Andy Rourke died of cancer: The bassist of the influential band The Smiths was only 59 years old.
Andy Rourke is dead. The bassist of the British cult band The Smiths died of cancer. He was 59 years old. Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr (59) announced the death of his former bandmate.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke, who passed away after a long illness from pancreatic cancer,” Marr wrote. “Andy will be remembered as a kind and wonderful person by those who knew him, and an extremely gifted musician by music fans. We ask for privacy at this sad time.”
Andy Rourke was born in Manchester on January 17, 1964 to an Irish father and an English mother. At the age of eleven he met Johnny Marr, the two made music together at their school.
In 1982 Andy Rourke joined the Smiths, which Marr and eccentric singer Morrissey (63) had formed the same year. In 1984 the band released their first album “The Smiths”. While Marr and Morrissey each received 40 percent of the revenue, Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce (59) had to settle for 10 percent each.
Out and about with Sinéad O’Connor and Morrissey after the Smiths split
Although they split again in 1987, the Smiths are considered an enormously influential band, according to the “New Musical Express” even the most influential of all time. Their sound was a major inspiration for indie rock and Britpop in the 80s and 90s. However, they were not commercially successful outside of Great Britain.
After the Smiths period, when Rourke was partially addicted to heroin, he played bass for other artists. He worked with Sinéad O’Connor (56) and was a guest musician on several of Morrissey’s solo songs.
In 2009 Andy Rourke moved to New York City. There he DJed in clubs and had his own radio show.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
