Joy Division: Stephen Morris

Stephen was Joy Division's drummer

Stephen Morris
Photo © Kevin Cummins
reproduced with kind permission
Stephen Morris
Photo © Philippe Carly
reproduced with kind permission
Stephen Morris
Photo © Philippe Carly
reproduced with kind permission

Stephen Paul David Morris was born on 28 October 1957 in Macclesfield where he grew up. He attended the town King's School, as Ian did. He was the last member to join the band - at the time still named Warsaw - in 1977, after failed attempts with three other drummers.

Stephen has been celebrated for his "machine-like" drumming, but if some songs are based on a rather simple steady beat, others are filled with rolls or rhythmic shifts. At any rate, the drums were a key component of Joy Division's music, and their producer Martin Hannett spent a lot of time with Stephen to work on their sound.

In some of their later input he started experimenting with drum machines. After Joy Division, Steve continued as New Order's drummer, playing both acoustic and electronic drums/drum machines, but also synthesizers. Though he did not feel comfortable, he was one of the lead singers on their early material along with Hooky and Bernard - as can be heard on some live tracks.

He later formed The Other Two, as a side project, with his girlfriend and later wife Gillian Gilbert. Gillian had joined New Order in October 1980 as keyboard and guitar player. After the departure of Peter Hook from New Order in 2007 and when the band's future was unclear he took part in Bad Lieutenant with Bernard Sumner.

He was the last member to write a book to tell his story about Joy Division and New Order.