ANDY ROURKE, BASSIST with The Smiths, has died at the age of 59 following an illness.

His former bandmate Johnny Marr announced his death and described Rourke as a “kind and beautiful soul” who had a supreme talent for music.

With the original line-up comprised of Rourke, frontman Morrissey, guitarist Marr and drummer Mike Joyce, The Smiths had a string of hits in the 1980s with songs like This Charming Man, Ask and Girlfriend In A Coma.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer,” Marr said on Twitter.

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 pic.twitter.com/KNehQxXoFz

— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) May 19, 2023

“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.”

The Manchester four-piece all came from Irish stock, with Rourke having an Irish father and English mother. In an interview with the Irish Times in 1998, frontman Morrissey said Rourke was the only member who had a parent who wasn’t Irish.

The demise of the Manchester band was one of the most spectacular in the UK music world, the fallout of which saw Joyce and Rourke taking Morrissey and Marr to court over royalties in 1989.

The band, powered by the songwriting partnership of Marr and Morrissey, split up in 1987, having released albums including The Smiths and Meat is Murder and earning three top 10 hits.

Additional reporting by PA