The Smiths Bassist Andy Rourke Dies at 59

Andy Rourke, whose basslines girded the indelible model of indie-pop icons the Smiths, has died, Johnny Marr confirmed in a press release on social media and thru his publicist. Marr mentioned his bandmate’s loss of life adopted “a prolonged sickness with pancreatic most cancers.” Rourke was 59.

Rourke joined the Smiths shortly after his schoolfriend Marr and singer Morrissey fashioned the group in Manchester in 1982. His agile, melodic basslines typically took centerstage, as on “Heaven Is aware of I’m Depressing Now,” however extra usually bounced off of Marr’s dreamy guitar traces whereas locking in to Mike Joyce’s drums, creating a sturdy rhythm part that contrasted Marr’s ornate fretwork. Because the band sprawled into stranger sounds, establishing an indie paradigm of incalculable affect, Rourke drew from neighboring genres like chamber pop and goth, as within the octave-hopping title monitor from The Queen Is Useless and the funk bass riff of Meat Is Homicide’s “Barbarism Begins at House.” For all of the music’s delicacy (and Morrissey’s discophobia), it was music to which you would dance.

The Smiths launched the final of their 4 basic studio albums, Strangeways Right here We Come, in 1987 amid band conflicts, together with royalty disputes, that quickly led to their demise and protracted litigation. Rourke performed with Morrissey within the singer’s early solo profession, to Marr’s chagrin, and went on to visitor with the likes of Sinéad O’Connor and the Pretenders, in addition to within the supergroup Freebass with two fellow Manchester bassists, Mani from the Stone Roses and New Order’s Peter Hook.

The band remained one of many nice holdouts within the big-money reformation growth, Marr and Morrissey’s variations irreconcilable. However, final September, Rourke performed with Marr as soon as extra, becoming a member of the guitarist’s band at Madison Sq. Backyard. It was Rourke’s ultimate gig. That “is a matter of private pleasure, in addition to unhappiness,” Marr wrote in his assertion. “Andy will at all times be remembered, as a sort and exquisite soul by everybody who knew him, and as a supremely gifted musician by individuals who love music.”

In a press release of his personal, Morrissey wrote that Rourke “won’t ever die so long as his music is heard.” And, on Twitter, Mike Joyce wrote, “Not solely essentially the most proficient bass participant I’ve ever had the privilege to play with however the sweetest, funniest lad I’ve ever met. Andy’s left the constructing, however his musical legacy is perpetual. I miss you a lot already. Eternally in my coronary heart mate.”