Smiths bassist Andy Rourke has died aged 59 The Smith family

Andy Rourke, bassist for indie legends The Smiths, has died aged 59.

The news was announced by guitarist Johnny Marr on social media, who wrote: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Andy Rourke after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as an extremely gifted musician by music fans. We request privacy at this sad time.

Rourke played in the Smiths’ classic back catalogue, including hits like This Charming Man and There Is a Light That Never Goes Out – both classic examples of his often bold melodic style – as well as solo songs for frontman Morrissey after the band’s breakup.

Morrissey also paid tribute, writing: “He will never die as long as his music is heard. He never knew his own power and nothing he played was played by anyone else. His distinction was so cool and unconventional and he proved it could be achieved. He was also very, very funny and very happy, and after The Smiths he maintained a solid identity – never any fancy moves. I guess at the end of it all, we hope to feel that we’ve been appreciated. Andy doesn’t have to worry about that.

Rourke also played in the supergroup Freebass with two other famous Mancunian bassists, Peter Hook of New Order and Manny of the Stone Roses, and recorded with Sinéad O’Connor, the Pretenders, Ian Brown and was in the band DARK with Cranberries singer Dolores O’ Reardon.

The Smiths formed around the partnership of Marr and Morrissey in 1982. Bassist Steve Pomfret joined, replaced by Dale Hibbert, who played the Smiths’ first gig but was then replaced by Rourke, Marr’s school friend from the age of 11 – the pair formed a short-lived earlier band, Freak Party.

“We were best friends, we went everywhere together,” Marr said in a written tribute to Rourke. “When we were 15, I moved into his house with him and his three brothers and soon realized that my significant other was one of those rare people that absolutely no one liked. Andy and I spent all our time learning music, having fun and working to become the best musicians we could be.”

The Smiths recorded their first classic line-up demo later that year, including songs such as What Difference Does It Make? that outline the core Smiths sound: subtle vocals from Morrissey, intricate and ringing lead guitar from Marr and a shrill, technically brilliant rhythm section in Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, with Rourke melodically playing with Marr and – on songs like Barbarism Begins at Home – playing a funky bass solo.

It was a sound that still defines British indie music from the 1980s and led to four classic albums – The Smiths, Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead and Strangeways, Here We Come – as well as acclaimed one-off singles.

Rourke struggled with heroin use and was arrested for possession in 1986. He was fired from the band, rejoining after two weeks (his brief replacement, Craig Gannon, remained in the band for a while, switching to rhythm guitar). “You start getting loads of money and you don’t know what to do. You start spending it on drugs,” Rourke later said.

Marr left in 1987, hastening the group’s split shortly thereafter. “When he left, the impact was huge and I think we were all traumatized and probably still are,” Rourke said in 2022. “No one knew how to react. I didn’t know whether to call him or leave him alone. It was a really terrible time, terrible for everyone involved.”

Rourke played solo Morrissey songs in 1989 such as The Last of the Famous International Playboys and Interesting Drug, which Joyce said in retrospect were “a big kick in the eye for Johnny… I felt like I’d betrayed him, so it went a long time before we speak again”.

Rourke and Joyce took Morrissey and Marr to court in 1989, claiming they were owed an equal share of the profits as they only earned 10% each of the band’s performance and recording royalties. Rourke quickly agreed to a lump sum of £83,000 while Joyce continued with the lawsuit and received around £1 million in back-dated fees and 25% thereafter; the case is notable for the judge’s description of Morrissey as “vile, cruel and untrustworthy”. Rourke later filed for bankruptcy in 1999.

In addition to the aforementioned collaborations, Rourke later played with another famous Mancunian musician, Badly Drawn Boy, and joined his band on tour. His last project was Blitz Vega, a band with Kav Sandhu of Happy Mondays.

Tributes have been paid to Rourke online, including from Suede bassist Matt Osman, who described Rourke as “totally unique – a rare bassist whose sound you can recognize straight away”. Tim Burgess of The Charlatans called him “an inspirational musician with a style that made so many of us pick up a bass guitar”.

Marr’s tribute continued: “Watching him play those dazzling basslines was an absolute privilege and truly something to behold. But one moment that always sticks in my mind was when I was sitting next to him at the mixing desk watching him play his bass on The Queen Is Dead. It was so impressive that I said to myself, “I will never forget this moment.”