Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on October 31, 1963, in Manchester, England) is an English-born Irish guitarist, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the guitarist and principal musical partner of Morrissey in the Smiths, but his career has extended across alternative rock, electronic music, session work, film composition, and solo recording. Marr's guitar style, marked by bright arpeggios, layered textures, melodic counterpoints, and an instinct for concise pop arrangement, made him one of the most influential British guitarists of the 1980s.
Raised in Manchester by Irish parents, Marr began playing guitar as a teenager and formed early groups with bassist Andy Rourke. In 1982, he approached Morrissey, and the pair soon began writing together. With Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, they formed the Smiths, whose first single, "Hand in Glove," appeared on Rough Trade in 1983. Marr's musical approach gave the group an identity that was both rooted in classic British pop and distinct from the heavy rock and synthesizer-based styles common at the time. His chiming parts and carefully arranged guitar interplay supplied the musical framework for Morrissey's lyrics and vocals on songs including "This Charming Man," "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," "How Soon Is Now?," "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," and "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side."
The Smiths released four studio albums between 1984 and 1987: The Smiths, Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead, and Strangeways, Here We Come. Although the band achieved major critical and commercial success, internal pressures and creative disagreements contributed to their breakup. Marr left in 1987, bringing the Smiths to an end. The group did not reunite, and its catalog continued to exert a major influence on independent and alternative music.
After the Smiths, Marr became a sought-after collaborator. He played with the Pretenders and joined Matt Johnson's the The, contributing to the albums Mind Bomb and Dusk. He also formed Electronic with New Order's Bernard Sumner. The project, which included vocal contributions from Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, combined guitar-based songwriting with dance and electronic production. Marr's recording credits during this period and afterward included work with Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry, Pet Shop Boys, Kirsty MacColl, and other artists.
In the early 2000s, Marr formed Johnny Marr and the Healers, whose album Boomslang was released in 2003 and featured Marr as lead vocalist and songwriter. He later joined Modest Mouse, playing on the 2007 album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank and touring with the group. A subsequent association with the Cribs produced the 2009 album Ignore the Ignorant.
Marr established a more sustained solo career with The Messenger in 2013. He followed it with Playland in 2014, the live album Adrenalin Baby in 2015, Call the Comet in 2018, and the four-part Fever Dreams project, completed as a full album in 2022. His compilation Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr appeared in 2023, followed by the live release Look Out Live! in 2025. He has also contributed to film music, including work with composer Hans Zimmer on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Freeheld. His autobiography, Set the Boy Free, was published in 2016.
As of September 2026, Marr remains active as a touring performer and recording artist. His next studio album, The Age of Everything, is scheduled for release on October 2, 2026. Across his work, he has maintained a balance between the enduring musical language of the Smiths and a continuing interest in new collaborations, production methods, and guitar-driven pop songwriting.