Andy Rourke death: How did the bassist of the smiths die? Know his cause of death, family, wife, age and net worth

Andy Rourke cause of death. ( Andy Rourke/ Facebook)

Tragic news this morning regarding The Smiths‘ bassist Andy Rourke’s passing. Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke’s old bandmate, verified the tragic news this morning on social media and paid eloquent homage to the gifted bassist in a tweet. Keep reading to know about his cause of death in detail.

Who was Andy Rourke?

Andrew Michael Rourke was an English musician best known for his work as the Smiths’ bassist. He was well-known for his melodious bass-playing style. When he was seven years old, his parents gave him an acoustic guitar.

At the age of 11, he encountered the young John Maher (later Johnny Marr), with whom he shared a musical passion. They spent their lunch breaks at school jamming and playing guitars. When Marr and Rourke started a band, he persuaded Rourke (who was still a guitarist at the time) to try out the bass, which he fell in love with and has kept with since.

Rourke dropped out of school when he was 15 years old. He worked in a variety of menial jobs while also playing guitar and bass in numerous rock bands and the short-lived funk outfit Freak Party with his schoolfriend Johnny Marr.

The Smiths Band

Later, Marr formed the Smiths with Morrissey. Rourke joined the band shortly after its debut performance and stayed for the majority of its lifespan. Due to his heroin addiction, he was fired from the band in early 1986, only to rejoin two weeks later, shortly before the release of The Queen Is Dead. Craig Gannon, the band’s second guitarist, filled in for him.

Rourke’s contribution to that album was characterised by Marr as “something no other bass player could match.” Strangeways, Here We Come was released to widespread acclaim in 1987, but the Smiths separated soon after.

The Smiths in1985. (Left to Right: Johnny Marr, Morrissey, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke.) (Source : bbc.com)

Rourke and Smiths drummer Mike Joyce played with Sinéad O’Connor shortly after their breakup; Rourke (but not Joyce) appears on the album I Do Not Want What I Don’t Have (1990). They provided the rhythm section for two singles by former Smiths singer Morrissey – “Interesting Drug” and “The Last of the Famous International Playboys” (both 1989) – along with Craig Gannon. Rourke also played bass on Morrissey’s “November Spawned a Monster” and “Piccadilly Palare” (both 1990), as well as composing music for Morrissey’s songs “Yes, I Am Blind” (the B-side of “Ouija Board, Ouija Board”, 1989); “Girl Least Likely To” (a B-side on the 12-inch single of “November Spawned a Monster”, also “Get Off the Stage” (the B-side of “Piccadilly Palare”).

Rourke also performed and recorded with the Pretenders (appearing on some of the tracks on 1994’s Last of the Independents), Killing Joke, Badly Drawn Boy (with whom he toured for two years), Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of the Stone Roses), and ex-Oasis guitarist Bonehead as Moondog One, along with Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon. Rourke also backed up Ian Brown on tour and on his CD The World Is Yours.

His Networth:

One of the wealthiest and most well-known bassists is Andy Rourke. Andy Rourke’s net worth is $2 million, per our analysis of data from sources like Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

How did Andy Rourke die?

Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, died on May 19, 2023, at the age of 59.

Johnny Marr, Andy’s old bandmate, announced the news on social media while paying tribute to the gifted guitarist.

“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.”

On Facebook, Johnny Marr also shared some of his memories of Andy and expressed how much he miss him and cherished those moments.

While Rourke’s musical career was highlighted by his time with The Smiths, he also contributed outside of the band, displaying his talent as a bassist in the alternative rock and indie music sectors.

Andy Rourke cause of death

Andy Rourke was regarded as having a friendly personality. Many people must be curious to know the Andy Rourke cause of death in light of the recent news. We are sorry to inform you that Andy Rourke died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

‘Versus Cancer‘ Concert:

Manchester v Cancer, a series of performances to support cancer research, was coordinated by Rourke, his then-manager Nova Rehman, his production firm, Great Northern Productions, and others. The events were eventually referred to as Versus Cancer.

When Rehman’s father and sister were given the disease diagnosis, the initiative was encouraged.

In January 2006, the inaugural Manchester v Cancer concert was held. Rourke and Johnny Marr, a former bandmate of his in the Smiths, reconnected for a song performance.

In March 2007, the second Manchester v Cancer concert was held. Rourke appeared on stage with Elektrik Milk, the band led by former Oasis guitarist Bonehead.

The third concert was held in February 2008, and the fourth, held in December 2009, both without Rourke’s active participation.

Andy will be remembered by those who knew him as a kind and beautiful soul, and by music fans as a wonderfully brilliant musician.

Tributes to Andy Rourke

Many people expressed their profound sympathies to his family and expressed how much they loved him. The news of this occurrence has upset his supporters and fans.

Official UK charts wrote: “Our thoughts are with the family, friends and fans of The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, who has died aged 59. In a statement, Johnny Marr says: “Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.” Rest in peace, Andy.”

Suede bassist Mat Osman wrote: “Aw man. RIP Andy Rourke. A total one-off – one of those rare bassists whose sound you could recognise straight away. I remember so clearly playing that Barbarism break over and over again, trying to learn the riff, and marvelling at this steely funk driving the track along.”

One of the worst things anyone can go through in life is losing a loved one. Any journey must have a destination at the end. The person’s time on earth has regrettably come to an end now that they have died. We wish him eternal peace and send our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones, family, friends. May he rest in peace.

Kindly use the comment box below to honor the death of Andy Rourke by leaving a tribute.

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