{"id":5972,"date":"2025-12-22T16:11:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T16:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=5972"},"modified":"2025-12-22T16:11:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T16:11:49","slug":"manchester-music-and-football-stars-gather-for-funeral-of-stone-roses-mani-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=5972","title":{"rendered":"Manchester music and football stars gather for funeral of Stone Roses\u2019 Mani | Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Stone Roses singer, Ian Brown, has remembered his bandmate Gary \u201cMani\u201d Mounfield<\/a> as a \u201ctrue musical comrade\u201d and \u201calways a beautiful soul and spirit\u201d as hundreds gathered for the charismatic bassist\u2019s funeral.<\/p>\n

Paul Weller, Liam Gallagher<\/a>, Peter Hook, Tim Burgess, Bez, David Beckham and Gary Neville were among the mourners at the service at Manchester Cathedral on Monday morning. Outside, fans packed the street.<\/p>\n

Mounfield was the Stone Roses\u2019 much-admired bassist<\/a> and later a member of Primal Scream. He died at his home in Stockport on 20 November, aged 63.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>From left: Ian Brown, Greg Mounfield and Bobby Gillespie at Manchester Cathedral.<\/span> Photograph: Temilade Adelaja\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His coffin, resembling the cover of the first Stone Roses album, was carried out of the cathedral by Brown, Gallagher, Primal Scream\u2019s frontman, Bobby Gillespie<\/a>, the band\u2019s guitarist, Andrew Innes, and his Stone Roses bandmates John Squire and Alan \u201cReni\u201d Wren.<\/p>\n

Brown told the service: \u201cOne thing we can all agree on is Mani was one of the greatest lads we ever met, one of the greatest men we ever knew. Lucky us. Mani was like a brother to me. A dream as a friend. A true musical comrade.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cWe all know Gaz lived his life laughing. And laughing was his number one pursuit \u2013 always looking for the next laugh, a non-stop laugh machine.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>David Beckham, centre, and Gary Neville, right, at the service.<\/span> Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMani\u2019s been in my corner whatever the situation, for 45 years \u2013 non-stop, unconditionally. Always a beautiful soul and spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown told the congregation how his friend had loved the same things all his life: \u201cHis family, his pals, fishing, football, [Manchester] United, music, Lambrettas, dancing, clobber, town and all the usual gentlemanly pursuits.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe lived a full, a fulfilled and a blessed life, going round and round the world lifting people up with his bass guitar skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>The mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, centre, also attended the funeral.<\/span> Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brown said there had been a \u201ctsunami of love\u201d for Mounfield since his death, adding: \u201cHe loved everyone and everyone loves him \u2026 he was the life and soul of wherever he was, making every room he was in brighter.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told the gathered mourners: \u201cMani wouldn\u2019t want us to be broken-hearted. But we all are.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were cheers in church when Brown said Mounfield loved Manchester more than anyone, and \u201cfew have done so much for this city\u201d, calling for a 50ft, solid gold statue to be erected in his memory.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Paul Weller was there to pay his respects.<\/span> Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gillespie told the service how much he cherished Mounfield\u2019s time in Primal Scream after he joined in 1996. \u201cHe was a funky little mother, with a rock\u2019and\u2019roll heart,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe stalked the stage with the stealth of a panther, with the grace of a dancer. How fortunate we were to have him in our band and in our lives,\u201d said Gillespie. \u201cMani\u2019s not dead, he\u2019s just gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Bez of the Happy Mondays, centre, attended the service.<\/span> Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gillespie also paid tribute to Mounfield\u2019s wife, Imelda \u2013 with whom he had two children \u2013 who died two years ago. He said she was his \u201crock\u201d, telling the congregation they were an \u201camazing couple\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mounfield had recently announced a UK speaking tour from September 2026 to June 2027, in which he promised to look back on pivotal career moments such as the Stone Roses\u2019 1990 gig at Spike Island<\/a> and their comeback tour in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Manchester #music #football #stars #gather #funeral #Stone #Roses #Mani #Music<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Stone Roses singer, Ian Br… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5972"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5972\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}