Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), commonly known by his last name, Morrissey, or by his nicknames, Moz or Mozza, is a British singer, lyricist, and author. He rose to prominence as the lyricist and vocalist of the indie rock band The Smiths, which was active from 1982 to 1987. Since then, Morrissey has had a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart on ten occasions.