Andy Rourke

British musician (1964–2023)

Andrew Michael Rourke (17 January 1964 – 19 May 2023) was an English musician. He is best known as the bassist of the 1980s indie rock band the Smiths. Many people think Rourke is one of the greatest bassists of his generation. He is known for his melodic and funk inspired way to bass playing.[2][3]

Andy Rourke
Background information
Birth nameAndrew Michael Rourke
Born(1964-01-17)17 January 1964
Manchester, England
Died19 May 2023(2023-05-19) (aged 59)
New York City, US
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instruments
  • Bass guitar
  • guitar
  • cello
Labels
Formerly of
Spouse(s)
Francesca Mor
(m. 2012)
[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Rourke joined the Smiths after their first gig, He had known their guitarist Johnny Marr since secondary school. Rourke played on all of their albums. After the group broke up in 1987, he played on some of Morrissey's early solo releases. Morrissey had been the lead singer for the Smiths. Rourke recorded with Sinéad O'Connor and the Pretenders in the early 1990s. He was a member of the supergroup Freebass and the band D.A.R.K.

References

change
  1. Simpson, Dave (19 May 2023). "Andy Rourke obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  2. Tomisich, David (15 July 2023). "The 10 most innovative indie bassists of all time". Mixdown Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2023 – via www.mixdownmag.com.au.
  3. Barker, Emily (24 July 2014). "40 Of The Greatest Bassists Of All Time – Picked By NME Readers". NME. Retrieved 4 September 2023 – via www.nme.com.