The Stone Roses' Pete Garner dies aged 61: Ian Brown leads tributes to band's original bassist
6 November 2023, 14:08
Pete Garner, the original bassist of rock band The Stone Roses, has died at the age of 61.
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The Manchester group’s frontman Ian Brown led tributes to the former member, calling him “off the scale nice”, adding that “few loved music as much” as Garner.
Garner was a part of the original band’s line-up alongside Brown and guitarist John Squire. He played on songs ‘So Young, Tell Me’ and ‘Sally Cinnamon’.
He left The Stone Roses in 1987 because he did not feel worthy of being a member of the pioneering group, leaving to work in HMV.
He was replaced by Rob Hampstead, and taught his successor the part before departing to work at HMV.
The iconic group’s long-term bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mountfield then took over in 1987.
His cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Yeah very sad. We were young punk rockers when we met in 77. The nite before Petes maths and geography O levels we went to see the Clash. Always made me chuckle he did that and of course he made the right decision! X
— Ian Brown (@ianbrown) November 3, 2023
Writing on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Brown wrote: “Yeah very sad. We were young punk rockers when we met in ’77.”
Brown continued: ’The nite before Petes maths and geography O levels we went to see the Clash. Always made me chuckle he did that and of course he made the right decision! X [sic]’
He continued in a later post: ’Few loved music as much as Pete, he been bathing in music since [Sex Pistols'] Anarchy in the UK came out that I can vouch for and Pete was off the scale nice, an old skool nice that ya just don't get no more! He got that from his lovely Mum! GOD Bless Pete RiP X [sic]’
Music journalist John Robb paid tribute to Garner, writing that he was a “wonderful soul and a beautiful person and will be much missed”.
