British legend Morrissey to come for jazz festival

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Morrissey, whose coming is eagerly anticipated byTurkish fans, will perform at the Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater.

Legendary British alternative rock musician Morrissey will perform in Istanbul on July 19 at the closing ceremony for the 19th Istanbul Jazz Festival.

The musician, whose coming is eagerly anticipated by fans in Istanbul, will perform at the Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater.

Morrissey rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and he began a solo career, hitting the top 10 on the U.K. Singles Chart on 10 occasions. He is also widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music.

The BBC has referred to him as “one of the most influential figures in the history of British pop,” while NME magazine named The Smiths the “most influential artist ever” in a 2002 poll.

Morrissey, who is also an animal rights activist, said he had also completed a 660-page autobiography that he now intends to offer to publishers. In July 2011, NME reported that the book was slated to be released in December 2012.

Morrissey is currently conducting a 2012 tour, which started in Chile and will continue in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hawaii.

The program of the 19th Istanbul Jazz Festival will be announced on April 26 and tickets for all concerts will go on sale at Biletix starting April 28.

The festival, which will be organized from July 3 and 19 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), will be sponsored by Garanti Bank.