The former bassist of the Smiths Andy Rourke has died at the age of 59 after battling cancer
The band’s guitarist Johnny Marr announced the sad news on twitter 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”
Rourke also played in the supergroup Freebass with two other celebrated Mancunian bass guitarists, New Order’s Peter Hook and the Stone Roses’ Mani, and recorded with Sinéad O’Connor, the Pretenders, Ian Brown and was in the group DARK with the Cranberries vocalist Dolores O’Riordan.
Tributes have as expected been flooding in this morning
Morrissey wrote
Sometimes one of the most radical things you can do is to speak clearly. When someone dies, out come the usual blandishments … as if their death is there to be used.
I’m not prepared to do this with Andy. I just hope … wherever Andy has gone … that he’s OK. He will never die as long as his music is heard. He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else. His distinction was so terrific and unconventional and he proved it could be done. He was also very, very funny and very happy, and post-Smiths, he kept a steady identity – never any manufactured moves. I suppose, at the end of it all, we hope to feel that we were valued. Andy need not worry about that.”
“Andy was always lovely to me. It was an honour to know him. Can’t even be matter of fact about this. It’s Andy Rourke man. F*ck cancer. Again and again and again for taking another brilliantly talented human. The genius, influence & legacy of Andy will reign on” wrote author and broadcaster Julie Hammill
While Manchester Bard Tony Walsh tweeted
“such sad news. So many beautiful bass lines, integral to songs which mean so much to so many. Rest in peace, Andy.”
