Andy Rourke: Stourbridge musician recalls The Smiths' 'lovely' and 'genius' bass player

Dave Bennett, who was lead guitarist in Stourbridge-based tribute band The Other Smiths, recalled how he ended up working with his hero after Rourke had watched him perform at a gig in Manchester.

He described the bassist as being a 'lovely guy' who had been a pleasure to work with.

Dave, a 55-year-old builder from Stourbridge, first met Rourke while performing at the Witchwood Club in Ashton-under-Lyne.

"We were driving up to the gig when our promoter phoned to say that Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke would be in the audience," he said.

"We were terrified, we thought they might not like the show.

"But they loved it, and met us backstage afterwards to tell us how much they enjoyed it.

"We asked him if he would come and perform in our home town, and he came down to the Rock Cafe in Stourbridge and did a DJ set and it went from there."

The encounter led to them Rourke and Joyce performing with The Other Smiths at a series of exclusive concerts, and The Other Smiths became the biggest Smiths' tribute band in Europe.

"We had a lot to do with Andy for about four years," he said.

"Andy said he didn't know how we played our stuff with normal tuning, as he had his bass tuned lower."

After a series of sell-out tours, The Other Smiths broke up about 15 years ago, although Dave kept in touch with Rourke.

"I think we thought we were getting a bit too old for it by then," he said.

"I last saw Andy about two years ago, and thought he was looking a bit drawn then, although I didn't know what was going on with him, we weren't best friends or anything like that," he said.

"He was a lovely guy, he was so accommodating, and as a bass player he was a genius.

"People talk about the genius of Johnny Marr and Morrissey, and rightly so, but as a rhythm section, Mike and Andy were probably the best around."

Dave said his death also ruled out any hope fans might have held out of a Smiths reunion.

Rourke performed at a number of venues in the West Midlands following the break-up of The Smiths in 1997.

In 2011, he and Joyce joined punk poet Vinny Peculiar for shows at The Haygate pub in Wellington and the Buttermarket in Shrewsbury.

In 1996 he appeared at Rugeley Red Rose theatre with indie supergroup Delicious.

Rourke's death was announced on Marr's official Twitter account.

He wrote: "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."

Marr said the pair met as schoolboys in 1975. "We were best friends, going everywhere together," he said.

"When we were 15 I moved into his house with him and his three brothers and I soon came to realise that my mate was one of those rare people that absolutely no one doesn't like.

"Andy and I spent all our time studying music, having fun, and working on becoming the best musicians we could possibly be. Back then Andy was a guitar player and a good one at that, but it was when he picked up the bass that he would find his true calling and his singular talent would flourish.

"Throughout our teens we played in various bands around south Manchester before making our reputations with The Smiths from 1982 to 1987, and it was on those Smiths records that Andy reinvented what it is to be a bass guitar player.

"I was present at every one of Andy's bass takes on every Smiths session. Sometimes I was there as the producer and sometimes just as his proud mate and cheerleader. Watching him play those dazzling baselines was an absolute privilege and genuinely something to behold. But one time which always comes to mind was when I sat next to him at the mixing desk watching him play his bass on the song The Queen Is Dead. It was so impressive that I said to myself 'I'll never forget this moment'.

"We maintained our friendship over the years, no matter where we were or what was happening and it is a matter of personal pride as well as sadness that the last time Andy played on stage was with me and my band at Madison Square Garden in September 2022. It was a special moment that we shared with my family and his wife and soul mate Francesca.

"Andy will always be remembered, as a kind and beautiful soul by everyone who knew him, and as a supremely gifted musician by people who love music.

"Well done Andy. We'll miss you brother.

"Johnny x".

Folk singer Billy Bragg described Rourke as 'an amazing bass player' in a tribute on Twitter.

"I have great memories of him playing with Johnny Marr and myself on the Red Wedge tour," he wrote. "He was a lovely guy and an amazing bass player.

"My condolences to his family and friends."

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess said: "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 Manchester Versus Cancer.

"Our thoughts are with everyone who knew him."