It’s never been easy being a fan of The Smiths, but today has brought some especially sad news. Andy Rourke, the bass player for the iconic 1980s British indie band has died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The band began as the brainchild of singer/lyricist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, with Rourke invited to join them on bass after being friends with Marr since the age of 11.
Marr announced the news on social media, saying:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness 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 music fans. We request privacy at this sad time.”
Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce were responsible for some of the most iconic British music of the 1980s, with Morrissey’s arch and literary lyrics bolstered by Marr’s beautiful guitar melodies.
Rourke’s bass was also a huge part of this, excelling on tracks like ‘Cemetry Gates’, ‘The Headmaster Ritual’, ‘The Queen is Dead’ and personal fave ‘Rubber Ring’. But Rourke’s talents are best seen on ‘Barbarism Begins at Home‘, which has a killer bassline and badass slap bass solo.
The band split in 1987, though there would be a testy reunion in London’s Royal Courts of Justice in 1989 when Rourke and Joyce sued Morrissey and Marr for an equal share of The Smiths’ earnings. Rourke settled for a lump sum of £83,000, though later went bankrupt in 1999.
Marr concluded his tribute to his former bandmate by saying:
“Andy will always be remembered, as a kind and beautiful soul by everyone who knew him, and as a supremely gifted musician by people who love music.
Well done Andy. We’ll miss you brother.”
RIP Andy Rourke, 1964 – 2023.