Gary 'Mani' Mounfield from The Stone Roses dies aged 63
Legendary bassist Gary 'Mani' Mounfield has died at the age of 63.
Tributes are pouring in for the Manchester-born musician, who rose to fame in the 80s while part of some of the UK's most iconic bands.
He got his big break after joining The Stone Roses alongside Ian Brown, John Squire and Alan 'Reni' Wren in 1987, and he remained a pivotal part of the group until their split in 1996.
Mani, a father-of-two, then became a part of Primal Scream, before he left the rock band to reunite with the Roses in 2011.
The Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown shared a short post on social media paying tribute to his longtime pal and bandmate, which read: "REST IN PEACE MANI X."
Oasis icon Liam Gallagher said he was 'in total shock' and 'absolutely devastated' about Mani's death, while describing the star as 'his hero' in a post on X.
The guitarist's beloved brother, Greg, shared a solemn post on Facebook on Thursday (20 November) announcing his passing.
It read: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother. Gary Mani Mounfield RIP r kid.
"Reunited with his beautiful wife Imelda."
His sibling John Barlow also said in a post: "Absolutely devastated to hear of the sudden passing of my step brother Gary 'Mani' Mounfield.
"Having recently lost his wife Imelda, it now leaves the two boys without a mum or dad. My thoughts are with his brother Greg and the boys, absolutely tragic."
Happy Mondays singer Rowetta also posted on X: "Going to miss you so much. All my love to the boys, the family & all those who knew & loved him."
Mani, who was a legend on the 'Madchester' music scene, had recently announced that he would be embarking on a tour across the UK which was scheduled to kick off next year.
His death comes almost two years to the day that his wife, Imelda Mounfield, passed away following a devastating bowel cancer diagnosis.
"I just don't want to be sat thinking about cancer and illness all the time, because it is all-consuming," Imelda had told the BBC before her death.
"Sometimes I have bad days and demon days and I'll have side effects. And other times people haven't got a clue that I'm ill, because I try and carry on as best as I can."
Mani also opened up about the 'whole spectrum of emotions' he dealt with in wake of his wife's tragic diagnosis.
"One day you can be paranoid and flapping and very, very fearful about stuff and then the next day you can see she's putting in the effort, there's a pride in the fight of the lady," the father-of-two said.
"It really puts you through the wringer...it's an old juggling balancing act of keeping your own emotions in check while also trying to offer a bit of support."
Mani previously explained how he perfected his guitar skills after learning by ear, as he comically said: "Put a sheet full of dots in front of me and I wouldn't have a bloody clue what's going on."
Discussing the inception of The Stone Roses, he described it as 'the most exciting time' during an interview with Bassist magazine in 2000, as per Guitar World.
"I was still a bit of a novice when I came to join the Roses, so I learned a hell of a lot from Reni, John and Ian," he said. "It brought me along leaps and bounds.
"Playing with a great drummer like that is beneficial for your style. You can learn lots of tricks. He taught me a lot, Alan Wren, and I'll be eternally grateful to him for that."
Olivia Burke