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The Smiths announced the death of bassist Andy Rourke, 59.
Johnny Marr said Rourke died "with deep sadness" after a long pancreatic cancer battle.
"Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans," Marr tweeted.
"We request privacy at this sad time," he continued.
Rourke played on the Smiths' biggest hits, including This Charming Man and There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, and Morrissey's solo singles when the band broke up in 1987.The bassist played on The Smiths' 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987 studio albums.
"Not only the most talented bass player I've ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I've ever met," tweeted Rourke's drummer, Mike Joyce. Andy's music endures. I'm missing you. My soulmate."
Suede bassist Mat Osman called Rourke "a total one-off" and "a rare bassist whose sound you could recognise straight away".
"I remember so clearly playing that Barbarism break over and over, trying to learn the riff, and marvelling at this steely funk driving the track along," he said.
"I am so saddened by this news," said Smiths producer Stephen Street. Andy was a talented and kind musician.
I express my condolences and thoughts to his friends and family. RIP."Rourke and two other Mancunian bassists, Gary "Mani" Mounfield from the Stone Roses and Peter Hook from New Order, formed Freebass later in his career.
Rourke recorded with the Pretenders, Killing Joke, Sinead O'Connor, Aziz Ibrahim (previously of the Stone Roses), Bonehead, Mike Joyce, and Craig Gannon as Moondog One.
For two years, he toured with Badly Drawn Boy.
"The Smiths were easily the most important band of my teens," Badly Drawn Boy tweeted. Andy's two-year bass tour with me was an honour.
He was the coolest, friendliest, funniest guy to tour with. My favourite natural musician. Loved him. Gutted."Rourke's parents were English and Irish. He started playing guitar at seven.
"I always used to get a musical instrument either for Christmas or on my birthday so I went through plastic trumpets, saxaphone, keyboard, I tried a bit of everything," Rourke said in a 2016 interview. "I played a bit of cello later on but I made that up as I went along because it was needed on a Smiths record so I just bought one, tuned it like a bass and went from there."
He befriended Marr at 11. "We were best buddies, travelling everywhere. "When we were 15, I moved into his house with him and his three brothers and soon realised that my mate was one of those rare people that absolutely no one doesn't like," Marr said.
Marr and Rourke formed Freak Party but never recorded.Marr, Morrissey, and Joyce founded the Smiths in 1982 and tried two bassists before hiring Rourke. Marr called bass Rourke's "true calling".
With classics like Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and Girlfriend In A Coma, the band defined 1980s Manchester and British alternative rock.Rourke returned to record The Queen Is Dead after being fired for two weeks in 1986 for using heroin.
Rourke and Joyce sued Morrissey and Marr in 1989 for an equal share of the group's performance and recording royalties, having only earned 10% apiece.
Joyce prevailed and was given £1m in backdated royalties and 25% thereafter after Rourke settled for £83,000. In 1999, Rourke declared bankruptcy.
"Andy reinvented what it is to be a bass guitar player," Marr stated. "Watching him play those stunning basslines was a real treat.
"No matter what happened, we kept our friendship..." Congrats Andy. We'll miss you brother."
Rourke later presented on rock station XFM.
"Very sorry that Smiths bassist Andy Rourke has passed away," tweeted Billy Bragg. He played brilliantly with Johnny Marr and me on the Red Wedge tour. He was kind and a great bassist. Condolences to his family and friends."
Terry Christian called Rourke a "lovely guy" and said, "Another hole left In the history of Manchester music."
"Such sad sad news about Andy Rourke - he was an inspirational musician with a style that made so many of us pick up a bass guitar; and the driving force for [benefit concert] Manchester Versus Cancer," said Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess. We remember everyone who knew him. "Safe journey."
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