Andy Rourke: The Smiths Bassist Dies at 59, Guitarist Johnny Marr Confirms

Andy Rourke, The Smiths's bassist, passed away at 59 years old.

No less than the band's former guitarist, Johnny Marr, announced the passing of the iconic musician on social media.

Smith Bassist Andy Rourke's Death

According to BBC, Johnny Marr, The Smiths' guitarist who played enchanting melodies with Rourke, confirmed the heartbreaking news. He confirmed that the band's former bassist departed this life after suffering from pancreatic cancer.

The Smiths' guitarist took to Twitter to pay tribute to his dear friend and bandmate, describing Rourke as "a kind and beautiful soul." And for avid music fans, Rourke will be known for his legacy as a "supremely gifted musician."

But for now, Marr requested the privacy of their bandmate.

Rourke has played on the entire list of The Smiths' studio albums, including "Strangeways, Here We Come" in 1987, "The Queen is Dead" in 1986, "Meat is Murder" in 1985, and the earliest of them all, "The Smiths" in 1984. These albums amusingly defined the sounds of the British in music way back in the 80s.

And as such, the bassist has performed in all of the most famous hits of the iconic English rock band. Some of their chart-topping songs are "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" and "This Charming Man."

As per The Guardian, Rourke's passion for the bass persisted even as the band members went their separate paths. He continued playing the musical instrument for their lead vocalist Morrissey as The Smiths frontman ventured on a solo path. The bassist performed in Morrissey's solo songs, including "Interesting Drug" and "The Last of the Famous International Playboys."

The Smiths had two bassists before Rourke joined the English band.

When Marr and Morrissey formed the group, bassist Steve Pomfret later joined them, which Dale Hibbert eventually replaced. After the latter, Rourke entered the picture, gracing the band until they had separated ways.

But besides The Smiths and Morrissey's solo journey, Rourke also performed with other artists. He has played bass for Badly Drawn Boy, Sinead O'Connor, and The Pretenders.

Rock Community Mourns Rourke's Passing

In an Instagram post, Marr continued to mourn the passing of his former band member and friend. The former Smiths guitarist reveals that Rourke used to play the guitar. But later on, he tried playing the bass, and he never looked back.

Mat Osman, the bassist of the English rock band Suede, also paid tribute to The Smiths bassist, remembering his distinct talent, Sky News reports. He tweeted, "A total on-off - a rare bassist whose sound you could recognize straight away."

Meanwhile, The Smiths producer, Stephen Street, described Rourke as a "lovely musician." But above and beyond that, he is "a lovely guy." Tim Burgess, the Charlatans vocalist, remembers the bassist as an "inspirational musician."