Steve Morse, one of the nation’s most established and well-respected music critics during his three-decade run at the Boston Globe, died Saturday at age 76.
Morse died under care Care Dimensions Hospice in Lincoln, Mass. He had announced to friends on social media that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, 10 days earlier.
The writer was so respected by the musicians he covered over the years — even when he didn’t let them off the hook for a weak performance — that no less a luminary than Bono crashed Morse’s retirement party at J.J. Foley’s Bar in 2005, after U2 played a gig at TD Banknorth Garden that same night. The writer recalled the singer saluting him at the party by saying, “One thing we liked about Steve was he wasn’t afraid to kick us in the arse.” (The singer had more reason than that to appreciate Morse, who had been among the first daily critics to write about U2 at the outset of their career.)
Morse’s first byline in the Globe, written as a freelancer, was an appraisal of Vassar Clements that appeared in the newspaper in December 1975. He joined as full-time chief music critic in 1978 and kept the role until taking a buyout in 2005. Even then, he continued to contribute to the Globe’s pages in retirement. His last piece in the paper was an interview with Bonnie Raitt, published in June.
Morse was a dedicated lover of live music, whether he was on duty or not During his three decades writing full-time about music for the Globe, he estimated that he out seeing concerts an average of 250 nights a year. (“When he was going through a divorce, it went up to 300,” a profile of Morse once quipped.)
Although many rock critics of his era earned a reputation as crusty, Morse was anything but, and after his death, friends, fellow writers, musicians and publicists spoke of his helpful and avuncular nature.
Former Globe film critic Ty Burr said, “Steve and I overlapped by only four years after I arrived at the Globe in 2002, but he was such a huge presence on the Boston music scene that he remained in my and other Globies’ lives as a colleague and good, good friend. Any time I went to a rock concert in town, Steve was there — hard to miss, since he stood 8’13”, with jet black hair that was kind of his logo. If the popular image of a rock critic is a wizened crank (or maybe that’s just movie critics!), Steve was its opposite: garrulous, open-hearted, nice. A true gentleman of the circuit. And so proud of (his son) Nick, always ready with a photo on his phone of the latest painting. How cool was Steve Morse? Bono played his retirement party. It’s not just that he’ll be missed, it’s that an entire chapter in Boston cultural history has ended.”
“A great critic and writer — and fun to talk to,” said former Warner Bros. Records publicist Bill Bentley, who has spent time as a music critic himself. “Made being a publicist a good gig.”
Morse grew up in the Boston suburb of Weymouth, followed by a family move to Wellesley. His first concert had him seeing the Rolling Stones in 1966. In 1970, he graduated from Brown University, and began doing freelance writing for publications like PopTop on top of his job as a social studies teacher.
A true fan of regional music, he championed up-and-coming local bands and practitioners of lesser heard genres like blues as well as being intimately involved in chronicling the rise and reign of bands like the Cars, Aerosmith, Boston and the J. Geils Band.
Following his retirement from the Globe, Morse spent a decade teaching a class at the Berklee College of Music, and spent two years hosting a radio show on hosted a radio, “Morse on Music,” on WBOS, on top of his continued freelance writing.
He served on the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was himself inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame.
“I’ve had a blessed career. Beats a real job,” he said in a 2021 profile. Kidding aside, Morse said, “I’ve been in the right place at the right time. I’ve participated in the glory days of the newspaper industry, the music industry and the Boston music scene. I love the live music most of all; it’s the lifeblood of rock ‘n’ roll and always has been.”
Morse’s son, Nick, has special needs and has excelled in his artwork, including being chosen by Hallmark Cards to use some of his designs, as arranged by ArtLifting.com.
The Paradise Rock Club in Boston cleared its marquee to post an “RIP Steve Morse” message in solidarity with mourning music fans.
Besides his son, Morse is survived by his fiancee, Jessa, and a sister, Cindy Carbeau. A GoFundMe will be set up for Nick’s care. Services will be for immediate family, at his request.
