The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke dies aged 59
officialcharts.comAndy Rourke, the bassist for The Smiths, has died aged 59, it's been confirmed. His death was announced by his former bandmate Johnny Marr, who called Rourke "a kind and beautiful soul." In a statement posted to social media, Marr said: "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." Rourke came to prominence as a member of The Smiths, one of the most highly-influential bands of their generation, alongside singer Morrissey, guitarist Marr and drummer Mike Joyce.
On a longer Instagram post, Marr (who had known Rourke since he was 11 years old) continued: "Andy and I met as schoolboys in 1975.
We were best friends, going everywhere together. When we were fifteen I moved into his house with him and his three brothers and I soon came to realise that my mate was one of those rare people that absolutely no one doesn't like. "Andy and I spent all our time studying music, having fun, and working on becoming the best musicians we could possibly be.
Read more on officialcharts.com