Andy Rourke of The Smiths December 6, 2008

Before joining The Smiths, Andy Rourke had played guitar and bass in various rock bands, as well as in the short lived funk band Freak Party, often with his school friend John Maher. When Marr and Morrissey formed the Smiths, Rourke joined the band after their second gig, and remained with the band almost throughout its existence. Marr claims that Rourke's contribution to The Queen Is Dead LP was "something no other bass player could match". After the break-up of the band, Rourke and Smiths drummer Mike Joyce played with Sinéad O'Connor - Rourke appears on the album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got." They also, along with Craig Gannon, provided the rhythm section for two singles by former Smiths singer Morrissey - "Interesting Drug" and "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" - and Rourke composed the music for Morrissey's songs "Yes, I Am Blind," "Girl Least Likely To," and "Get Off the Stage." Rourke has also played and recorded with The Pretenders, Killing Joke, Badly Drawn Boy, Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of the Stone Roses), and ex-Oasis guitarist Bonehead as Moondog One, which also includes Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon. Rourke is a DJ on Xfm Manchester, broadcasting new and classic indie anthems on Saturday nights. He is currently in a band called Freebass with bass players Mani (ex-The Stone Roses) and Peter Hook (New Order) and vocalist Gary Briggs. He organised Manchester Vs. Cancer 2007, which took place on March 31st 2007, and has announced the 2008 gig. He has also been playing bass for Ian Brown on his recent tour.

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