Andy Rourke, as the former bass player of The Smiths, spent his early years honing his bass and guitar skills. He joined several rock groups including the funk group, Freak Party, alongside his school friend, John Maher a.k.a Johnny Marr.

It was Marr who introduced Rourke to the Smiths in 1982, replacing Dale Hibbert after just one gig with the band. Inarguably, the Smiths were one of the most significant alt-rock bands that materialized from the British independent music scene in the 1980s. Throughout the band’s career, Rourke’s playing style was unmistakable on each album adding a distinct tone, which was derived from a fully cranked tone knob and pick.

Before the release of their fourth studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come in 1987, The Smiths split apart.

Rourke went on to play and record with many talented artists in the years following The Smiths, including Morrissey, Sinead O’Connor, The Pretenders, Badly Drawn Boy, and Aziz Ibrahim.