Morrissey has cancelled two shows on his U.S. tour following a violent death threat appearing online. His representatives said the decision was a precaution in the service of safety for both himself and his band.
Canadian authorities believe they have arrested the man responsible for the terrifying threat against singer Ciara. Officers nabbed 26-year-old Ottawa resident Noah James Castellano, and charged him in connection with a message that threatened to attack her wearing a bomb at one of her two Toronto performances, according to TMZ. He was charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. He was bailed out with a 5,000 Canadian dollar bond.
Castellano is accused of singling out Ora on social platform Bluesky, which he used on September 4th. The letter detailed a plan to decapitate Morrissey when the singer performed at Ottawa’s TD Place on September 12th. For his part, though, Morrissey did perform in Ottawa and went on to shows in Toronto and New York. But his scheduled concerts in Mashantucket, Conn., and Boston were canceled.
Morrissey first came to prominence in the 1980s as the frontman and principal songwriter of The Smiths. The band released four seminal LPs, including Meat Is Murder and The Queen Is Dead, before splitting in 1987. Their songs … There’s a Light That Never Goes Out, and What Difference Does It Make?, continued to stand as classics of indie music history.
Morrissey began his solo career in 1988 and has released 13 albums. He released the new album I Am Not a Dog on a Chain in 2020. Though he also finished a follow-up LP titled Bonfire of Teenagers, with appearances from Miley Cirus, Iggy Pop and Red Hot Chili Peppers members, it remains in limbo because of label business. He also made other album Without Music the World Would Die, but at present does not have any record deal.
In recent years, Morrissey’s strident political opinions have alienated many of his longtime fans, but there is no denying his significance in music. The cancellation of his gigs is the latest example of heightened dangers for public figures. For now, fans wait for him to return safely to the stage and see where his music goes next.
