RIP Andy Rourke (May 19, 2023)

Oh man, this hurts. Tweet from Johnny:

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Related items:

• Morrissey-solo: [Morrissey Central] "BEAM OF LIGHT." - May 19, 2023
• Morrissey-solo: Mike Joyce pays tribute to Andy Rourke on BBC Breakfast (May 20, 2023) - May 21, 2023

Media items:

• BBC: "Andy Rourke: The Smiths bassist dies aged 59" - May 19, 2023
• The Guardian: "Andy Rourke, bassist for the Smiths, dies aged 59" - May 19, 2023
• The Independent: "Andy Rourke death: The Smiths bassist dies aged 59" - May 19, 2023
• Louder Than War: Andy Rourke dies at 59 - May 19, 2023
• NME: "The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke has died" - May 19, 2023
• Mojo: "“The Smiths Were A Gang. A Band Of Brothers…” Andy Rourke Interviewed" - May 19, 2023

 

[Mo-Rissey]

Morrisey's universe sized ego won't allow him a few loving words to a human being who supported him in his glory years

 

[Tibby]

It’s after 4 in the morning here in California and I just woke up and saw an alert on my phone about Andy. I never knew or met him but I feel such sadness. The Smiths are a major part of my life and have brought me such joy at a time in my life when I didn’t think life was not worth living anymore. That music brought me a reason to go on and he was a major part of that. I feel so sad and a little part of my heart has gone. I wish peace to his loved ones . I know he will live forever in all of our hearts.

 

[Jeffrey7777]

Rest In Peace Andy Thank you for the music

 

[marqueemoon]

Even on a day like this solo members turn it into an opportunity to slag off Morrissey. Seriously, what is wrong with some of you? RIP Andy, you absolute legend. There is a light that never goes out.

 

[ACTON]

I saw the news ar 7.45 am in Ireland and couldn't believe it. Still can't.

 

[Rockmeteller]

I can't wait to see how Morrissey makes this all about himself.

 

[Moz Fan]

The sad news of Andy Rourke passing overwhelmed this Smiths fan heart.

It's with tears in my eyes that I send my condolences to the three remaining Smiths and to Andy's family and friends.

 

[Mimi Ramone]

Very sad news. He always seemed to be nicest one of them..I like that he was the quiet one, that acted like a grounding force to Johnny (read that in Tony Fletcher's book) and managed to maintain to be very close friends both with Johnny and Mike despite of what had happened with the court case and all. That's very telling of how a sympathetic character he must have been. He was an incredible bass player and without him the Smiths-sound certainly wouldn't have been the same.
As so many here already said, I don't know what to expect from Morrissey's side. I think he wouldn't post anything on Central because he thinks it's expected of him and he pathologically never does what others expect of him. But I would find it very sad if he doesn't acknowledge Andy out of respect for their shared past, he doesn't have to say much, just acknowledge him.

 

[BookishBoy]

Very sad news. He always seemed to be nicest one of them..I like that he was the quiet one, that acted like a grounding force to Johnny (read that in Tony Fletcher's book) and managed to maintain to be friends with Johnny and Mike despite of what had happened with the court case and all. That's very telling of how a sympathetic character he must have been. He was an incredible bass player and without him the Smiths-sound certainly wouldn't have been the same.
As so many here already said, I don't know what to expect from Morrissey's side. I think he wouldn't post anything on Central because he thinks it's expected of him and he pathologically never does what others expect of him. But I would find it very sad if he doesn't acknowledge Andy out of respect for their shared past, he doesn't have to say much, just acknowledge him.

Yes, and I admire that trait in him. But in this instance, I really hope he can get past it...

 

[Ryan]

Morrissey can really get f***ed if he does not respond, or does respond with some sort of sly remark.

 

[Ryan]

It was pancreatic cancer that got my mum so I have an inkling of what his struggle must’ve been like in the last wee while.

How horrible to read this news and a little piece of my youth crumbles away.

RIP Andy.

Indeed, rest in peace.

 

[gordyboy9]

whether M puts something on central is entirely up to him,he shouldnt feel forced to.
sometimes saying nothing is better than some celebrity who met andy for 5 minutes eulagises over how great he was.

 

[Frank Jobsworth]

whether M puts something on central is entirely up to him,he shouldnt feel forced to.
sometimes saying nothing is better than some celebrity who met andy for 5 minutes eulagises over how great he was.

I agree with the first part but you didn't need to add the second bit just to justify it.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

I’m hoping something nice and something soon.

This is the test for me. This will really show what kind of person Morrissey is. Hopefully he comes through. I am so sad about this, it feels like a family member has passed.

 

[Ryan]

whether M puts something on central is entirely up to him,he shouldnt feel forced to.
sometimes saying nothing is better than some celebrity who met andy for 5 minutes eulagises over how great he was.

He says Rest In Peace to a celebrity death about 10 times a month. Surely the bass player from a band that made your career is worthy of a mention as well?

 

[Johnnie Ray]

whether M puts something on central is entirely up to him,he shouldnt feel forced to.
sometimes saying nothing is better than some celebrity who met andy for 5 minutes eulagises over how great he was.

No. It will show his humanity and kindness or lack thereof.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

Teh saddest day for a Smiths fan.
Rest in power, Andy.

 

[DagenhamDan]

Here we go, someone we all loved from a band we all adored and cherished has died, and now its the usual will he, wont he? Hes a hypocrite if he does and hes a bastard if he doesn’t etc etc.
For once its not all about Morrissey.
Just take a second to remember the four of them, the best band in the world, ever.

 

[Discorobot]

Going to listen to the man absolutely tear it up on Barbarianism Begins At Home today. RIP Andy.

 

[BrummieBoy]

Morrissey and Marr brought misery to The Smiths – Andy Rourke brought joy​

By
James Hall

Rourke's post-Smiths life may have been messy – but his distinctive, playful bass gave the dour Mancunians’ songs a dollop of fun

Marr and Morrissey over royalties. Rourke settled almost immediately out of court (while Joyce’s case went to the High Court in 1996). He also struggled with heroin addiction and filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Rourke was instrumental in setting up Manchester vs Cancer, a series of benefit concerts, which led to a public reproachment – a 2006 concert saw him perform with Marr.

At the time of writing Morrissey had not posted any words about Rourke on his Morrissey Central website, his usual tool for communicating with the world. However, Morrissey and I were recently guests of the same people at the Ivor Novello awards in London. He left promptly in the middle of lunch, suggesting that he may have just received the sad news (or, alternatively, he simply isn’t a fan of awards shows). Morrissey will no doubt feel this loss deeply.

Rourke’s playing was sublime. Mat Osman, the Suede bassist, described Rourke as “a rare bassist whose sound you could recognise straight away”, and he’s right. Osman labelled it “steely funk”. It’s a neat description. It was Rourke’s distinctive playing that set The Smiths’ second single This Charming Man apart when it was released in 1983. His bassline is a bouncy and funky counterpoint to Marr’s jangly guitar as it leaps around. The two musicians’ playing intertwines but it’s Rourke who carries the song. Marr once said, “I would elevate him and he would ground me.”

His playing on Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now and Rubber Ring (a B-side) provide a masterclass in tight but fluent playing (he also plays cello on the latter). Rourke never overwhelms, but without his bass the songs would lose all structure and character.

Cemetry Gates from 1986’s The Queen is Dead is almost totally propelled by Rourke’s playing. The song ends with a bass riff over which Marr plays a supporting role. Barbarism Begins at Home, from 1985’s Meat is Murder, features slap bass and reveals one of Rourke’s influences – Mark King from pop group Level 42, not an obvious influence for a hip underground indie band. However The Smiths’ classic There Is A Light That Never Goes Out provides arguably the greatest example of what Rourke does best.

His little bass chicane at the end of every line in the verse (Morrissey’s “Take me out tonight…” is followed by a distinctive four-note motif) is absolutely crucial to the song’s DNA. It leavens the doom-laden romance (it’s a song about being so in love that you wouldn’t mind being killed by a 10-tonne truck), gives it a dollop of joy, and acts as a sort of sonic wink. We don’t really mean it.

A Smiths reunion has never been on the cards. Morrissey and Marr have had a very public falling out that seems to stem from Morrissey’s numerous controversial comments about race, meat-eaters and politics. And there’s been not much love lost between Morrissey and Joyce either. Still, Rourke’s death while still in his 50s marks the premature end of an era. The constituent parts of one of the UK’s most ground-breaking and fêted bands are no longer all with us. It seems far too early.

But those songs live on. As Joyce wrote, “Andy’s left the building, but his musical legacy is perpetual.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/andy-rourke-the-smiths-bassist-death-tribute/