Andy Rourke has sadly passed away at the age of 59.
The music icon is perhaps best known to fans for being the bassist of the UK indie rock band The Smiths.
News of the star's passing was confirmed by fellow band member Johnny Marr, per Sky News, who revealed in a statement that Rourke had died following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer," Marr said. "Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans."
"We request privacy at this sad time," the statement concluded.
The iconic band formed back in 1982, after Marr and fellow bandmate Steven Morrissey bonded over their love of the band Monochrome Set. After originally enlisting Dale Hibbert as bassist, disagreements between the band led to Marr reaching out to old schoolfriend Andy Rourke to replace him.
The Smiths are perhaps best known for their hits, 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now', 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want', and 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out'.
Rourke was known to fans for his melodic and timeless bass style, evident on tracks like 'This Charming Man' and 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out'.
Throughout the band's history, every single one of their studio albums reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart, with 1985's Meat Is Murder securing the top spot.
In an 2022 interview, Rourke recalled his first time the band ever performed on UK chart show Top of the Pops.
"I'd grown up listening to the Top 20 on the radio with my mom and it had been everything to me so I was overjoyed," he said. "We went into the make-up room and we'd bought Marks & Spencer sweaters for the occasion and they said, 'What are you going to be wearing for the show?; and we were like, 'This is it.'
"We went on in our black jeans and sweaters. We definitely stood out."
Rourke also fondly remembered how Morrissey had inspired him to become more of a songwriter, saying: "He believed I could do it and he made me believe I could do it and we ended up writing together."
Our thoughts are with Rourke's family, friends, and fans at this time.
