Morrissey tour unveils new U.S., UK dates for spring 2009

Iconic ’80s singer-songwriter Morrissey has outlined plans for an extensive spring 2009 tour of the UK and Ireland, as well as a few performances in the U.S. In all, the English musician has announced more than 20 concerts for the outing, beginning with a March 1 concert at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL, and concluding with a May 28 gig at the Carling Academy in London, ENG.

Besides the March 1 opener, Morrissey has announced only three other shows in the U.S.: a March 3 concert at Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL, a March 6 set at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, SC, and a March 13 concert at The National in Richmond, VA. From there, he heads across the pond for an April 28 gig at INEC in Killarney, IRE, followed by shows on May 7 at Barrowland in Glasgow, IRE, on May 11 at Royal Albert Hall in London, ENG, and on March 22-23 at the Apollo in Manchester, ENG, among others.

Tickets for most of the UK shows go on sale December 12 at 10 a.m., though both nights at the Apollo are already sold out on the primary ticket markets. General on-sales for the U.S. gigs will open over the course of the coming pre-holiday weekends.

Morrissey will be supporting his tenth solo album, “Years of Refusal,” which is slated for a February 2009 release. The record was produced by the late Jerry Finn, who died in August at the age of 39 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage just over a month after the album’s completion. As a result the record’s release was pushed from its previously scheduled September release to early 2009.

Morrissey, whose full name is Steven Patrick Morrissey, rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer for The Smiths. Though the band only released four albums from their 1984 eponymous debut to the 1987 release “Strangeways, Here We Come,” the group had built a cult following in the U.S. and UK due in part to Morrissey’s intelligent and witty lyrics. The vocalist released his solo debut “Viva Hate” in 1988, only one year after The Smiths parted ways.

Morrissey itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)