Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, has died at the age of 59. Rourke died of cancer, his former bandmate Johnny Marr announced on Twitter.
The band was founded in 1982 by singer Morrissey and guitarist Marr. In 1983 the single »Hands in Glove« was released, followed in 1984 by the debut album under the title »The Smiths« Rourke continued to work as a studio musician, among others for Sinéad O'Connor, Ian Brown and The Pretenders.