Set the boy free

"The memoirs of the legendary guitarist and cofounder of seminal British band The Smiths recalls his childhood in working-class Manchester, his early collaborations with Stephen Morrissey, the ideological differences that triggered his departure and his influential solo career,"--NoveList. Johnny Marr was born in 1960s Manchester to Irish emigrant parents and knew from an early age that he would be a musician. Forming his first band at thirteen, Marr spent his teenage years in public housing, playing guitar, devouring pop culture, and inventing his own musical style. It wasn't until the early eighties, when he turned up on the doorstep of a singer named Steven Morrissey, that both a unique songwriting partnership and the group recognized as one of the most iconic bands of all time were formed. In 1983, The Smiths released their first single, and within a year their eponymous debut album reached number two in the UK chart. But by 1987, tensions within the band and desire for a wider musical scope led to Marr's departure. The end of The Smiths was just the beginning for Marr. This book explores a musical journey that has spanned decades, styles, and genres--from forming Electronic with Bernard Sumner of New Order and then The Healers, to playing with Bryan Ferry, Talking Heads, Pet Shop Boys, Billy Bragg, Nile Rodgers, The Pretenders, The The, Modest Mouse, and The Cribs to collaborating with Hans Zimmer and receiving acclaim and worldwide success in his own right as a solo artist, Marr has never stopped making captivating music. Here, for the first time, he tells his own side of the story. From roaming the streets of Manchester to constantly pushing musical boundaries as a true icon and one of the most revered guitarists in the world, Set the Boy Free is the memoir of a man who has followed his dream and made himself a legend.--Adapted from dust jacket.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.