/MUSIC THIS CHARMING LIFE AS SMITHS TRIBUTE ACT
HE has the towering quiff, the same dulcet tones and, in the right light, even the same brooding stare as Morrissey. And Johnny Turner, from Audenshaw, gets to use his striking likeness as a professional Morrisseyalike in one of the leading tribute bands to The Smiths, The Smiths Ltd.
But, given the real Morrissey’s increasingly controversial comments of late, being his lookalike isn’t entirely without its pitfalls.
Johnny says: “It has started filtering through to me. Someone posted on our website asking if I do political rants in between songs, and another asking if I’m a fake Morrissey do I have the same fake views as him.
“It’s not worth responding to those sorts of comments, you’re just putting fuel on the fire.
“For us, as a tribute band, it’s all about the music first and foremost and celebrating the music of The Smiths.
“I follow the man because that’s who I portray but I suppose I’m miles apart in real life.”
Johnny, 49, is a dad-of-two and an electrical contracts director by day.
But nine years ago he took his love for all things Morrissey and The Smiths on to a new stage - by responding to an article he’d seen in the M.E.N. from a band desperately trying to recruit a Morrissey for their Smiths tribute act.
It came after he’d been persuaded to try karaoke on a family trip to Blackpool - and revellers had remarked on his incredible likeness to Morrissey.
He recalls: “I was in Blackpool, the parents were passing around the karaoke book, but I thought, I’m not doing that. I’d had had a few scoops so I said: ‘I tell you what if Morrissey or The Smiths are in that book I’ll give it a go.’
“They were both in there, so I ended up doing First Of The Gang To Die. People started saying ‘hey, you sound like Morrissey.’
“I thought right ok, so the following night I did Panic, got some dried flowers out of the window of the guest house we were in and was twirling them around. That’s how it started, really.
“When I got back I saw the advert in the paper and I thought this could be interesting.”
He got in touch with Alex Gaskell, a guitar tutor, from Bolton, who had put out the plea for a Morrissey to join his budding tribute band alongside Andy Crook, 50, on bass and Keith Partington, 49, on drums.
Johnny recalls: “We met in the Briton’s Protection pub and had a chat. I turned up the following Thursday, they gave me a list of 13 songs to take to the audition - and we ended up doing all 13. But I was really nervous, I’d never done it before.
“To cut a long story short, we did four months of rehearsals. We had our first gig in Farnworth at the Moses Gate, it was sold out.
“It went really well and we just went on from there. It’s got bigger and better ever since and we even played Bestival last year.”
A week ago, Morrissey cancelled his two huge Manchester homecoming gigs and all his UK and European concerts in July due to “logistical circumstances”.
And the chances of the original members of The Smiths ever reuniting are pretty much nil.
Which is pretty much good news for tribute acts like The Smiths Ltd - who aim to provide a live experience for fans of the band, showcasing all of their biggest anthems.
Johnny says: “It’s about bringing pleasure back into people’s lives which is what we’re doing.”
Johnny recalls hearing The Smiths’ What Difference Does It Make in 1984 as a defining moment in his life - when he fell in love with the Manchester band and tried to emulate their style.
He says: “Growing up I took on the Morrissey clone type thing, walking around with the national health specs and the quiff, and then I grew up... but obviously got back into it again for this!
“I do get double-takes maybe but I’m not an identical twin of him. I’m like the Aldi version of Morrissey!
“I portray a bit of that persona, and his mannerisms, but I am still me.”
Johnny met Morrissey once - at his gig at Preston Guild Hall - when he managed to scramble onto the stage to shake his idol’s hand.
He chuckles: “I shook his hand and just said ‘peace.’
“He threw his shirt into the crowd and about ten of us grabbed hold of it and we weren’t going to let go.
“We ended up using someones keys to cut it into pieces and I’ve kept that little square of cloth with all my old tickets and band memorabilia.”
As far as the music goes, Johnny hails his favourites to perform as I Know It’s Over and Miserable Lie, laughing: “As much as it hurts everybody else’s ears to hear it.”
But the one song he and the band wishes they DIDN’T have to perform is one of the band’s most famous hits.
He says: “We do like This Charming Man, but we HAVE to play that every single time we perform, if there’s one song we’d like to drop, that would be the one, but people would like us to play it about ten times over if I’m honest.
“It was a track I did love, but having played it so many times, you do tend to go ‘god, not that again.’”
They will play the upcoming Clonefest, on Saturday, July 21, in St Helens alongside Stone Roses tribute band The Clone Roses who are celebrating their 20th anniversary.
Johnny says: “There’s such a cult following for The Smiths, and we must be doing something right because we get a lot of repeat custom.”