Morrissey has long been one of the more polarizing figures in music. Beginning with his work with the influential British band The Smiths in the early ’80s, some music fans were put off by his mopey lyrics and swooning vocal moan, while many others, of course, were completely (sometimes obsessively) enamored with him. When the singer split off for a solo career in the late ’80s, he developed one of the most cultishly loyal fanbases in all of music, while also raising the ire of others for everything from his militant animal rights stance to his frequent concert cancelations.
In the past couple of years, Morrissey has gained even more haters with his vocal support of conservative U.K. politicians, whom some accuse of being, at best, anti-immigrant and, at worst, racist. But Moz’s extensive body of work hasn’t somehow retroactively lost its importance to music and he certainly still has the respect of many of his peers and scores of younger artists.
In May, Morrissey released his 12th solo studio album, the covers collection California Son, which features the singer’s takes on songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and others with guests including Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste and Ariel Engle of Broken Social Scene.
Here's Morrissey's latest single, a cover of Dionne Warwick's "Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets":
Performing in Kettering near Dayton this week with Interpol, Morrissey’s last show in Southwestern Ohio was in 2015, when he played Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday. $69-$119. Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering, fraze.com
