Tim Burgess pays tribute to Mani: ‘He was one of the greats’
“I'm completely shocked, gutted,” Burgess told Rolling Stone UK of his contemporary in the Manchester scene of the 90s.
By Nick Reilly & Will Richards
Tim Burgess has paid tribute to the late, great Stone Roses bassist Mani, who died yesterday at the age of 63.
Speaking to Rolling Stone UK on the red carpet of the ZYN Rolling Stone UK Awards 2025, Burgess spoke of the sad news that emerged earlier in the evening.
“He was one of the greats. I’m completely shocked, gutted,” Burgess said of his contemporary in the Manchester scene of the 90s.
“He was just always there,” he added. “I saw the very first Oasis show at the Boardwalk, with Noel on guitar. Mani was there. We go back a long way. We recorded at the same time at Rockfield [Studios] in Monmouth. He was always around.”
The news of Mani’s death was broken by the musician’s brother, Greg Mounfield, who said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother.” The musician’s cause of death has not been announced.
Mani was set to tour the UK with a speaking tour, beginning in September of 2026 and running until the next summer.
He 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.