Andy Rourke, the Smiths' charming man, dies aged 59
The Hindu
“Andy and I spent all our time studying music, having fun, and working on becoming the best musicians we could possibly be.”
The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, whose pounding rhythms underscored some of the most influential albums in British music history, has died at the age of 59, band-mate Johnny Marr announced Friday.
Rourke died "after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer", the Smiths lead guitarist and co-founder said.
"Andy will always be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by everyone who knew him, and as a supremely gifted musician by people who love music," Marr wrote on Instagram.
Along with drummer Mike Joyce, Rourke provided a whip-tight rhythm section underlying Marr's pioneering chords and co-founder Morrissey's mordant lyrics, as the Smiths became one of Britain's best-loved bands in the 1980s.
"He will never die as long as his music is heard," the singer posted on his website Morrissey Central.
"He didn't ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else," Morrissey added.
"He was also very, very funny and very happy, and post-Smiths, he kept a steady identity -- never any manufactured moves.