WORLDWIDE, 3rd APRIL – Record Store Day is thrilled to announce Johnny Marr as the 2025 recipient of its Record Store Legend accolade.
This honour celebrates Marr's enduring influence on music and his unwavering support for independent record stores worldwide, as well as the love and admiration for Marr and his music that comes from record stores themselves. He is the second recipient of this highly prestigious award.
The accolade is a joint honour presented by both Record Store Day US and UK, following on from the first recipient, Elton John, who received Record Store Legend status in 2017 to celebrate Record Store Day’s 10th Birthday.
The Record Store Legend Award recognizes Marr’s continuing commitment to championing record stores across multiple album campaigns, embodying the spirit and culture of record stores across the world. It is this ongoing collaboration that aims to pave the way for future artists and inspire them to build meaningful and supportive relationships with the indie sector.
To commemorate this honour, a plaque has been unveiled at Marr’s favourite record shop, Piccadilly Records in his hometown of Manchester, England, to reflect Johnny’s deep connection to both the shop, the Manchester music scene and his ongoing commitment to celebrating the culture so vital to championing grassroots talent. The installation of the first Record Store Legend plaque serves as an invitation for fans of Johnny Marr to visit a record store and share their own appreciation.
On seeing the plaque, Johnny Marr said, “Going out to a record store, it’s a nice pastime. It’s a part of the culture, if they were to completely disappear, the high street or the city centre would be a much worse off place. There's something about the presence of a record store. It’s a magical thing. I’ve known the staff in Picadilly Records for 20 years…this plaque is a very nice thing to be associated with.”
Andy McQueen, Piccadilly Records said, “Johnny Marr is our favourite living artist, and his music has soundtracked our lives for over forty years. To be associated with him in this beautiful way; well, the pleasure, the privilege is ours."
Marr's influence extends beyond his own musical contributions; he actively champions the culture that surrounds record shops, recognizing them as vital music spaces, crucial for supporting and breaking new artists and bringing like-minded music fans together.
The 18th annual celebration of Record Store Day takes place on 12th April 2025 and sees thousands of independent record shops worldwide set to participate with parties, in-store performances and limited-edition releases from over 300 artists.
Johnny Marr celebrates Record Store Day 2025 with an exclusive release Look Out Live!, a double orange vinyl LP encapsulating the magic of his sold-out show at Hammersmith Apollo in London 2024, only in independent record shops on 12th April. The track listing includes live fan favourites, ‘Hi Hello’, ‘Easy Money’ and ‘Somewhere’, The Smiths’ classics' ‘This Charming Man’, ‘How Soon Is Now?’, and Electronic’s ‘Getting Away with It’ (ft Neil Tennant).
Johnny Marr began his prolific career with The Smiths, founding a legacy as one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists in British independent music. Since launching in 2013, his acclaimed solo career has given rise to five UK Top Ten albums - The Messenger (2013), Playland (2014), Call The Comet (2018), Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 (2022) and Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr (2023) - a record that captured the full measure of this extraordinarily prolific period.
Johnny’s solo career has also seen him collaborate with some of the most celebrated artists in contemporary music, including the Talking Heads, Pretenders, Electronic, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The Avalanches, Hans Zimmer and Billie Eilish, recently recording the score and soundtrack for the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die.
Following sold out headline shows across the UK, US, and major festival appearances on The Spirit Power Tour, Johnny Marr will make a UK 2025 festival exclusive performance at Forever Now on 22 June.
ABOUT RECORD STORE DAY
Record Store Day is the one day of the year where hundreds of independent record shops across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops host performances and events to mark the occasion. Thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.
www.recordstoreday.co.uk
Photo Credits: James Mullholland
