The BBC reports Rourke played on The Smiths’ most famous songs, including This Charming Man and There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, as well as featuring on solo singles for singer Morrissey after the group broke up in 1987.
All four of The Smiths’ studio albums were indebted to his skills: 1984’s The Smiths, 1985’s Meat Is Murder, 1986’s The Queen Is Dead and 1987’s Strangeways, Here We Come.
Other bands were also to benefit alongside the Manchester outfit, the BBC report outlines.
File/ (L to R) Guitarist Johnny Marr, singer Morrissey, drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke of The Smiths before their first show in Detroit during the Meat Is Murder Tour on June 8, 1985 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan. (Ross Marino/Getty)
Across his decades-long career, Rourke also recorded with the Pretenders, Killing Joke, Sinead O’Connor, Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of the Stone Roses), and former Oasis guitarist Bonehead as Moondog One – a band which also included Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon.
He also played with another Manchester singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy, joining his touring band for two years.