Steven Patrick Morrissey (IPA: /ˈmɒɹɪsiː/; born May 22, 1959), who goes by his surname Morrissey, is an English writer, singer an lyricist of Irish descent from Greater Manchester, England. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The UK music magazine NME called him the "most influential artist ever" for his role in the band. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, in which he continued the jangle pop sound of The Smiths. His solo albums have garnered ten Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom.