Andy Rourke, the bassist for The Smiths, has died of pancreatic cancer, his former bandmate and childhood friend Johnny Marr announced overnight.

Wayne Hussey has enlisted current and former members of The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Cult, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus and The Smiths for an all-star remake of The Mission’s 1988 anthem “Tower of Strength” to benefit “key workers dealing with COVID-19 globally.” Full details right here.

After cryptic hints Friday, the cat’s now out of the bag: The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, plus “fifth member” Craig Gannon, will perform the band’s beloved songs backed by a full orchestra in the U.K. this summer, the Manchester Evening News reported today. No dates have yet been announced.

It appears that Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, the rhythm section of The Smiths, are planning something — a concert? a full tour? — this year with Craig Gannon, the onetime Aztec Camera member who toured with The Smiths as a second guitarist toward the end of the band’s life.

The latest episode of the Talkhouse podcast — which features musicians interviewing musicians — finds old friends, bassists and fellow Mancuinans Andy Rourke of The Smiths and Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order talking a walk down memory lane in a 25-minute chat.

The prospects of The Smiths all gathering in the same room — forget about a live performance, just getting the four together behind a podium would have been a miracle — were dashed early Tuesday when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced next year’s inductees, a list that did not include the first-time nominees.

After six years of eligibility, The Smiths were nominated today for induction as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015, joining a list of nominees that includes Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, the late Lou Reed, Kraftwerk, Sting and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Third time’s the charm? One-half of The Smiths reunited on stage Sunday for the third time in less than a year, as bassist Andy Rourke joined Johnny Marr toward the end of his Lollapalooza Brazil set to perform their former band’s classic “How Soon Is Now?”

One-half of The Smiths reunited on stage in New York on Saturday night for the second time this year, as bassist Andy Rourke showed up toward the end of Johnny Marr’s gig at Webster Hall to once again perform their former band’s classic “How Soon Is Now?” and, this time, “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” as well.

Johnny Marr made a return visit to “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” last night, performing “Generate! Generate!” off the new album for broadcast, but then treating the studio audience to a gorgeous, web-only performance of The Smiths’ classic “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.”

It’s Morrissey’s birthday today, and while the ever-dour singer celebrated by declaring war on foie gras, one of his fans took the opportunity to drop a real surprise, marking Moz’s 54th with a leak of ultra-rare, pro-shot video capturing the singer’s first-ever solo concert, with Moz backed by Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, in full.

As Johnny Marr wraps up his U.S. tour in support of solo album The Messenger, he pulled a very special guest up on stage last night in Brooklyn: former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke who helped play “How Soon Is Now?” in an on-stage reunion of half of that legendary band. Check out video of the performance.

Next month, the new 700-page biography of The Smiths by music writer Tony Fletcher finally comes out in the U.S. — the book, which promises “the complete story” of the iconic band, hit stores in the U.K. in early September — and publisher Crown Archetype has given us a dozen copies to give away to Slicing Up Eyeballs readers.