Former bassist of the British rock band The Stone Roses, Gary Maunfield, known by his stage name Manny, has died at the age of 63. The news was announced by the musician's brother, Greg Maunfield.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the death of my brother. Rest in peace, RKID“, reads a post on Facebook. In northern English slang, especially in Manchester, where the band was founded in 1983, RKID means “our child“ and is often used to refer to brothers.
Maunfield joined the band in 1987, along with vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, and drummer Alan Wren. He played with the band until its breakup in 1996, when he joined Scottish rock band Primal Scream. Although The Stone Roses never topped the British charts, the band was quite popular in their homeland. Four of their songs and the same number of albums reached the top 10, and 15 songs spent 42 weeks in the top 40.
The Stone Roses became one of the first bands of the so-called Manchester Wave of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which also included groups such as Inspiral Carpets, James and others.
Condolences were expressed at the death of Maunfield from members of his former band, as well as from other musicians, including those from the "Manchester Wave" bands Happy Mondays and The Charlatans. Among those who responded to the musician's death was Liam Gallagher, a member of the Manchester rock band Oasis. "I am in complete shock and completely devastated to hear the news about Manny. He is my hero. Rest in peace RKID“, he wrote on X.