Gary “Mani” Mounfield, bassist of the iconic English band The Stone Roses, has passed away at the age of 63.
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Greg, the musician’s brother, announced his death in a Facebook post on Thursday. “Reunited with his beautiful wife, Imelda,” he wrote in part, without disclosing a cause of death.
Mounfield’s wife, Imelda, passed away in November 2023, three years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. The couple shared twin sons, born in 2013.
The Stone Roses, comprising Mani on bass, Ian Brown on vocals, John Squire on guitar, and Alan “Reni” Wren on drums, were at the forefront of the “Madchester” indie scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band combined influences from indie, punk, psychedelic rock, dance, funk and reggae.
Their debut album featured classic songs like “I Wanna Be Adored,” “She Bangs The Drums” and “I Am The Resurrection,” all driven by Mani’s basslines.
They released their debut album, The Stone Roses, in 1989, and its follow-up, Second Coming, in 1994. Both albums reached the top five in the U.K., according to the BBC.
The group disbanded not long after their second album, but Mani later reunited with the band for their 2012 comeback tour.
In 1996, he joined Primal Scream, another influential group, and played with them for 15 years.
Music Peers Mourn Gary “Mani” Mounfield
Meanwhile, rock music peers mourned Mani following his passing.
“In total shock and absolutely devastated on hearing the news about Mani. My hero, RIP R Kid,” Oasis singer Liam Gallagher wrote on X.
“REST IN PEACE MANi,” his Stone Roses bandmate Ian Brown added.
“RIP Mani – my heartfelt condolences to his twin boys and all of his family,” English singer-songwriter and TV personality Shaun Ryder wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of himself with Mani.
Rowetta, Ryder’s bandmate in Happy Mondays, posted a photo on X of herself with Mani and his late wife Imelda. “Going to miss you so much. All my love to the boys, the family [and] all those who knew & loved him,” she wrote alongside the snapshot.