The renowned musician and bass guitarist of The Smiths, Andy Rourke, dies at the age of 59, know his cause of death and wife
Know more about his cause of death in the article below.
The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke died, cause of death, obituary, wife, net worth, bio, age, band
On Friday, guitarist Andy Rourke lost his long-time battle with pancreatic cancer.
Rourke was the founding member of The Smith, which rose to fame as the most iconic alternative rock band in Britain in the 1980s. The other band members included Marr, Morrissey, and Mike Joyce.
The Smiths Founding Member Andy Rourke Dies At 59
Rourke’s former bandmate, Johny Marr, confirmed the sad news of his untimely demise. He took to his Twitter account to announce the death, writing, “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after suffering from pancreatic cancer.”
He further added, “He will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as an extremely gifted musician by his fans. We respect privacy at this sad time.”
Who is Andy Rourke?
Andy Rourke was born in 1964 in Manchester. His father was an Irishman, and his mother was British. From a young age, the guitarist was inclined towards music and started learning guitar at the age of seven. In an old interview from 2016, he said that he used to get a musical instrument for Christmas on his birthday and learned plastic through plastic trumpets, saxophones, and keyboards.
In 2009 Rourke moved to New York, where he married Francesca Mor in 2012 and enjoyed a life as a DJ on East Village Radio. He had a net worth of $2 million.
Born: 17 January 1964, Manchester, United Kingdom
Died: 19 May 2023, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, New York, United States
Music groups: The Smiths (1982 – 1987), Blitz Vega
Instrument(s): Bass guitar; guitar; cello
The List of Rourke’s Albums
- The Smiths (1984)
- Meat Is Murder (1985)
- The Queen Is Dead (1986)
- Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
The End of the Legendary Band
After their fourth album was released, the band announced their split.
Rourke later performed with the bassists who made up Freebass, which also included Gary “Mani” Mounfield and Peter Hoo. He has also worked on projects with Killing Joke, Sinead O’Connor, Pretenders, and Badly Drawn Boy over the years. With the band Blitz Vega, which he co-founded in 2019 with singer Kav Sandhu, he last released Strong Forever in 2022.
Bandmates Paid Tribute To The Bassists Andy Rourke
Immediately after the news of Rourke’s death broke, his bandmates rushed to Twitter to mourn the death of their mate. Check out the tweets from the band members.
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 pic.twitter.com/KNehQxXoFz— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) May 19, 2023
Not only the most talented bass player I've ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I've ever met. Andy's left the building, but his musical legacy is perpetual. I miss you so much already. Forever in my heart mate.
— Mike Joyce (@mikejoycedrums) May 19, 2023
The Smiths ~ There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
The Tube 1986
RIP Andy Rourke🖤 pic.twitter.com/gDzPBySEcP
— Sausagesoda🎶 (@sausagesoda) May 19, 2023