What Illness did Andy Rourke have? Who was His Wife? Wiki | Death Cause and Band

Andy Rourke, an English musician became popular as the bassist of the rock band The Smiths. His melodic approach to bass made him gain fame worldwide. He used to be close with guitarist Johnny Marr since school and got to play his first gig in his albums.

Rourke was a part of bands like Freebass and D.A.R.K. in the early 1990s. From 2006 to 2009, he even used to organized the Versus Cancer concerts.

Early Life of Andy Rourke

Andy Rourke entered this universe on January 17, 1964, in Manchester, United Kingdom. If he was alive he would be at the age of 59 years old. He used to cuts his birthday cake on the 17th of January and his birth sign was Capricorn. Andrew Michael Rourke is his full name. He was born as the son of Michael Rourke (father) and Mary Rourke (mother).

His father had an Irish descent and was an architect. He was born with three other sons. Rourke had British citizenship and he used to belong to mixed (Irish and English) descent. Andy used to follow the Christianity religion. He studied at St Paul’s Catholic High School in Sharston, Manches. He was only 15 years old when he left school to focus on his music.

Andy Rourke’s Wife

Rourke was married to his wife Francesca Mor until his death. They walked down the aisle in the presence of their close ones in Lower East Side, NYC on June 23, 2012.

Andy Rourke’s Net Worth

Andy had a net worth of $2 million which he earned from his career as a Guitarist, Bassist, and Musician. Rourke might have a salary of £46,779, as it is the annual average salary of a bassist in the UK.

Andy Rourke’s Relationship With Johnny Marr and Morrisey

Andy didn’t have a good relationship with former band members, Johnny Marr and Morrisey. When they kicked Andy from the band due to his heroin addiction case their conflict started. He was treated like a freelancer and he used to get only a 10% share of the performance while Morrisey and Marr used to earn 40% of the share. They had also argued over the disputes of royalty.

Andy Rourke Died of Pancreatic Cancer

Rourke breathe for the very last time in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on May 19, 2023. Rourke was 59 years at the time of his death. The main reason behind his death is a battle with pancreatic cancer. The illness of pancreatic cancer also termed a silent killer has killed many people. Only 5% of lucky people survived cancer. His death was announced by Johnny Marr via Twitter saying:

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer. 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.”

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Andy Rourke Got Fired from the band via a Post-It note

Andy was involved in heroin addiction due to this reason Morrissey fired him in 1986. He used postcards for firing him and after some time Andy joined the band and the band officially broke up in 1987.

The Musical Career of Andy Rourke

• Andy was only 15 years old when he stepped into the music industry.
• In 1982, he joined the band The Smith along with Johnny Marr and Morrisey.
• The band released the album Meat Is Murder with the song, Barbarism Begins at Home.
• After releasing albums like The Queen Is Dead, Strangeways, and Here We Come, they broke up in 1987.

• He and bassists Mani along with Peter Hook founded the band, Freebass.
• They became active from 2007 to 2010 and even performed on East Village Radio.
• He and Olé Koretsky even worked as DJs in the club.
• Then, he founded a band named D.A.R.K. with Koretsky and Dolores O’Riordan.
• On 9 September 2016, they released their album Science Agrees.
• He has also played with Sinéad O’Connor along with Joyce and released an album,  I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
• In 1989, he also made rhythm for Morrissey named Interesting Drug and The Last of the Famous International Playboys.

Songs & Albums

He released songs like Piccadilly Palare, Interesting Drug, November Spawned a Monster and The Last of the Famous International Playboys. His songs with the band are There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, I’ll Stand by You, How Soon Is Now?, This Charming Man, etc.

Some of his popular albums are Bona Drag, Science Agrees, Last of the Independents, and The World Is Yours. His EPs include Two Worlds Collide, You Don’t Know This About Me, and Fritz von Runte vs Freebass Redesign.

FAQs of Andy Rourke

Was Andy Rourke a heroin addict?

Yes, Andy was a heroin addict. Due to this, he had to leave the band The Smith for two weeks. In 1986, police arrest him on a charge of possession of a substance. In  an interview, he shared how he got into heroin addiction as:

“You start getting a bunch of money and you don’t know what to do. You start spending it on drugs.”

What type of instrument did Andy Rourke use?

Andy used Fender Precision Bass, Squier Precision Bass, and Fender Jazz Bass. He also even used a Yamaha BB2000, Peavey Mark III Head with Ampeg SVT cabinet, and Trace Elliot GP-11.

Was Andy Rourke underrated?

Yes, Andy was underrated. His music was one of the most underrated because he used to play bass and it is regarded as the supporting instrument in the music.

How tall was Andy Rourke?

Rourke had a tall height of 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 70 Kg. Andy had brown eyes and his hair was blonde in color.

Was Andy Rourke Vegan?

No, he was not a vegan. His friend, Morrissey had restricted him to eat meat in front of him.