{"id":2061624,"date":"2026-07-25T16:51:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T13:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2061624"},"modified":"2026-07-25T16:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T13:51:02","slug":"morrisseys-unseen-teenage-letters-predicting-he-would-become-a-rock-n-roll-star-are-going-up-for-auction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2061624","title":{"rendered":"Morrissey\u2019s unseen teenage letters predicting he would become a \u201crock \u2019n\u2019 roll star\u201d are going up for auction"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_1984.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Morrissey\u2019s unseen teenage letters predicting he would become a \u201crock \u2019n\u2019 roll star\u201d are going up for auction<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The archive includes letters declaring \u201cI always said I was a genius, but nobody listened\u201d, as well as an account of his attempt to join The Clash <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Max Pilley<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-25T17:51:02+01:00\">25th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_1984-696x442.jpg\" alt title=\"Morrissey, British Singer &amp; Songwriter\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Headshot of Morrissey during a studio portrait session, 1984. (Photo by Peter Noble\/Redferns\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>A collection of previously unseen letters written by\u00a0Morrissey\u00a0as a teenager, in which he predicted that he would become a \u201crock \u2019n\u2019 roll star\u201d,\u00a0is going up for auction.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1214\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>The Smiths: every song ranked in order of greatness<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The archive comprises hundreds of handwritten pages sent by the future Smiths frontman to his Birmingham pen pal Simon Pitt between 1974 and 1979, when Morrissey was aged between 14 and 20.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Titled\u00a0<i>Before\u00a0The\u00a0Smiths: The Morrissey Letters<\/i>, the collection is being offered across 65 lots by Dawsons Auctioneers on August 26, with a combined estimate of more than \u00a322,000.\u00a0See\u00a0further\u00a0details\u00a0here.<\/p>\n<p>The earliest surviving letter was written in March 1974, when\u00a0Morrissey\u00a0was just 14. In it, he declared: \u201cMy ambition is to be a rock \u2019n\u2019 roll star or an actor, or a writer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is accompanied by Pitt\u2019s original pen-pal application, which Morrissey later annotated with the words: \u201cAnd to think it all started here.\u201d The lot is expected to fetch between \u00a3300 and \u00a3500.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958973\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958973\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958973\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_one.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958973\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another early letter features the characteristically confident statement: \u201cI always said I was a genius, but nobody listened.\u201d That lot, which also includes Morrissey\u2019s account of an unsuccessful job application to\u00a0<i>Disc<\/i>\u00a0magazine, has been valued at between \u00a3400 and \u00a3600.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>The letters chart Morrissey\u2019s development from a music-obsessed schoolboy into an aspiring performer during a pivotal period in Manchester\u2019s musical history.<\/p>\n<p>He wrote about attending both of the\u00a0Sex Pistols\u2019\u00a0legendary\u00a01976 shows at Manchester\u2019s Lesser Free Trade Hall, before dramatically reversing his\u00a0initial\u00a0support for the group.\u00a0\u201cAs for the Pistols\u2026 they were pathetic,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI take back all that\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0said about the Pistols\u2026 They are\u00a0just plain\u00a0bad. Period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The archive also\u00a0contains\u00a0Morrissey\u2019s recollections of meeting\u00a0Patti Smith, Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, as well as visiting New York\u2019s CBGB and unsuccessfully attempting to join The Clash\u00a0before they found fame.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958974\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958974\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958974\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_two.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>In one missive, he claimed that guitarist Mick Jones recognised him from the numerous letters he had sent to the music press. The document, which also discusses the emerging punk scene and Morrissey\u2019s encounters with members of the Sex Pistols, is expected to sell for between \u00a3300 and \u00a3400.<\/p>\n<p>Another section captures his excitement at becoming the vocalist of Manchester punk group The Nosebleeds, marking his first experience as a band frontman. \u201cI\u2019m in showbusiness!\u201d Morrissey wrote. \u201cI\u2019ll spring on this unsuspecting world yet!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Weeks later, he was already\u00a0anticipating\u00a0greater success, adding: \u201cOne thing I\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0do is record for the sake of it\u2026\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0all set for superstardom. But then,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0always been a star, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Among the highest-valued lots is a five-page letter from 1977\u00a0containing\u00a0the only known photograph of Morrissey in the archive.\u00a0Underneath\u00a0a\u00a0passport image, he wrote: \u201cPoseurs of the world unite! S.M. in the\u00a0UK\u00a01977. Or, if your glasses\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0fit then why should your face?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The letter also\u00a0contains\u00a0his thoughts on\u00a0Blondie, Patti Smith, the\u00a0Ramones\u00a0and the Sex Pistols, alongside an eyewitness account of the Ramones\u2019 concert at Manchester\u2019s Electric Circus. It carries an estimate of \u00a31,000 to \u00a31,500.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958975\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958975\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_three.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following Margaret Thatcher\u2019s 1979 general election victory, he asked Pitt: \u201cDid you vote? Labour, I hope? God knows what tortures that miserable Thatcher has prepared for us woikin\u2019 class folk. I dread to fink.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The final surviving letter finds Morrissey abandoning plans to study A-level English after receiving an offer from an unnamed group.\u00a0\u201cA group in London asked me to join them,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThey have a recording contract and all that rubbish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That letter marks the conclusion of five years of correspondence, three years before Morrissey met Johnny Marr\u00a0and formed The Smiths in Manchester in 1982.<\/p>\n<p>Pitt preserved the letters for more than four decades. He went on to become a poet, storyteller and performer, serving as Birmingham\u2019s Poet Laureate in 2000. He died in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Peter Mason, auctioneer and senior valuer at Dawsons, described the archive as an \u201cexceptionally rare\u201d account of Morrissey\u2019s formative years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat struck me most was just how funny Morrissey is,\u201d he said. \u201cRunning through almost every letter is a wonderful sense of humour and genuine warmth that makes him an incredibly endearing character.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cAlongside the wit and unmistakable literary voice that would later become synonymous with Morrissey, the correspondence also captures Britain at a fascinating moment in its cultural history.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958972\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958972\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958972\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_four.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958972\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><i>Before The Smiths: The Morrissey Letters<\/i>\u00a0will go under the hammer in an online sale on August 26.<\/p>\n<p>Morrissey released his 14th solo album, \u2018Make-Up Is\u00a0A\u00a0Lie\u2019, in March, marking his first new record in six years. It reached Number Three on the UK Albums Chart.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month,\u00a0he criticised the BBC for not playing his single \u2018Notre-Dame\u2019, after the track reached Number Six on the Official Singles Sales Chart.\u00a0\u201cThe public wants to hear the song, but the BBC will not play it,\u201d he wrote, before claiming that \u201cdiversity is a lie\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He is currently touring Europe in support of \u2018Make-Up Is\u00a0A\u00a0Lie\u2019\u00a0and is due\u00a0to return to the UK for five arena shows in December, visiting Brighton, Cardiff, Liverpool,\u00a0Glasgow\u00a0and Leeds.<\/p>\n<p>Morrissey also recently launched another attack on his former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr, accusing him of dividing the group\u2019s audience into \u201cfactions\u201d over an upcoming BBC documentary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Indie<\/li>\n<li>Morrissey<\/li>\n<li>The Smiths<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_93 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_93\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"td-block-title\"><span class=\"td-pulldown-size\">TRENDING<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018Stuart Fails To Save The Universe\u2019 review: bizarro \u2018Big Bang Theory\u2019 spin-off<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Meet Trim, the new \u201cprincess of rap\u201d with a larger-than-life personality<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">This emo band found the nerdiest way to release an album \u2013 on a retro games console<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Syd on \u2018Beard\u2019, the return of The Internet and refusing to fit into a box: \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to make a hit\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">The empathetic ethos of London storyteller Kamal.: \u201cThe honest stuff is where the magic\u2019s at\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-custom_ad_1  tdi_94 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_95\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_96  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_98  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_100  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_105 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_105\">\n<div id=\"tdi_105\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">The Sunshine Underground play first show in nearly 10 years ahead of huge Leeds reunion<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Phill Jupitus says \u201cDavid Byrne effectively shat on a minority\u201d for excluding disabled people and fans who can\u2019t stand at show<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">The Avalanches reunite with Yeah Yeah Yeahs\u2019 Karen O for \u201cachingly forlorn\u201d single \u2018Blue Shadows\u2019: \u201cSome people just have access to a higher plane\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Watch The Strokes debut \u2018Dine N\u2019Dash\u2019 as they launch \u2018Reality Awaits\u2019 at iconic Red Rocks<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Teddy Swims announces massive 2027 UK and Europe arena tour<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Check out Johnny Marr\u2019s majestic new song \u2018Ophelia\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>A collection of previously unseen letters written by\u00a0Morrissey\u00a0as a teenager, in which he predicted that he would become a \u201crock \u2019n\u2019 roll star\u201d,\u00a0is going up for auction.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1214\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>The Smiths: every song ranked in order of greatness<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The archive comprises hundreds of handwritten pages sent by the future Smiths frontman to his Birmingham pen pal Simon Pitt between 1974 and 1979, when Morrissey was aged between 14 and 20.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Titled\u00a0<i>Before\u00a0The\u00a0Smiths: The Morrissey Letters<\/i>, the collection is being offered across 65 lots by Dawsons Auctioneers on August 26, with a combined estimate of more than \u00a322,000.\u00a0See\u00a0further\u00a0details\u00a0here.<\/p>\n<p>The earliest surviving letter was written in March 1974, when\u00a0Morrissey\u00a0was just 14. In it, he declared: \u201cMy ambition is to be a rock \u2019n\u2019 roll star or an actor, or a writer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is accompanied by Pitt\u2019s original pen-pal application, which Morrissey later annotated with the words: \u201cAnd to think it all started here.\u201d The lot is expected to fetch between \u00a3300 and \u00a3500.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958973\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958973\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958973\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_one.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958973\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another early letter features the characteristically confident statement: \u201cI always said I was a genius, but nobody listened.\u201d That lot, which also includes Morrissey\u2019s account of an unsuccessful job application to\u00a0<i>Disc<\/i>\u00a0magazine, has been valued at between \u00a3400 and \u00a3600.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>The letters chart Morrissey\u2019s development from a music-obsessed schoolboy into an aspiring performer during a pivotal period in Manchester\u2019s musical history.<\/p>\n<p>He wrote about attending both of the\u00a0Sex Pistols\u2019\u00a0legendary\u00a01976 shows at Manchester\u2019s Lesser Free Trade Hall, before dramatically reversing his\u00a0initial\u00a0support for the group.\u00a0\u201cAs for the Pistols\u2026 they were pathetic,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI take back all that\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0said about the Pistols\u2026 They are\u00a0just plain\u00a0bad. Period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The archive also\u00a0contains\u00a0Morrissey\u2019s recollections of meeting\u00a0Patti Smith, Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, as well as visiting New York\u2019s CBGB and unsuccessfully attempting to join The Clash\u00a0before they found fame.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958974\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958974\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958974\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_two.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>In one missive, he claimed that guitarist Mick Jones recognised him from the numerous letters he had sent to the music press. The document, which also discusses the emerging punk scene and Morrissey\u2019s encounters with members of the Sex Pistols, is expected to sell for between \u00a3300 and \u00a3400.<\/p>\n<p>Another section captures his excitement at becoming the vocalist of Manchester punk group The Nosebleeds, marking his first experience as a band frontman. \u201cI\u2019m in showbusiness!\u201d Morrissey wrote. \u201cI\u2019ll spring on this unsuspecting world yet!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Weeks later, he was already\u00a0anticipating\u00a0greater success, adding: \u201cOne thing I\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0do is record for the sake of it\u2026\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0all set for superstardom. But then,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0always been a star, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Among the highest-valued lots is a five-page letter from 1977\u00a0containing\u00a0the only known photograph of Morrissey in the archive.\u00a0Underneath\u00a0a\u00a0passport image, he wrote: \u201cPoseurs of the world unite! S.M. in the\u00a0UK\u00a01977. Or, if your glasses\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0fit then why should your face?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The letter also\u00a0contains\u00a0his thoughts on\u00a0Blondie, Patti Smith, the\u00a0Ramones\u00a0and the Sex Pistols, alongside an eyewitness account of the Ramones\u2019 concert at Manchester\u2019s Electric Circus. It carries an estimate of \u00a31,000 to \u00a31,500.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958975\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958975\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_three.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following Margaret Thatcher\u2019s 1979 general election victory, he asked Pitt: \u201cDid you vote? Labour, I hope? God knows what tortures that miserable Thatcher has prepared for us woikin\u2019 class folk. I dread to fink.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The final surviving letter finds Morrissey abandoning plans to study A-level English after receiving an offer from an unnamed group.\u00a0\u201cA group in London asked me to join them,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThey have a recording contract and all that rubbish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That letter marks the conclusion of five years of correspondence, three years before Morrissey met Johnny Marr\u00a0and formed The Smiths in Manchester in 1982.<\/p>\n<p>Pitt preserved the letters for more than four decades. He went on to become a poet, storyteller and performer, serving as Birmingham\u2019s Poet Laureate in 2000. He died in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Peter Mason, auctioneer and senior valuer at Dawsons, described the archive as an \u201cexceptionally rare\u201d account of Morrissey\u2019s formative years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat struck me most was just how funny Morrissey is,\u201d he said. \u201cRunning through almost every letter is a wonderful sense of humour and genuine warmth that makes him an incredibly endearing character.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cAlongside the wit and unmistakable literary voice that would later become synonymous with Morrissey, the correspondence also captures Britain at a fascinating moment in its cultural history.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958972\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958972\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958972\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_letter_four.jpg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958972\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morrissey\u2019s early letters going up for auction. CREDIT: Dawsons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><i>Before The Smiths: The Morrissey Letters<\/i>\u00a0will go under the hammer in an online sale on August 26.<\/p>\n<p>Morrissey released his 14th solo album, \u2018Make-Up Is\u00a0A\u00a0Lie\u2019, in March, marking his first new record in six years. It reached Number Three on the UK Albums Chart.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month,\u00a0he criticised the BBC for not playing his single \u2018Notre-Dame\u2019, after the track reached Number Six on the Official Singles Sales Chart.\u00a0\u201cThe public wants to hear the song, but the BBC will not play it,\u201d he wrote, before claiming that \u201cdiversity is a lie\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He is currently touring Europe in support of \u2018Make-Up Is\u00a0A\u00a0Lie\u2019\u00a0and is due\u00a0to return to the UK for five arena shows in December, visiting Brighton, Cardiff, Liverpool,\u00a0Glasgow\u00a0and Leeds.<\/p>\n<p>Morrissey also recently launched another attack on his former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr, accusing him of dividing the group\u2019s audience into \u201cfactions\u201d over an upcoming BBC documentary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/morrisseys-unseen-teenage-letters-predicting-he-would-become-a-rock-n-roll-star-are-going-up-for-auction-3958971&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/morrissey_1984.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Morrissey\u2019s unseen teenage letters predicting he would become a \u201crock \u2019n\u2019 roll star\u201d are going up for auction The archive includes letters declaring \u201cI always said I was a genius, but nobody listened\u201d, as well as an account of his attempt to join The Clash By Max Pilley 25th July [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2061624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2061624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061624\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2061624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2061624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2061624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}