moving to Wythenshawe in 1972. In his youth, he aspired to become a professional football player and held trials with Manchester City's youth team. He taught himself to play guitar using vinyl records and chord dictionaries. At age 13, he formed his first band, the Paris Valentinos. To avoid confusion with Buzzcocks drummer John Maher and simplify pronunciation, he adopted the surname Marr around age 14. He later attended Wythenshawe College and performed in early groups such as White Dice and Freak Party.

In 1982, Marr formed the Smiths alongside vocalist Steven Morrissey, eventually recruiting bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Marr's jangle pop guitar style became a defining feature of the band's sound. Signing with Rough Trade Records, the group released their self-titled debut album in 1984, followed by Meat Is Murder in 1985 and The Queen Is Dead in 1986. Facing exhausting schedules, business troubles, and personal differences with Morrissey, Marr left the group in July 1987, leading to their permanent split later that year. Subsequent attempts to reunite the band have been repeatedly turned down.

After leaving the Smiths, Marr briefly joined the Pretenders in 1987 before recording and touring with the The between 1988 and 1994. Simultaneously, he formed the group Electronic with Bernard Sumner. He later became a member of Modest Mouse and the Cribs. As a session musician and writing collaborator, Marr has contributed to projects by artists such as Talking Heads, Pet Shop Boys, Bryan Ferry, Everything but the Girl, Crowded House, Noel Gallagher, Blondie, Franz Ferdinand, and Billie Eilish.

In 2000, Marr formed Johnny Marr and the Healers, releasing the album Boomslang in 2003. He launched his solo recording career with The Messenger in 2013, followed by Playland in 2014, Call the Comet in 2018, and Fever Dreams Pts 1–4 in 2022. He published his autobiography, Set the Boy Free, in 2016, and released his fifth solo studio album, The Age of Everything, on 2 October 2026.

Marr has received widespread recognition for his guitar playing, which heavily influenced later Manchester bands and musicians such as John Squire and Noel Gallagher. In a 2010 BBC poll, Marr was voted the fourth-best guitarist of the preceding 30 years, and he was honored with the Godlike Genius award by NME in 2013.