Johnny Marr: the guitar hero who changed the sound of Manchester

No other city could have produced the confident brilliance of Johnny Marr.

There are moments in life you don’t forget. Not births or deaths, but those times that touch something just as deep. For many in Manchester’s music scene, one of those moments came with a white-label promo of The Smiths debut album. Hearing it for the first time wasn’t just exciting, it was emotional. It felt like the city had found a sound that finally made sense.

At the heart of it all was Johnny Marr.

From Wythenshawe to the world

Born in Ardwick and raised in Wythenshawe, Johnny Marr came of age in a city struggling to stay afloat. The early 1980s in Manchester were tough. Youth unemployment was sky high, industries had collapsed, and hope was thin on the ground. But while most teenagers were facing dead ends, Marr already had a path in mind. He wasn’t shy about it either.

In 1981, as a 17-year-old, Marr appeared on a Granada TV programme called Devil’s Advocate, which gave a platform to 100 young people from inner-city Manchester to talk about unemployment. Most of them were just trying to get by. Marr stood out. On national television, he calmly said he didn’t mind being on the dole because it gave him the time to focus on playing guitar and starting a band. It wasn’t said with arrogance, just absolute clarity. He knew what he was doing.

The reaction in the room was sharp. Others were stunned by how open he was about his ambition. One of the presenters challenged him, practically fuming, asking why taxpayers should fund someone to sit around playing music. Marr didn’t blink. He said, simply, “Absolutely.” In that moment, you saw something that would define his entire career: confidence without compromise.

What made Johnny Marr stand out?

A couple of years later, Hand in Glove hit the airwaves. Even then, some listeners instantly recognised Marr’s touch. The music was tender and tough, both vulnerable and defiant. It had guts, but it also had heart. That was the magic of Marr’s playing.

As The Smiths gained momentum, their music became the unofficial soundtrack for a generation of working class Mancunians who felt invisible. Marr’s shimmering, melodic guitar work captured something no one else was doing. It gave Morrissey’s lyrics depth, warmth, and rhythm, turning sorrow into poetry and making even the darkest lyrics dance.

Their music summoned images of red brick terraces, overcast skies, forgotten dreams, and the quiet strength of everyday life in Manchester. Through The Smiths, Thatcher’s Britain produced something fragile and beautiful. It still resonates decades later.

Why did Johnny Marr leave The Smiths at the height of their success?

It’s easy to forget that Marr left The Smiths when he was just 23. Most people would cling to that kind of success. Not him. He knew when it no longer felt right, and he left before it could lose its spark. He never came back. That decision, as unimaginable as it might seem, helped preserve everything that made the band special.

Without Johnny Marr, there was no Smiths. The dynamic that made them great vanished when he walked away.

What has Johnny Marr done since leaving The Smiths?

Since then, Marr has done what few others manage: stayed creative, stayed curious, and stayed true. His work with The The, Bryan Ferry, and Electronic (with Bernard Sumner of New Order) expanded his sound without losing his soul. His time with Modest Mouse, his solo albums, and his live shows all carry the same energy that made his name in the first place.

When he received his GQ award recently, it was a reminder of his unique place in British music. He’s not just a great guitarist. He’s a rare figure who stayed grounded while shaping the sound of a generation.

Why is Johnny Marr considered one of Manchester’s most influential musicians?

Johnny Marr represents something rare. Not just musical talent, but the kind of fearless self-belief that working class kids were often told to keep to themselves. He didn’t keep it quiet. He put it into every riff, every chord, every moment on stage.

Even now, over 35 years since Hand in Glove, young people are still discovering The Smiths. They are still being pulled in by Marr’s guitar. Still feeling seen by his music.

Ask anyone in Manchester who the greatest band is and you’ll hear all the usual names: Joy Division, New Order, The Fall, The Bee Gees, James, Oasis. But ask which band felt most like Manchester, and the answer is often The Smiths. No other city could have produced someone quite like Johnny Marr.

He gave the city a sound. A feeling. A voice.

And he still does.