“I can smile,” Morrissey once insisted to an interviewer from UK magazine Details. “I have mastered the art.” That’s as it may be, but over the years, Moz has cultivated the image of being one of music’s more morose characters, largely due to his often sullen public demeanor (and the fact that he has a penchant for penning songs with titles like “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” and “Trouble Loves Me”). However, we’ve got a feeling that he’d probably be a lot more fun than his image if you actually got to know him — so to celebrate the birthday of an artist who, for all his foibles and penchant for PR disasters, remains one of our favorites, here’s a selection of photos of the great man looking happy. Well, almost happy.
Come on, mouth! Turn up at the sides! You can do it! [via]
Nearly there! [via]
Nope. [via]
Aha! [via]
On UK game show Pop Quiz, presumably after getting one of the questions right. [via]
The early years, before deciding that he hated the rest of the Smiths. [via]
Frankly, if we got to meet Iggy, we’d be happy too. [via]
We’re not so sure we’d be quite as delighted at meeting Rick Astley, but then again, we’re not Morrissey. [via]
Meanwhile, look how chuffed Michael Stipe is here! Bless. [via]
Happiness is… being able to pull off a yellow shirt. [via]
Or, indeed, no shirt at all. (This is the only topless photo we can find where he looks even remotely happy, though.) [via]
No, no, he’s not about to throttle this turkey, no matter how much it might appear that this might be the case. Morrissey likes animals! [via]
More whimsical than overwhelmed with joie de vivre, but we reckon this still qualifies. [via]
Not entirely unhappy at being put in a headlock by this muscular gentleman. [via]
A relatively cheery outtake, circa The Queen Is Dead. [via]
Yes he does. [via]
Wearing your own band’s T-shirt is genuinely a music industry faux pas, but we can forgive Moz here, just because he looks so proud of it. [via]
Fan love. [via]
Hello trees! Hello flowers! [via]
Here’s a way to cheer yourself up: reading something by your spiritual inspiration. [via]
Or just discovering a massive stash of old magazines at the thrift store. [via]
Good grief. [via]
Burn down the disco! Hang the blessed DJ! [via]
Gadzooks, he may even be laughing here. Is an old typewriter the key to happiness? [via]
OK, so he’s not actually smiling in this last shot — but it’s too good not to include. [via]