The Stone Roses mourns the loss of founding bassist Pete Garner at age 61
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The music world has lost an influential figure with the passing of Pete Garner, original bassist of pioneering English rock band The Stone Roses, at age 61.
Garner was a founding member of the Manchester-based indie rock group, who rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 90s with their iconic sound that heavily influenced the Britpop movement.
The cause of his death has not been confirmed.
The Stone Roses, formed in 1983, were part of the 'Madchester' music scene, which blended alternative rock, psychedelic rock, and electronic dance music.
Their 1989 debut album was considered a classic, featuring hit singles like 'Fools Gold' and 'I Wanna Be Adored'.
Garner became a member of the band in 1983, as he was friends with former bandmate and lead singer Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire from school.
He played on the band's first single, 'So Young' and 'Tell Me', released in 1985. He also contributed to the song 'Sally Cinnamon' released in 1987.
However, just a month after 'Sally Cinnamon' hit the shelves, Garner left the band, explaining that he felt he wasn't 'good enough for them' and decided to work at HMV instead, marking the end of his time with The Stone Roses.
Garner was 'an old skool nice' with a deep love of music, according to Brown. The two first met and bonded as punk rockers in 1977, attending Clash concerts together the night before exams.
'Always made me chuckle he did that, and of course, he made the right decision!' he said.
In 1980, Pete joined Ian and John Squire in their previous band, The Patrol, three years before they formed The Stone Roses. They initially teamed up with rhythm guitarist Andy Couzens and drummer Simon Wolstencroft. Simon was later replaced by Alan 'Reni' Wren in 1984.
After leaving the band, Garner was briefly replaced by Rob Hampson, who was soon substituted by long-term bassist Gary 'Mani' Mounfield by the end of 1987.
Two years later, the band released their highly praised self-titled debut album.
However, the group started to fall apart when Reni left in April 1995, just before a world tour. Despite the positive reception of their second and final studio album, Second Coming, John also left the Roses in March 1996.
While the world tour generated significant revenue, the band members only made a small profit due to outstanding debts.
The band fulfilled a few remaining commitments, including a troubled performance at the Reading Festival, where they declined assistance from Slash and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
The Stone Roses drew inspiration from a diverse range of music genres, including garage rock, electronic dance music, krautrock, northern soul, punk rock, reggae, soul, and artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, The Smiths, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sex Pistols, and The Clash.
Their influence extended to other artists, particularly Oasis and The Verve. Noel Gallagher once mentioned in an interview that when he heard The Stone Roses' song 'Sally Cinnamon' for the first time, he 'knew' what his 'destiny' was.
Credit: The Stone Roses.
Liam Gallagher, his brother and lead singer of Oasis, saw The Stone Roses perform live at his first concert and credited them with inspiring his career as a singer.
Furthermore, the iconic NME cover featuring The Stone Roses in blue paint from November 18, 1989, was praised as 'the greatest NME cover of all time' by Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft, acknowledging the band's enduring impact.
While Pete Garner's premature passing is tragic, his legacy lives on through The Stone Roses' influence and iconic sound, still inspiring new generations of indie and Britpop musicians today.
He will be missed by friends, family, and many fans who appreciate his contributions. May he rest in peace.
Garner was a founding member of the Manchester-based indie rock group, who rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 90s with their iconic sound that heavily influenced the Britpop movement.
The cause of his death has not been confirmed.
The Stone Roses, formed in 1983, were part of the 'Madchester' music scene, which blended alternative rock, psychedelic rock, and electronic dance music.
Their 1989 debut album was considered a classic, featuring hit singles like 'Fools Gold' and 'I Wanna Be Adored'.
Bassist Pete Garner, best known for being an original member of Stone Roses, has died aged 61. Credit: X/Tokeiwotomete.
Garner became a member of the band in 1983, as he was friends with former bandmate and lead singer Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire from school.
He played on the band's first single, 'So Young' and 'Tell Me', released in 1985. He also contributed to the song 'Sally Cinnamon' released in 1987.
However, just a month after 'Sally Cinnamon' hit the shelves, Garner left the band, explaining that he felt he wasn't 'good enough for them' and decided to work at HMV instead, marking the end of his time with The Stone Roses.
Garner was 'an old skool nice' with a deep love of music, according to Brown. The two first met and bonded as punk rockers in 1977, attending Clash concerts together the night before exams.
'Always made me chuckle he did that, and of course, he made the right decision!' he said.
In 1980, Pete joined Ian and John Squire in their previous band, The Patrol, three years before they formed The Stone Roses. They initially teamed up with rhythm guitarist Andy Couzens and drummer Simon Wolstencroft. Simon was later replaced by Alan 'Reni' Wren in 1984.
After leaving the band, Garner was briefly replaced by Rob Hampson, who was soon substituted by long-term bassist Gary 'Mani' Mounfield by the end of 1987.
Two years later, the band released their highly praised self-titled debut album.
However, the group started to fall apart when Reni left in April 1995, just before a world tour. Despite the positive reception of their second and final studio album, Second Coming, John also left the Roses in March 1996.
While the world tour generated significant revenue, the band members only made a small profit due to outstanding debts.
The band fulfilled a few remaining commitments, including a troubled performance at the Reading Festival, where they declined assistance from Slash and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
The Stone Roses drew inspiration from a diverse range of music genres, including garage rock, electronic dance music, krautrock, northern soul, punk rock, reggae, soul, and artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, The Smiths, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sex Pistols, and The Clash.
Their influence extended to other artists, particularly Oasis and The Verve. Noel Gallagher once mentioned in an interview that when he heard The Stone Roses' song 'Sally Cinnamon' for the first time, he 'knew' what his 'destiny' was.
Credit: The Stone Roses.
Liam Gallagher, his brother and lead singer of Oasis, saw The Stone Roses perform live at his first concert and credited them with inspiring his career as a singer.
Furthermore, the iconic NME cover featuring The Stone Roses in blue paint from November 18, 1989, was praised as 'the greatest NME cover of all time' by Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft, acknowledging the band's enduring impact.
While Pete Garner's premature passing is tragic, his legacy lives on through The Stone Roses' influence and iconic sound, still inspiring new generations of indie and Britpop musicians today.
He will be missed by friends, family, and many fans who appreciate his contributions. May he rest in peace.
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