Andy Rourke Dies: The Smiths Bassist Was 59
deadline.comAndy Rourke, The Smiths bassist on all four of the band’s album, died today of pancreatic cancer in New York City. He was 59.
Tributes from the music world poured in following the announcement of Rourke’s death, which was made by his friend and Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr this morning. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer,” tweeted Marr. “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.” Marr followed up with an image of himself and Rourke from The Smiths’ days. Rourke was born on January 17, 1964, in Manchester, England, becoming friends with Marr at 11.
When Marr and Morrissey aka Steven Morrissey formed The Smiths, he joined soon after. The Smiths were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s in the UK, and he played with them on all four studio albums: The Smiths (1984), Meat Is Murder (1985), The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987).
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