Billy Bragg says he's 'heartbroken' for fans of The Smiths after latest Morrissey outburst
Singer-songwriter said he also feels sorry for Johnny Marr, because ‘he doesn’t deserve to have his legacy dragged through the dirt’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Billy Bragg has responded to Morrissey‘s latest string of inflammatory comments, by saying he feels sorry for the singer’s fans.
The former Smiths frontman caused yet another controversy in an interview with his nephew, which was posted on his own website.
During the conversation, Morrissey reaffirmed his support for the far-right, anti-Islam party For Britain, and claimed “everyone ultimately prefers their own race” when addressing the allegations of racism he has been face with.
Bragg has since responded, telling The Big Issue: “I think he’s decided that he wants to betray everything he ever said in the Smiths, and he’s broken the hearts of a lot of people…
“The Smiths expressed a lot of people’s own sense of disconnect with society and helped them to find their own identity, and he’s totally trashed that.
“I’m heartbroken for them because I’m a big Smiths fan, too. And I’m heartbroken for Johnny Marr because he’s genuine, a lovely guy, and he doesn’t deserve to have his legacy dragged through the dirt…
He added: “I have no sympathy for [Morrissey], no respect for him, but I have a lot of sympathy and respect for his audience.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments