Stone Roses and Primal Scream Bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield Passes Away at 63
The British musician was an integral part of the Stone Roses.
Image Pennie Smith
Gary “Mani” Mounfield, longtime bassist of the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, has sadly passed away at the age of 63.
His brother Greg Mounfield posted the news on Facebook: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother.” His bandmate Ian Brown took to X with this tribute: “REST IN PEACE MANi X”. The cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Born in Crumpsall, England, in 1962, Mani was a key part of the Stone Roses’ success. Playing in bands during the early ‘80s, Mani linked up with John Squire and Andy Couzens to form Fireside Chaps. They would go on to recruit Ian Brown as lead vocalist, eventually changing their name to the Stone Roses, playing their first gig in 1984.
Success wasn’t instant, with the Stone Roses releasing several singles and touring the UK and Europe before finally breaking out in 1989 with their self-titled debut album, which also featured Alan “Reni” Wren, who replaced Couzens.
Although it only made it to #19 on the UK Album Chart, The Stone Roses was critically acclaimed and helped usher in the UK rave scene of the ‘90s. Former NME critic Mary Anne Hobbs called the record “the most fluent crossover album of the last decade.”
Sadly, legal issues hampered the recording of their sophomore album, and when they did finally release Second Coming in 1994, the music scene had evolved, and the album received middling reviews. The Stone Roses would eventually disband two years later in 1996.
After leaving the Stone Roses, Mani joined Primal Scream and appeared on the albums Vanishing Point (1997), XTRMNTR (2000), Evil Heat (2002), Riot City Blues (2006) and Beautiful Future (2008).
He left Primal Scream in 2011 to reunite with Brown, Squire and Reni and reform the Stone Roses. The quartet toured the globe for several years and released two new songs, ‘All for One’ and ‘Beautiful Thing’. While there was talk of the band recording a third album, that never eventuated, and the Stone Roses went their separate ways again in 2017.
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, a known fan of the Stone Roses, took to X to share his commiserations: “IN TOTAL SHOCK AND ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED ON HEARING THE NEWS ABOUT MANI MY HERO RIP RKID LG”, while Tim Burgess of The Charlatans posted on X: “I shared this photo a week or so ago on Mani’s birthday - It never failed to bring a smile to my face - and that was exactly the same for the man himself. One of the absolute best in every way - such a beautiful friend Love you Mani x x Never to be forgotten.”
Mani’s death came just days after it was announced he would be embarking on a 2026 speaking tour discussing his career.
