Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, bassist in the classic lineup of The Stone Roses, has died at the age of 63.
Writing on Facebook, his brother, Greg, said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield. RIP R kid.” No cause of death was immediately publicly shared.
Ian Brown, lead singer for The Stone Roses, followed the news with a brief tribute on X, writing: “Rest in Peace Mani X.”
In another tribute, The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess shared a recent picture of himself and Mani, describing him as “one of the absolute best in every way – such a beautiful friend”.
Liam Gallagher wrote on X: “In total shock and absolutely devastated on hearing the news about Mani my hero.”
Mani had recently announced a speaking tour of the UK, set to run from September 2026 to June 2027, which he said he would see him look back on pivotal career moments including The Stone Roses’ 1990 gig at Spike Island, as well as their 2012 comeback tour.
Born in Crumpsall, Manchester, Mounfield left school when he was 16, and befriended Brown when the two of them confronted “some National Front skinheads in North Manchester”, he told i-D in a 1996 interview.
Mani formed the band The Fireside Chaps with John Squire and Andy Couzens in Manchester in the early 1980s. After the group went through various name and lineup changes, including taking on Brown as their frontman, they eventually became the Stone Roses and played their first official gig in October 1984. He had initially been the band’s guitar player when they were The Fireside Chaps, but switched to playing bass amid the various group alterations.
The Stone Roses’ classic lineup consisted of Mani, Brown, Squire and Alan ‘Reni’ Wren. He played on both of the band’s two studio albums: 1989’s The Stone Roses and 1994’s Second Coming.
When The Stone Roses disbanded in 1996, Mounfield joined Primal Scream, and remained a full-time member of the band until 2011 when he left to take part in The Stone Roses’ reunion. He played on several key Primal Scream albums while part of the group, including Vanishing Point (1997), XTRMNTR (1999), Evil Heat (2002) and Riot City Blues (2006).
The Stone Roses’ reunion saw the band play 50 shows across Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania, including three initial homecoming gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park. Plans for a new album by the group were mooted but ultimately never came to fruition. They did, however, record two singles: ‘All For One’ and ‘Beautiful Thing’ before they played their final shows together in 2017.
Mounfield was also part of a short-lived super-group, Freebass, with The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Joy Division and New Order’s Peter Hook. The project disbanded shortly before the release of their 2010 debut album, It’s A Beautiful Life.
Mounfield is survived by his twin sons. His wife, Imelda, who he met while recording The Stone Roses’ second album, passed away in 2023 following a battle with cancer.
