New Order pay tribute to Tony Wilson

New Order and Joy Division’s Stephen Morris has paid tribute to Tony Wilson, who died earlier tonight (August 10).

The drummer’s bands were both signed by the legend's Factory Records, and he in turn became an important guiding force on their career.

“There would be no Joy Division or New Order without Tony,” Morris told Newsnight. “He really believed in us and he was smart enough to start a label and put our records out.”

He added: “He was so enthusiastic, he was always ‘We’ll just go ahead an do it and figure out why we did it afterwards'. It was his spirit of enthusiasm that steamrollered things through and it's why we put up with him for so long [laughs]. You could have an argument with Tony and walk out hating him and the next time you saw him it was all forgotten. You just loved him.”

You can read Tony Wilson’s obituary along with a host of tributes led by Alan McGee on NME.COM now.

From signing the likes of Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays, to being a general supporter of exciting an innovative music, Wilson established himself as a true indie hero.

Now NME.COM want your thoughts. Send your tributes, stories and photos to tonywilsonnme@hotmail.co.uk and we’ll publish them.

And see the NME Office Blog for our Tony Wilson comment and tribute, then leave a comment with your own.

Plus see next week’s NME – on UK newsstands from August 15 – for our special tribute issue to Tony Wilson.