Andy Rourke, bassist of 80s alternative rock sensation The Smiths, has died at the age of 59.
The sad news of his death was first made public by his The Smiths bandmate and guitarist Johnny Marr, who posted the following on social media:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him, and as a supremely gifted musician by fans of the band. We request privacy at this sad time.”
During their career, The Smiths released four albums: “The Smiths” (1984), “Meat Is Murder” (1985), “The Queen Is Dead” (1986) and “Strangeways, Here We Come” (1987). Rourke played bass on all of them, as well as on every single released between 1983 and 1987.
The Smiths were founded in 1982 by Johnny Marr and vocalist Morrissey. Steve Pomfret was originally supposed to play bass in the band, but he was replaced by Dale Hibbert, who lasted just a single gig with The Smiths before Andy Rourke stepped in. Rourke had been Marr’s schoolmate since the age of eleven. Even before The Smiths, Marr and Rourke played together in the short-lived outfit Freak Party.
After The Smiths split, Rourke played on Morrissey’s solo albums, joined the supergroup Freebass, recorded with Sinéad O’Connor, The Pretenders and Ian Brown, and played in DARK alongside Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer.
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) May 19, 2023
Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.
We request privacy at this sad time pic.twitter.com/KNehQxXoFz
