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19.05.2023 - 17:59 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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There was sadness across the country today when the death of The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, 59, was announced following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Growing up in Manchester, Rourke was into music from an early age and would often spend his lunchtimes at school with future bandmate Johnny Marr jamming together on their guitars. Leaving school at 15, he went on to play in a variety of rock bands including funk band Freak Party alongside his pal Marr.
In 1982, at the age of 18, his former schoolmate invited him to join The Smiths - a band which would go on to have a lasting impact on not just Manchester, but the British music scene as a whole. Rourke himself was noted for his melodic approach to playing the bass guitar, inspiring a whole generation to take up music.
After the band disbanded in 1987, Rourke went on to work on solo songs for frontman Morrissey and tracks for Sinead O’Connor and The Pretenders. In 2007, he formed Freebass with fellow Mancunian bass players Stone Roses' Mani and New Order's Peter Hook.
Marr announced the news of Rourke’s passing this morning, where he described him as a 'supremely gifted musician' and a 'kind and beautiful soul'.
Other musicians took to social media to share tributes to the star. Suede bassist Mat Osman wrote: "Aw man. RIP Andy Rourke. A total one-off - a rare bassist whose sound you could recognise straight away.
“I remember so clearly playing that Barbarism break over and over, trying to learn the riff, and marvelling at this
Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
It’s no secret that Christopher Nolan made “ Oppenheimer ” to be seen on the big screen. But not all big screens are created equal.
Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
Dick and Angel Strawbridge have officially confirmed they have “parted ways” with Channel 4 after a seven-year run of their hugely popular TV series, Escape To The Château.The couple found fame with the show - documenting their journey renovating the dilapidated 19th century Neo-Renaissance style Château de la Motte Husson, located in a small market town in Western France.The Strawbridge’s first purchased the property back in 2015, after they traded in their two-bedroom Essex flat to make the big move to France. Apparently, they paid just £280,000 for the 45-room Château and sprawling grounds with the intention of turning it into a successful enterprise.
Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
A picture of Austin Hill with his arm around his dad, Mark, on holiday in Greece in 2021 captures the love between them. It was taken just two weeks after Mark had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Angelique Jackson SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers from the series finale of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. More than half a decade ago, Rachel Brosnahan stepped in front of a vintage microphone to deliver a standup routine as 1950s Upper West Side housewife-turned-comic Miriam “Midge” Maisel. It was early on in production for the first season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and she was terrified. “I remember turning to Alex [Borstein, who plays Maisel’s no-nonsense manager Susie Myerson] and going, ‘Please don’t let me suck,’” Brosnahan tells Variety. “’If you see something, say something; like, please, any advice at all, I’ll take it.’ She looked at me and said, ‘I can’t help you. Take up your space, and ask for what you need. And bring this character into the world. Nobody knows who she is but you.’”
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Melissa McCarthy is opening up about her Gilmore Girls past.
Lewis Capaldi’s new album ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’ is already outselling the rest of the Official Albums Chart Top 20 combined, and set to reach the Number One spot.The album arrived last Friday (May 19) and marked the second full-length LP from the Scottish singer-songwriter.
New Order and Joy Division co-founder Peter Hook ran the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run this morning (May 21) in honour of The Smiths’ Andy Rourke.Rourke died earlier this week after “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”. He was 59.Speaking to BBC Sport after completing the Great Manchester Run, Hook told host Jeanette Kwakye that: “I lost a really good friend this week, Andy Rourke from The Smiths.
On a spring afternoon in 1982, a young musician named Johnny Marr turned up unannounced outside a council house in Kings Road, Stretford.
Andy Rourke, The Smiths bassist on all four of the band’s album, died today of pancreatic cancer in New York City. He was 59.
Legendary musician Andy Rourke has died at the age of 59 following a long fight with pancreatic cancer.
Andy Rourke, the bassist in seminal British indie rock band The Smiths, has died age 59. The news was announced on Friday by Rourke's former bandmate Johnny Marr, who paid tribute to "a kind and beautiful soul" and confirmed Rourke passed away following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. In his statement, Marr wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer.
Andy Rourke has sadly passed away.
Andy Rourke, bass guitarist of The Smiths, one of the most influential British bands of the 1980s, has died after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer, his former bandmate Johnny Marr said Friday. He was 59.
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 pic.twitter.com/KNehQxXoFzNot only the most talented bass player I've ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I've ever met. Andy's left the building, but his musical legacy is perpetual.
Twitter.Rourke befriended Marr when he was 11 years old, with the two regularly jamming together in their teenage years before forming The Smiths with frontman Morrisey and drummer Mike Joyce in 1982.The Manchester native was a key band member until their 1987 breakup, before the release of their fourth studio album “Strangeways, Here We Come.”Rourke continued to work with Morrissey on his solo project and performed alongside artists Sinéad O’Connor, The Pretenders, Badly Drawn Boy, and guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, according to CNN.Bassist Mat Osman of Suede praised Rourke’s unique talent as he mourned the rocker.“A total one-off – a rare bassist whose sound you could recognise straight away. I remember so clearly playing that Barbarism break over and over, trying to learn the riff, and marvelling at this steely funk driving the track along,” the rocker tweeted.“I am so saddened to hear this news! Andy was a superb musician and a lovely guy,” longtime Smiths producer Stephen Street tweeted.“I first met Andy aged 17 @simonWolstencr1 party.