Music Legends Gather to Attend Gary 'Mani' Mounfield's Funeral

Countless music and sport figures turned out in Manchester on Monday to say a heartfelt farewell to Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, the celebrated bassist best known for his work with the Stone Roses and later Primal Scream.

The funeral service for Mounfield, who died on November 20th at the age of 63 from respiratory complications linked to emphysema, was held at Manchester Cathedral. A steady stream of mourners filled the historic venue, where friends, bandmates, and admirers gathered to honour his life and legacy.

Among those in attendance were his former Stone Roses bandmates - vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire and drummer Alan 'Reni' Wren - alongside Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie.

Mounfield joined the band the Fireside Chaps alongside John Squire and Andy Couzens in Greater Manchester in the early 1980s. The group went through several name and lineup changes, before taking on Ian Brown as frontman, and becoming the Stone Roses who played their first official gig in October 1984.

He played with the group until their 1996 split, and through a reunion tour until they parted ways once more in 2017. He was also a full-time member of Primal Scream until he reunited with the Stone Roses in 2011.

We’ve just been out to pay our respects to Mani from the Stone Roses / Primal Scream as his funeral cortege passed though Heaton Moor.

What I didn’t expect was that loads of people on scooters turned up, to ride with him on his last journey, which I found incredibly moving. pic.twitter.com/1KkHVtvmuM

— Drew Savage (@DrewSavageSport) December 22, 2025

At the ceremony, Brown described Mani as “a brother” and praised his warmth, humour and spirit. Also paying tribute was Gillespie, who said: “Mani’s warm and welcoming manner, treating me like an equal, made me feel like a million dollars, and I’ll never forget that. No one was too important to escape his laser-eye ability to cut the pretentious and self-important down to size, myself included.”

Former Manchester United players, including David Beckham and Gary Neville, also attended, reflecting Mani’s love of football and deep ties to the city.

His coffin was wrapped in artwork from the Stone Roses’ iconic debut album from 1989. It was carried from the cathedral by Gallagher, Squire, and Reni.