Joe Moss, the original manager of The Smiths has died at 72

Joe Moss (RIP) - Tribute at Johnny-Marr.com

Sad news. :(

http://www.johnny-marr.com/from-johnny/joe-moss



"We regret to announce that, after a brave struggle with cancer, Joe Moss, manager of Johnny Marr and The Smiths, has died at the age of seventy-two.

Joe Moss was already a legend in Manchester by the start of the 1980s, which is when he and Johnny Marr first met: a patron of the famed Twisted Wheel, and an instigator of the pioneering store Eighth Day, Moss had turned his love of street fashion into Crazy Face, an influential clothing line with a store in the City’s Chapel Walks. Marr worked in the clothes shop next door, and at the age of seventeen, introduced himself to Moss as a 'frustrated musician'; the pair quickly became close friends, with Marr moving in to the Moss household and placed in charge of a new Crazy Face store underneath the label’s Portland Street headquarters. Moss mentored and encouraged Marr’s musical ambitions, and when The Smiths came together, he supplied the group with space at Portland Street to rehearse at, and a PA for them to play through; he bought them a van, guided the group through their first shows, secured record contracts for the UK and America, publishing and agency deals, and helped hire a dedicated crew. He left the group unexpectedly in late 1983, while 'This Charming Man' was riding high in the charts and with their debut LP completed, on the eve of The Smiths’ first trip to America.

'Joe was a one off, an amazing person and totally unique,' says Johnny Marr. 'He started looking after me when I was seventeen; it was Joe who put the idea in my head to go and knock on Morrissey’s door. He invested his time and money in us when no one else wanted to know, and his belief in us kept us going. Without him there wouldn’t have been any Smiths. He was an original beatnik and a true bohemian, respected by all. Everyone who met him loved him; he can never be replaced.'

After The Smiths, Moss helped reinvigorate the Manchester scene of the 1990s by promoting shows at the Night and Day Café on Oldham Street. He resumed managing with the group Marion, whose 1998 album ‘The Program’ was produced by Johnny Marr; he also managed Haven, again enlisting Marr as a producer. In 1999, Joe Moss resumed his role as Johnny Marr’s manager, a position he retained until the present.

He is survived by his wife Sarah and his children David, Rachel, Ivan, Stella and Edie."
 
Re: Joe Moss (RIP) - Tribute at Johnny-Marr.com

Sad news indeed.
I met Joe at a Johnny Marr gig at the Deaf Institute in Manchester some 4 years ago, he was an absolute gentleman.
Tried to get me backstage to meet Johnny even though he only had just met me himslef.
I was ultimately refused access by a bouncer, so Joe then proceeded to run (yes, run!) down the stairs with my copy of TCM on CD, handed it to Johnny and asked him to sign it for me. He then ran back up the stairs and handed the CD back to me.
A lovely guy and fond memories, a night I will never forget.

R.I.P. Joe.
 
Re: Joe Moss (RIP) - Tribute at Johnny-Marr.com

Sad news indeed.
I met Joe at a Johnny Marr gig at the Deaf Institute in Manchester some 4 years ago, he was an absolute gentleman.
Tried to get me backstage to meet Johnny even though he only had just met me himslef.
I was ultimately refused access by a bouncer, so Joe then proceeded to run (yes, run!) down the stairs with my copy of TCM on CD, handed it to Johnny and asked him to sign it for me. He then ran back up the stairs and handed the CD back to me.
A lovely guy and fond memories, a night I will never forget.

R.I.P. Joe.

I met Joe a few times at Marion gigs and at the same Deaf Institute gig as you did. Always seemed like a really nice guy and always happy to speak to idiots like me.
 
Beautiful man..... Sry he had to pass. Cancer is such a nasty disease
 
Joe Moss

Joe Moss original Smiths manager and Johnny Marr's manager and friend died today after a long battle with cancer
 
An anonymous person writes:

"We regret to announce that, after a brave struggle with cancer, Joe Moss, manager of Johnny Marr and The Smiths, has died at the age of seventy-two."

Joe Moss - Official Johnny Marr

Condolences go to his family and friends.

joemoss.jpg


Jukebox Jury posted the link:

Johnny Marr pays tribute to former Smiths manager Joe Moss, who has died aged 72 - Manchester Evening News

Link from an an anonymous person:
Joe Moss, manager of the Smiths and Johnny Marr, dies age 72 - The Guardian
 
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Re: Joe Moss (RIP) - Tribute at Johnny-Marr.com

Johnny Marr said:
Without him there wouldn’t have been any Smiths.

Very true. RIP Joe.

Johnny Marr said:
it was Joe who put the idea in my head to go and knock on Morrissey ’s door.

Morrissey has every reason to be thankful, then.
 
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Re: Joe Moss (RIP) - Tribute at Johnny-Marr.com

so Joe then proceeded to run (yes, run!) down the stairs with my copy of TCM on CD, handed it to Johnny and asked him to sign it for me. He then ran back up the stairs and handed the CD back to me.

Sounds like a right bastard. :)

As little as I know about the guy (I know more about Kate Moss, about whom I give not a toss; that can't be right...), it's never too late to thank him for everything he did, I bet wherever he is, he'd like that.


Didn't know he and Johnny still worked together. That's a pretty faithful and fruitful friendship they seem to have enjoyed there. But coolness (usually) attracts coolness I guess. (...how could Grumpy not have felt left out? :D )
RIP Joe. Hug, Johnny.
 
Very sad. I also met him and he was indeed a gent.

Commemorating this would be one of the rare TTY Mozzer statements actually worth reading.
 
I was thinking the same thing. Do you think moz is gonna make a statement on TTY tho?

In this case I think it would be more appropriate to express his condolence to Johnny personally. A public statement would take away the focus from Johnny's loss.
 
Given what he said in Autobiography, I would hardly think so.

yup. doesn't he think joe tried to replace him while the smiths were in new york in late 83? (never mind the fact that joe left before the first US dates!) wonder if morrissey ever regrets defaming someone once their dead.
 
Given what he said in Autobiography, I would hardly think so.

Johnny just lost not only a friend but, as I understood it, someone who was like a fatherfigure for him. This story is about HIM. Do we really have to bring Morrissey too much into it right now? I don't think so. Some people get on with each other, some don't. End of it. We don't to discuss it NOW.
 
I'd like to think Morrissey would pay tribute but sadly if you dare criticise the man at any point then you've no chance, he's more for the yes types nowadays which is bizarre considering nature wise he's anthing but that ilk.
R.I.P Joe Moss.
 
I remember when we didn't have tickets for the healers gig at Bolton and joe recognising us from years agoand coming down and giving us names to use of oasis's guest list. Ha ha.

Rest easy Joe
 
In this case I think it would be more appropriate to express his condolence to Johnny personally. A public statement would take away the focus from Johnny's loss.

Morrissey isn't that kind of man. He's a fame-hungry attention seeker who has slagged Joe Moss to high heaven in Autobiography and Johnny as well. He doesn't have enough decency to extend condolences, and even if he did - what a tremendous hypocrite he would look.
 

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