How Johnny Marr became a “ringer” to break free from the “shitstorm” of The Smiths
Johnny Marr might have earned his name alongside Morrissey in The Smiths, but his legacy extends much further, influencing an entire generation of guitarists with a career more prolific than most. While it’s likely his talent would have naturally taken this course, Marr earned such a legacy by admiring the greats and imitating their broader ethos.
Many influences factored into The Smiths, particularly on Marr’s part. For instance, one name he grew endeared to was Nils Lofgren, who he discovered in the 1970s and immediately became captivated by his energy and enthusiasm. Although he had his definitive projects, Lofgren was respected as a musician in his own right—a path Marr longed to take once he knew how.
While Marr’s main surge came within The Smiths, he desired to have his legacy defined by himself only, which meant not being restricted to a specific genre or band, no matter how popular or influential The Smiths became. To Marr, being a well-respected and highly sought-after guitarist meant proving his own versatility, just as Lofgren had. Only then would he be able to become a true “ringer”.
In this context, Marr’s definition of a successful “ringer” meant always being able to flit between different projects for different purposes and never being tied down to one thing. Many musicians across history have earned such a unique reputation and ability, not just Lofgren but names like Trent Reznor, Ronnie Wood, Kim Gordon, and even Stevie Nicks. Although each differed greatly in talents and collaborative capabilities, they earned respect in a broader sense by breaking free from the shackles of any singular group.
Marr no doubt stands high on that list also, but this was something that became more evident following The Smiths’ split. While some might have searched for another band to join, Marr focussed on what he had to offer in a standalone sense, which once again brought him back to Lofgren. When The Guardian rallied musicians to ask Marr important questions in 2022, Bobby Gillespie brought up a comment Marr made about wanting to step into the guitarist’s footsteps following the band’s disbandment.
Expanding on his sentiment, Marr said he was a guiding principle when everything suddenly felt uncertain. “My introduction to Nils Lofgren was in the 1970s and finding out that he was a young, hyperactive ace guitar player who had been brought in as a ringer for Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night,” he said. “He was little, like me, and a great singer. Then in the 1980s, he was playing with Bruce Springsteen.”
Addressing the desire to become an equally successful “ringer”, he continued: “So I guess really what Bobby was understanding was this idea of the ringer. I always found that really attractive: John McGeoch did it when he went from Magazine to the Banshees to Public Image; Ronnie Wood did it when he went from the Faces to the Rolling Stones. Nile Rodgers has done it with countless groups. And I was relating to that, really, as a way for me out of this shitstorm that was the Smiths split.”
In truth, Marr earned his keep effortlessly. Although he worked hard to inject a piece of himself into everything he did, he always instinctively had it, even in The Smiths when creative control had to be evenly split. As a result, becoming an influential industry-wide name was in his bones from day one, only becoming stronger when he was finally pushed out into the open by himself.
