The Times: "Morrissey pays tribute to Irish bodyguard in The Smiths glory years" (August 4, 2024)

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Morrissey pays tribute to Irish bodyguard in The Smiths glory years

The lead singer was devastated when Jimmy Connolly, The Smiths’ former head of security, resigned to give more time to his family.

Tributes have been paid to a Dubliner who served as head of security for The Smiths at the height of their fame in the 1980s and befriended Morrissey, the band’s lead singer and lyricist.
Jimmy Connolly, from Lucan, toured the world during the 1980s with the Manchester rock band. He stayed a close acquaintance of Morrissey during the singer’s early solo career, before leaving the entourage for family reasons following the death of his first wife.
His funeral was held last Wednesday at St Mary’s Church in his native Lucan after he died “peacefully but suddenly”, according to RIP.ie. He was in his early seventies.
Upon learning of his friend’s death, Morrissey paid tribute to Connolly on his official website.
“Sometimes too sad to comment. Jim was personal security for me during The Smiths and early solo years … of good faith, smiles and kindness, Jim was the Dublin of eternal steel. Who else but Jim would wash my clothes by hand — unasked?” he wrote.
“These days, we live one shock at a time. There is no other way. Jim’s departure is today’s shock.”
Morrissey, 65, is the son of working-class Irish Catholic emigrants who left Crumlin to settle in Manchester in the 1950s. He is a cousin of the former Ireland international footballer Robbie Keane and has a strong connection with Irish audiences.
David Bell, a music merchandiser and a friend who attended Connolly’s funeral service, said that Connolly had told him that Morrissey had made efforts to convince him to return to handle his personal security.

Bell remembered Connolly as a “colourful character” that one would not want to cross. “When he left, Morrissey was devastated,” Bell said, claiming that the singer asked Connolly to return as his security chief.
“But he had to do it for family. He had young children. He definitely had an impact on Morrissey,” Bell said, adding that Connolly was “flattered” by Morrissey’s requests for his return but that, ultimately, he put his family first.
Bell said it was clear that Connolly had been trusted by members of The Smiths and that he was regarded as having responsibility for keeping them “in check” and ensuring they got enough rest. He also said that he had tried to get Connolly to contribute to an RTE radio documentary on the band but he had been too ill at the time to take part.
“For someone to be so close to a band in their halcyon days, especially a band so revered, and to be sort of like a father figure to them is amazing,” Bell said.
“He was different to the tour management, he was the guy that was on stage, shoulder to shoulder with them effectively,” he added, revealing that Connolly’s family had been moved by Morrissey’s tribute to him.
Following Connolly’s death, a number of fans of The Smiths and Morrissey shared pictures of him standing next to Morrissey as the singer interacted with fans.
In footage from a concert in Dallas from an early Morrissey tour of the United States in 1991, Connolly can be seen over the singer’s shoulder.
Connolly smiles as fans flood the stage and one female devotee kisses Morrissey’s hand as he sings Everyday Is Like Sunday, an early solo single that reached No 9 in the UK charts and No 3 in Ireland.
Connolly is survived by his wife Caroline, three daughters and four grandchildren.

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‘glory years’ :unsure:

Actually…

Jim was personal security for me during the Smiths and the early solo years

- Morrissey
 
Interesting that they have chosen to run this particular story. Unsure as to why.

It does make a point of mentioning that Morrissey's family were immigrants (at a time currently, when they know immigrants are particularly reviled by many)

One might say it slyly sets Morrissey up as a target (or a hypocrite)
 
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family comes first,should be everyones motto.
 
My dimps! How I’ve missed you! :love: Since whenever a clear photo like this one was last most recently shared! This was a very sweet photo
 

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