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Andy Rourke (1964-2023)
Photo: Howard Barlow / Redferns
With his bass he shaped the great hits of the British pop band The Smiths. Andy Rourke can be heard in »This Charming Man« as well as in »There Is a Light That Never Goes Out«.
The band was founded in 1982 by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Rourke joined a little later. In 1983 the single »Hands in Glove« was released, followed in 1984 by the debut album under the title »The Smiths«. The band disbanded after Marr left the band in 1987 in a dispute.
Rourke then continued to work as a studio musician, among others for Sinéad O'Connor, Ian Brown and The Pretenders.
As the British newspaper »The Guardian« reports, Andy Rourke has died at the age of 59. Previously, his former bandmate Marr had announced the death on Twitter. Accordingly, Rourke died of pancreatic cancer.
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