Stone Roses bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield, who played the iconic opening notes on the Manchester band’s 1989 hit “I Wanna Be Adored” and later joined Primal Scream, has died. He was 63.
BBC News reported that Mounfield’s brother, Greg Mounfield, announced his death on Facebook. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother. RIP RKID,” Greg wrote. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown also mourned Mounfield’s death on X, writing: “REST IN PEACE MANi X.” Oasis singer Liam Gallagher added, “In total shock and absolutely devastated on hearing the news about Mani. My hero, RIP R Kid.”
Mounfield joined the Stone Roses in 1987 at the peak of the “Madchester” wave, playing with them on both of their albums — “The Stone Roses” (1989) and “Second Coming” (1994) — before the band split up in 1996. After the Stone Roses disbanded, Mounfield joined Scottish rockers Primal Scream and was a full time member of the band until 2011.
Throughout the years, Mounfield was the biggest advocate out of his fellow Stone Roses for the band to get back together. He left Primal Scream in 2011 so that the Stone Roses could reunite, playing a string of shows and festival dates — including at London’s Wembley Stadium and Coachella in California — before disbanding once again in 2017.
Mounfield was planning to tour the U.K. next year for a series of “in conversation” appearances, in which he was set to recount memories from his time with the Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
He is preceded in death by his wife Imelda, who died of bowel cancer in 2023, and survived by their twin sons.
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From Variety US