Gary “Mani” Mounfield, Bassist for The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, Dies at 63
Gary “Mani” Mounfield, who played bass for the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, has died from undisclosed causes. He was 63 years old.
The news was shared by his brother, Greg, on Facebook.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother,” he wrote.
Mounfield was born in Crumpsall, England in 1962. He left school at just 16 and was a member of Greater Manchester’s music scene throughout the early ’80s. He would join the Stone Roses in 1987. The band was a vital part of the “Madchester” music scene, which blended indie rock with acid house and psychedelia.
The Stone Roses would release their self-titled debut in 1989, which featured one of his best bass lines on “She Bangs the Drums.”
After the band broke up in 1996, Mani joined Primal Scream and played on five albums with them: 1997’s Vanishing Point, 2000’s XTRMNTR, 2002’s Evil Heat, 2006’s Riot City Blues, and 2008’s Beautiful Future. He left Primal Scream in 2011 to join a reunited Stone Roses, which would break up again in 2017.
Mani was also a member of Freebass, a three-bass band with The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Joy Division’s Peter Hook. He continued to be active in music, and had recently announced a massive tour for 2026 and 2027 in dubbed “The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, and Me,” in which he would talk about his career in intimate venues across the UK.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Gary “Mani” Mounfield.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
