BREAKING INTO HEAVEN

Legendary ’90s Rock and Roll Star Has Died at 63

Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield’s bass playing helped define the 1990s.

Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, the legendary bass player and founding member of The Stone Roses, has died aged 63. His cause of death has not been revealed. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother,” sibling Greg Mounfield posted on Facebook. Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown confirmed the news shortly afterward, writing “Rest in Peace Mani” in a post on X. Oasis’ Liam Gallagher also reacted to the news, writing “In total shock and absolutely devastated on hearing the news about Mani, my hero”. Rough Trade Records also paid tribute to Mounfield, calling him “the perfect example of how a bassist can be the beating heart of a band”. Born in Manchester, U.K., Mounfield rose to fame as a member of the Stone Roses, whose 1989 self-titled debut album was hailed for fusing rock music with rave culture and is frequently cited as one of the most influential albums of the 1990s. After leaving the Stone Roses in 1996, Mounfield joined Primal Scream in 2006, coinciding with an uptick in their creative and commercial success. He later rejoined the Stone Roses on their reunion tour from 2011 to 2017, which saw them play arenas and festivals around the world. His wife, Imelda, passed away from cancer in 2023.