The Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke has passed away at the age of 59. All you need to know.

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When Rourke was 11, he became friends with Marr. Four years later, he dropped out of school to focus on singing.

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When Marr and Morrissey got together to establish The Smiths, they asked Rourke to play bass for the band.

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He played on the band's biggest hits, including "This Charming Man" and "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," as well as Morrissey's solo tunes.

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Rourke left the band for two weeks in 1986 after he was fired because he was suspected of having heroin.

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Rourke told The Daily Beast in 2013 that he was arrested while “at a dealer’s house trying to get possession” and that Morrissey fired him by postcard.

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Marr once said that Andy Rourke's performance was "something that no other bass player could match."

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When it was determined that Rourke's visa would not be affected by the arrest, he immediately rejoined the band.

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Two years after the record Strangeways, Here We Come came out, the Smiths broke up, and Rourke got a job playing bass for Sinead O'Connor right away.

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Rourke and Marr remained close. They last performed with Marr's band at Madison Square Garden in September 2022.