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The Daily Insight

Andy Rourke Illness And Health Issue: Was The Smiths Bassist Sick?

Author

James Bradley

Published Dec 31, 2025

The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke died at fifty nine following an contamination. Learn about Andy Rourke infection and fitness issues from this newsletter.

English musician Andrew Michael Rourke is nice regarded for gambling bass with the Smiths. He changed into renowned for his musical bass-gambling style.

Rourke used a selection of basses in the course of his profession, such as Fender Precision Basses, Squier Precision Basses, Fender Jazz Basses, and a Yamaha BB2000.

He also used Trace Elliot GP-11 and Peavey Mark III Head amplifiers. Johnny Marr, a guitarist, shared the information about Andy on social media.

Marr made the subsequent assertion in a tweet: “Music fans will don’t forget Andy as a phenomenally proficient musician in addition to being recognized as a kind and beautiful man via those who knew him.”

He persisted, “We ask for privacy at this difficult time.” The loss of life of famous Bassist Rourke saddens the entire musical global.

What turned into the purpose of his loss of life? Let’s find out if he suffered from any contamination or health problems.

Andy Rourke, the famous Bassist from The Smiths, died at fifty nine on May 19, 2023.

The loss of life of Rourke after a long warfare with pancreatic Cancer was confirmed by way of guitarist Johnny Marr “with deep disappointment.”

Rourke contributed to a number of the Smiths’ maximum well-known songs, together with This Charming Man and There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.

The Smiths broke up in 1987 after Marr concept a faux Morrissey-placed NME piece titled “Smiths to Split” become real.

As a result, Joyce and Downey sued Morrissey and Marr in 1989 over a royalties confrontation.

The Bassist contributed to the singer Morrissey’s solo singles following the band’s 1987 dissolution.

The Bassist contributed to The Smiths’ four studio albums, together with The Smiths from 1984, Meat Is Murder from 1985, The Queen Is Dead from 1986, and Strangeways, Here We Come from 1987.

Mike Joyce, Rourke’s bandmate and drummer, tweeted that Rourke become not simply the most first-rate Bassist he has ever had the satisfaction of playing with however additionally the sweetest, funniest younger guy he had ever encountered.

The Bassist for Suede, Mat Osman, referred to as Rourke “a total one-off” and “a rare bassist whose sound you may at once apprehend.”

The musician recalled, “I consider so clearly playing that Barbarism time and again breaks, trying to understand the riff, and marveling at this steely funk riding the track along.”

Yes, Andy loved track from a totally younger age. Andy’s dad and mom gave him an acoustic guitar when he was seven years old.

He made pals with the young John Maher (soon to be Johnny Marr) whilst he was 11 years old given that they each preferred track.

During lunchtimes at faculty, the two might jam and play guitar. Rourke, a guitarist (at that time), changed into invited to try out bass while Marr and Rourke commenced their band.

Rourke right now fell in love with the device and has stored with it ever since. Rourke dropped out of school at age 15.

Godspeed Andy Rourke, and thank you for the music.

— Rough Trade Records (@RoughTradeRecs) May 19, 2023


He labored at several low-paying jobs at the same time as playing guitar and bass in numerous rock bands. He also collaborated along with his schoolmate Johnny Marr inside the brief-lived funk band Freak Party.

Later, Marr and Morrissey joined together to emerge as the Smiths. Rourke joined the organization after its debut performance and stayed for maximum of its lifespan.

He became fired from the band at the beginning of 1986 due to his heroin addiction, and he back two weeks later, right earlier than they launched The Queen Is Dead.

Second guitarist Craig Gannon joined the institution in his location. Marr said that Rourke’s contribution to that record became “some thing no different bass player could fit” (p. 6).

Strangeways, Here We Come was launched by way of The Smiths in 1987 to favorable evaluations, but they broke up quickly after.