Steven Patrick Morrissey; born May 22, 1959), who goes by his surname Morrissey, is an English writer, singer and lyricist from Greater Manchester, England. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, in which he continued the jangle pop sound of The Smiths. His solo albums have garnered ten Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom.

Morrissey´s former band The Smiths were declared the "most influential artist ever" by British music magazine NME in 2002. He sings his sardonic, literate lyrics with a baritone voice, occasionally using a high falsetto voice for some passages. In his song lyrics and public appearances, Morrissey has criticized and spoken against many including the British Royal Family, Margaret Thatcher and George W. Bush. He often advocates vegetarianism and animal rights. While he has has long operated as a quasi-outsider in the music industry, he has a large fan base.