The story of the Smiths as bassist Andy Rourke dies
20.05.2023 - 06:45
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
On a spring afternoon in 1982, a young musician named Johnny Marr turned up unannounced outside a council house in Kings Road, Stretford.
The 18-year-old had made the journey from his home in Wythenshawe in the hope of convincing a young man by the name of Steven Morrissey to form a band with him.
Morrissey, a shy, unemployed writer living with his mum, duly agreed. The band, which the pair later named The Smiths, would go on to become one of the influential of all time.
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One of Manchester's most famous musical exports, The Smiths had a string of hits with songs including There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and This Charming Man.
Having released albums including The Smiths and Meat is Murder and earning three top 10 hits, the band split in 1987 after just five years together. Yet their musicand legacy has continued to live on in Manchester and around the world.
On Friday, it was announced that the band's bassist Andy Rourke had died following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Revealing the sad news on Twitter, Johnny Marr described the 59-year-old as a 'supremely gifted musician' while Morrissey said Rourke was a 'beam of light' who would 'never die as long as his music is heard'.
Noted for his melodic approach to playing the bass guitar, Rourke played on the Smiths’ classic back catalogue, as well as on solo songs for Morrissey after the group disbanded.
In the wake of his death, we take a look back at The Smiths' iconic legacy.
The Smiths were formed in 1982 by two young Mancunians, Steven Morrissey and Johnny Marr. The pair had met fleetingly when their paths crossed at a Patti Smith concert at Manchester's Apollo Theatre four years earlier.
Marr