Gary “Mani” Mounfield, the British musician who played bass in the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, has died. His brother, Greg, shared the news on Facebook, and Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown eulogized his former bandmate on X, writing, “REST IN PEACE MANi X.” A cause of death has not been announced. Mounfield was 63 years old.
Mounfield was born in Crumpsall, England, in 1962. In the early 1980s, in Greater Manchester, he formed a band with John Squire and Andy Couzens called the Fireside Chaps. They eventually took on Ian Brown as the new frontman and changed their name to the Stone Roses. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Stone Roses (now without Couzens, but featuring Alan “Reni” Wren on drums) released their self-titled debut.
The Stone Roses became key figures in the Madchester scene. Writing about The Stone Roses, for Pitchfork’s “The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s,” Ben Cardew said, “For a good decade, the Manchester band’s debut album was inescapable in the UK, uniting ravers, guitar-heads, and pop fans with its exquisite songwriting, snaking guitar lines, Byrds-ian harmonies, and generous layer of psychedelia to cushion the post-club comedown.” Despite the Stone Roses’ popularity, they released just one more album, Second Coming, before initially disbanding in 1996.
Following the dissolution of the Stone Roses, Mounfield joined Primal Scream, playing on 1997’s Vanishing Point, 2000’s XTRMNTR, 2002’s Evil Heat, 2006’s Riot City Blues, and 2008’s Beautiful Future. He departed Primal Scream in 2011, rejoining the Stone Roses that same year.
The Stone Roses played a number of shows during their second stint, but released just two new songs: “All for One” and “Beautiful Thing.” They broke up again in 2017.
On X, fellow Mancunian Liam Gallagher said Mounfield was his “hero,” and Tim Burgess, of the Charlatans UK, called him “a beautiful friend.” New Order shared, “We are really sorry and shocked to hear of the passing of Mani. He was a great guy, good fun and a father to two boys. Long may he live in the hearts and minds of all his family, friends and fans.”
