The Stone Roses is hit by another tragedy as Mani’s beloved wife Imelda dies aged 52 following bowel cancer battle… just weeks after Pete Garner’s death
The wife of Stone Roses bassist Mani has died aged 52, three years after she was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer.
Imelda Mounfield died on Saturday. It is the second tragedy to rock the band in recent weeks following the death of bassist Pete Garner.
Happy Mondays singer Rowetta announced Imelda’s death on X – formerly known as Twitter.
She said of Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield’s partner: ‘So beautiful, so brave, so LOVED. We will all miss you Imelda Mounfield.
“All my thoughts and love to Mani and your beautiful, precious boys and love to all of Imelda’s family and friends.”
Tragic: The wife of The Stone Roses bassist Mani has died at the age of 52, three years after she was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer (photo May 2013)
RIP: Happy Mondays singer Rowetta announced Imelda’s death on X – formerly known as Twitter
The Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, 60, paid tribute to Imelda on
Event agent Imelda was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in November 2020 and the couple have twin sons.
In the wake of her diagnosis, Imelda and Mani have held a number of charity fundraisers to raise money for charities The Christie Hospital, The Stockport Charitable Trust and Maggie’s.
Imelda told ITV last year about how the charities had supported her during her battle against the disease: ‘Cancer doesn’t just affect the person who has the disease, but everyone around them, and I hope that by investing in a little more research we can , can help alleviate some of the disease. the devastation it has caused to families.”
Before her and Mani’s latest event, she said Maggie’s had supported them “from the beginning,” offering counseling sessions and resources to help them explain. She added, “It’s an ongoing struggle for me, and I will be using their services more in the future.”
Imelda also told ITV in December 2022 that her diagnosis was a shock to her and her family as she did not feel ‘bad’.
She added: ‘The doctors didn’t know how I would respond to the chemo, but I responded quite well. I’ve been on quite a journey over the past two years.”
Imelda’s death comes weeks after The Stone Roses bassist Pete died at the age of 61 – also reportedly after a battle with cancer.
The musician was the original bassist for the Manchester band, but left the group in 1987 to join HMV because he didn’t feel worthy of being in the group.
Tribute: The Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, 60, paid tribute to Imelda on X, saying: ‘Rip @imeldamounfield GOD BLESS MANI and his boys
Difficult: event agent Imelda was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in November 2020
Icons: The Stone Roses are depicted in 1990 LR Reni, Mani (top) Ian (bottom) John. The group split in 1996, but reformed in 2012
Former bandmate Ian Brown led tributes to the late rocker when he claimed that ‘few loved music as much’ as Pete.
His cause of death has not been confirmed.
Reply to a user at X, Ian wrote: ‘Yes, very sad. We were young punk rockers when we met in ’77.’
He continued: “The night before Pete’s maths and geography level we went to the Clash. It always made me chuckle that he did that and of course he made the right decision! X [sic]’
He later added: ‘Few loved music as much as Pete, he has been bathed in music ever since [Sex Pistols’] Anarchy broke out in Britain which I can vouch for and Pete was outrageously nice, an old-fashioned niceness that you just don’t get anymore! He got that from his dear mother! GOD bless Pete RiP [sic]’
Pete joined Ian and John Squire in their former band The Patrol in 1980, three years before forming The Stone Roses with rhythm guitarist Andy Couzens and drummer Simon Wolstencroft. Alan ‘Reni’ Wren took over from Simon in 1984.
Pete left the group in 1987 and was replaced by Mani on bass.
The group began to fall apart when Reni quit in April 1995, on the eve of a world tour. Despite critical acclaim for Second Coming, the band’s second and final studio album, John also left the Roses in March 1996.
Old school: Pete from The Stone Roses (left) died at the age of 59. Pete’s cause of death has not been confirmed (photo with drummer Reni, Ian Brown and John Squire)
Memories: Ian shared his memories of Pete while replying to a fan on X, formerly known as Twitter
New songs: John Squire will team up with Liam Gallagher next year for a joint album that they claim is ‘the best record’ since The Beatles’ Revolver (pictured in 2007)
The world tour grossed £1.2 million, but bad debts meant the group members only earned a few thousand pounds each.
The band had arranged a few final dates, including a disastrous show at Reading Festival, for which they had turned down offers of help from Slash and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
In the fifteen years following the split, Ian repeatedly blamed John for the band’s demise, saying: “If I was in the gutter and my kids were living on the doorstep, I’d go get a job at B&Q before I left the band would reform. Roses.’
Meanwhile, John claimed: ‘I would rather remove my liver with a teaspoon than reform the roses.’
However, the pair’s friendship was rekindled when they attended Mani’s mother’s funeral in 2011. That summer, Ian also reconciled with Reni.
The Waterfall hitmakers then reformed in 2012 for a series of major outdoor concerts and continued to play shows until 2017.