Born in Manchester, England on October 31, 1963, Johnny Marr played in such little-known groups as Sister Ray and Freaky Party before forming The Smiths with singer Morrissey in 1982. In the years to follow they became one of Britain's most successful acts, but in 1987, following sessions for the LP Strangeways, Here We Come, Marr dissolved the group, claiming their musical approach had gone stale. The Smiths were fueled by Marr's intricate, ringing guitar parts that assiduously avoided cliches while being rooted in classic British guitar pop. 

Marr's strengths as an instrumentalist made him a popular gun for hire after the Smiths split. Immediately following the band's separation, Marr played with the Pretenders, The The, and Talking Heads while striking up a lasting collaboration with New Order's Bernard Sumner with Electronic. He continued to bounce between projects during the '90s, eventually forming Johnny Marr and the Healers in 2000. The group didn't last long and Marr wound up joining Modest Mouse in 2006, staying with the band for several years while also playing in the Cribs. The Messenger launched Marr's solo career in 2013 and over the next decade, he toured and recorded regularly, issuing such ambitious projects as 2018's socially conscious Call the Comet and the multi-part Fever Dreams, which culminated in the release of the full double album in 2022. 

Marr signed with BMG in August 2021, releasing his full album, Fever Dreams, Pts. 1-4 in February 2022.