Legendary bassist Gary ‘ Mani ‘ Mounfield has sadly died aged 63. In a time of deep crisis, his feud-ridden bandmates came together for the star and the emotional moment sparked a reunion
Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield suffered many heartbreaks during his incredible career, but one devastating loss changed the trajectory of his life.
The legendary bassist for the Stone Roses and Primal Scream has sadly died aged 63, leaving his two twins orphaned. Mani’s wife Imelda passed away from cancer in 2023 at just 52-years-old. Their children, Gene Clark and George Christopher, are believed to be around 12 years old.
The rocker revealed in one of his final interviews that he was “itching to get back” into music, perhaps inspired by Oasis’ stunning reunion that has mesmerised the industry this year. Mani had said in a chat last month that he had recently been to his lock-up and looked at his bass guitars and was being encouraged by other musicians to pick it up again.
READ MORE: The Stone Roses’ Mani’s love life with wife Imelda and tragic orphaned twinsREAD MORE: Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield’s neighbours speak out after star’s sudden death
The Stone Roses enjoyed their last gig together in 2017, and although they didn’t officially call it quits immediately after their final show, guitarist John Squire confirmed the split in a 2019 interview. The band had been fractured by a bitter feud between John and singer Ian Brown, with a series of bust-ups sealing the Stones ‘ fate.
But before parting ways, they had an incredible comeback, reuniting for a tour for the first time in 15 years. Mani left Primal Scream to rejoin Stone Roses for the big hurrah in 2011, and it soon became clear that a tragedy in his personal life sparked the decision to get back on stage with the iconic rock band.
The bassist was wracked with grief when his beloved mother died earlier that same year, and his old friends were right by his side to help him get through it.
Mani admitted at the time that her passing what “the cloud that gave us the silver lining” to settle their differences, as he opened up about the upcoming world tour. Fellow Stone Roses members Ian and John were spotted together at Mani’s mum’s funeral, putting their own issues aside to support their pal.
The bassist told The Sun: “It’s weird how it can be one mad thing that starts a chain of events. It was amazing and bizarre when John and Ian started speaking at my mum’s funeral. I always wanted them to do it, even if we never reformed I wanted them to reform the friendship. Rock ‘n’ roll is more than just music.”
A source also added at the time: “It was an emotional reunion. There were no harsh words. It was a heartwarming breaking of bread. They had a lot to catch up on and have been in regular contact since”.
The band pioneered the “Madchester” scene with hits such as I Am The Resurrection, Waterfall, Made Of Stone and Fools Gold. John, whose feud with Ian insiders blame for the band’s long separation, confirmed at the time that they had finally buried the hatchet.
Despite famously saying he had no wish to “desecrate the grave” of The Stone Roses, he revealed: “Everything changed when me and Ian started seeing each other again – it was surreal, we went from crying and laughing about the old days to writing songs. It’s a friendship which defines us both, and it needed fixing. We did, and two phone calls later the band was no longer dead”.
Source: Mirror
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