Rock icon Gary “Mani” Mounfield, the beloved bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, has died suddenly at home aged 63, emergency services and police have confirmed.
Greater Manchester Police were called to the property in Heaton Moor on Thursday morning alongside paramedics. Officers have now verified that Mani was pronounced dead at the scene and that his passing is being treated as non-suspicious.
A spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service revealed: “Emergency crews attended a private address at 10.42am.” Despite their rapid arrival, paramedics were unable to revive Mani, and no patient was taken to hospital — a detail that neighbours also noted after seeing the ambulance leave in silence.
The suddenness of his death has shocked fans worldwide, especially as it came just days after Mani enthusiastically revealed he was planning a 69-date conversation tour for late 2026 and early 2027 titled The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, and Me – An Intimate Evening with Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
On Facebook, he told fans: “I think @mm embarking on what could be my final road trip… getting too old now… Anybody wanting to hear slaggings off of bandmates or titbits of dirt… I’m not that guy. I would never rat on my comrades.” The post is now being re-read with heartbreaking poignancy.
Mani’s playing has long been considered central to British rock. His iconic bassline on “I Wanna Be Adored” defined the opening of The Stone Roses’ 1989 debut album — a slow-burn intro shattered by his unmistakable groove. Rough Trade paid tribute, calling him “the perfect example of how a bassist can be the beating heart of a band.”
The Stone Roses’ legendary 1990 Spike Island gig, powered by Mani’s groove, inspired a generation including a young Liam Gallagher. Mani later joined Primal Scream, cementing himself as one of the most influential figures of the Madchester and Britpop eras.
His final public appearance is believed to have been last month at boxer Ricky Hatton’s funeral, where he was photographed among mourners.
In one of his last interviews in mid-October, Mani said he had been “itching” to play again after visiting his lock-up and looking over his bass guitars. Musicians close to him had been encouraging him to return to the stage.
His death also comes nearly two years to the day after his wife Imelda died on November 18, 2023, aged just 52 following a battle with stage four bowel cancer. In 2022, she told ITV Granada Reports: “The tumour in my bowel had spread to my liver. It was a massive shock, because I wasn’t really poorly… I responded quite well to chemo so it’s been a big journey over the past two years.”
The couple leave behind twin sons, Gene and George, now 12, who have tragically lost both parents within two years. As fans revisit Mani’s timeless basslines, his loyalty, humour and the “final road trip” he never got to take feel more poignant than ever.
