The Cure, circa ‘The Top’: Andy Anderson is second from left
Drummer Andy Anderson, who played in The Glove with Robert Smith and the Banshees’ Steven Severin then joined The Cure and played on that band’s 1984 album The Top, died Tuesday, just nine days after informing fans that he had a terminal Stage-4 cancer diagnosis.
He was 68.
The news was confirmed on Twitter by Cure co-founder Lol Tolhurst, whom Anderson replaced when Tolhurst moved over to keyboards. Tolhurst wrote:
“It’s with a heavy heart I have to report the passing of a Cure brother. Andy Anderson was a true gentleman and a great musician with a wicked sense of humor, which he kept until the end, a testament to his beautiful spirit on the last journey. We are blessed to have known him.”
Current Cure keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, who first joined the band in the late ’80s, wrote on Facebook:
“Very sad news about Andy Anderson, I only met him once, he was a lovely guy and a great drummer. Shake Dog Shake”
Anderson announced on his Facebook on Feb. 17 that he had signed a do-not-resuscitate order (“I have a next of kin in place and there is no way I would want them to be looking me as a vegetable”), and would be looking at chemotherapy and radiotherapy options in the coming days.
He managed to strike an upbeat note, however, writing, “Please, no boo-hooing here, just be positive. For me, it’s just another life experience and hurdle that one has to make.”
Anderson first worked with Smith in 1983 on The Cure frontman’s side project with Siouxsie and the Banshees bassist Severin called The Glove, playing drums on that group’s lone album, Blue Sunshine. He then joined The Cure, playing drums on “The Love Cats” and staying on board for The Top and its subsequent touring, captured on the Concert: The Cure Live album.
After being dismissed from The Cure and replaced by Boris Williams, Anderson would go on to play with a wide range of artists, including Iggy Pop. He is just one of a handful of members of The Cure who will not be inducted alongside the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Below, see Anderson play in the out-of-print Cure concert film “Live in Japan.”
It’s with a heavy heart, I have to report the passing of a Cure brother.
Andy Anderson was A true gentleman and a great musician with a wicked sense of humor which he kept until the end, a testament to his beautiful spirit on the last journey. We are blessed to have known him.— Lol Tolhurst (@LolTolhurst) February 26, 2019
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The heartbeat of the band
RIP Andy Anderson
Godspeed Andy
Too right James. Too right.
Bummer to read that especially as The Top is my favorite album by them, his work was lights out awesome on that one. RIP indeed.
He was a contributing member of the band, and undoubtedly should be included in the induction to the hall of fame. What a pity godspeed Mr Anderson well done! Well done!