Musician Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, dies aged 59

The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke has died at the age of 59, following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

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[{"selector":"#anim-eb0147ac-0ffa-4694-8647-3c18832f2861 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7744c457-dc87-454d-b905-941971130364","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eb630fc5-d0de-4979-b396-23a6224bf695","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-08cc9d9a-27e4-401c-895f-8808d7ae9960","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7d61f11-d02b-4cd6-be14-a453ff08008a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] 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."

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[{"selector":"#anim-abeb7b42-7e5a-4b73-99f1-fab3844ee095 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b352512d-a156-41d3-af9a-98f44a926f47","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e531c50e-bbc1-4940-82b1-dc07e69e0a47","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b2041fb-852c-417e-9977-7c90f051a145","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b590239-3535-48f4-bbcc-4da60633d38d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Rourke's signature style was at the beating heart of the legendary Manchester band's melodic back catalogue that has gone on to inspire the likes of The Killers and The 1975.

[{"selector":"#anim-334d4dbb-6126-417b-8ac4-903736c8ae2b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fc8434d3-4c74-4ab7-baa6-a4a52789deaa","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55e6d105-4b9c-4715-81f7-24fa866413c9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-990f37c6-a0dd-4fba-804a-9ecb1b8e40e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7527737f-13f2-49ca-b3de-e5d74d7a04f9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Rourke battled a heroin addiction that saw him dumped by his bandmates for just two weeks in 1986.

[{"selector":"#anim-39fae53e-4b74-473d-a786-dcea16f682a5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1444041e-2b1e-4fc2-99d3-91833f2e1906","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b5530b5-b24c-46c1-bb11-bbc10783d6c0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-41409b1a-1009-4d16-a49b-8e5d5b446619","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fb44394-b492-46e8-a37a-26c83f5c7534","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] He returned in time for the release of their seminal LP The Queen Is Dead.

[{"selector":"#anim-4baa4955-3be2-4efe-933d-882cbd4e4846 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4b5c35ab-05aa-4a52-862d-b9ec6008e771","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d889360d-8015-4b2e-9659-ae2b24af6ef7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b53188a3-f379-4c2e-adcd-66bf0b2ad4ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c71ceb9a-3200-48bd-a3cc-6301a9cdde3b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Marr hailed Rourke's parts on the landmark record as "something no other bass player could match".

[{"selector":"#anim-1ca27133-6c41-43b7-b840-68caa854e2da [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70b3bbe3-4ad9-41b5-aeee-3b5768814624","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5ceecfa0-2ae5-42d3-9814-d890cc5062a9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-54a3b0c8-066f-4c9a-bb20-aade633ea6ff","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbf5f577-87e1-40a8-984d-06861153e5ad","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] They'd go on to release the LP Strangeways, Here We Come in 1987 to huge acclaim, but split not long after.

[{"selector":"#anim-cbecd10d-47fd-4b62-8b89-28d36c19a94f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4e15de5e-8d14-4fe9-906d-37ee816538b5","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-87eb3192-4f3c-47f8-ad83-da0c90a55728","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba484526-3eda-4469-97c6-65060dba6f01","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4099cc21-b3dc-4f37-a170-0a70caece735","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] As well as The Smiths, Rourke performed with Sinead O'Connor and Ian Brown of The Stone Roses.

[{"selector":"#anim-0ea0cc0d-bcf4-4f86-91fc-8019ef6d41f6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(2.1316282072803006e-14%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c76994d7-415a-4c47-95c1-ff1211a25d80","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b7337f6-98df-4f63-a142-2e054db53863","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e128bbc1-7e18-4738-b9af-2e247069f287","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7303b09-53fc-4a43-aaa3-101ff95f9bbe","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, dies aged 59 Read More