The Stone Roses and Primal Scream legend Gary “Mani” Mounfield is set to be laid to rest with a funeral in Manchester later this month.
The bassist and Manchester music icon died last month (November 20). He was aged 63.
The announcement was shared online by his brother Greg, who told fans the news with “the heaviest of hearts”, and tributes quickly came in from the likes of Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, Primal Scream bandmate Simone Butler, Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder, Liam Gallagher, and many more.
Now, Mani’s brother Greg has shared another update, revealing that the artist will be laid to rest later this month with a funeral taking place at Manchester Cathedral.
Taking to Facebook, he told fans that Mani died “peacefully at his home in Heaton Moor” in Greater Manchester. He then went on to describe him as a “beloved husband to the late Imelda [and] the much loved father to George, Gene and Joe”, as well as “a loved son-in-law, nephew, cousin and good friend to many.”
Greg then added that a service will be taking place at Manchester Cathedral on Victoria Street on Monday December 22, beginning at 11:30am. After this, a “private committal service” will be held.
In a tribute to Mani, NME described how the late musician “held a rare place in the world of bass heroes” and “defined a scene with some of the most infectious and hypnotic basslines ever recorded.”
“Both weighty and melodic, Mani’s bewitching basslines became the bedrock and, often, the driving force of The Roses’ breakthrough tracks ‘Elephant Stone’, ‘Made Of Stone’ and ‘She Bangs The Drums’, and underpinned the band’s low-slung funk development on ‘Fools Gold’ – arguably a four-minute encapsulation of the entire late-’80s dance rock scene,” it read.
After learning of his passing, both Oasis and Richard Ashcroft paid respects to Mani during their shows in Brazil, as part of the ‘Live ’25’ tour. The latter dedicated The Verve fan-favourite ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ to him, while Liam and Noel Gallagher honoured him on the classic track ‘Live Forever’.
My Bloody Valentine also kicked off their first tour in seven years by dedicating the gig to the Manchester icon, and Primal Scream paid tribute to their former bandmate at their Manchester Warehouse Project show.
Fans have been paying respects too, resharing past footage of Mani that perfectly showcased his big personality and tongue-in-cheek charisma.
More recently, Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie recalled when he and Mani met Joey Ramone, describing it as “like a scene from a movie”, and former New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook – who worked with Mani in Freebass – described how “from a bass-playing point of view, he was the best”.
