The Stone Roses’ Pete Garner dies at 61: Ian Brown leads tribute to band’s original bassist

Pete Garner, former bassist of the pioneering English rock band The Stone Roses, has died aged 61.

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.

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.

In response to a user on X, formerly Twitter, who commented on the news, Ian wrote: ‘Yes, very sad. We were young punk rockers when we met in ’77.’

Tributes: Singer Ian Brown (pictured in 2017) paid tribute to his former bandmate as he shared memories of the late rocker

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 in the UK came out which I can vouch for and Pete was nice off the scale, some good old fashioned fun that you just don’t get anymore! He got that from his dear mother! GOD bless Pete RiP

Pete joined Ian and John Squire in their former band The Patrol in 1980, three years before they formed The Stone Roses, with rhythm guitarist Andy Couzens and drummer Simon Wolstencroft on drums. 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 rave reviews for Second Coming, John also quit The Roses in March 1996.

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 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 to work at B&Q before I’d leave the band 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.

Memories: Ian shared his memories of Pete while replying to a fan on X, formerly known as Twitter

Icons: The Stone Roses are depicted in 1990 LR Reni, Mani (top) Ian (bottom) John. The group split in 1996, but reformed in 2012

Now John is working with Liam Gallagher on a joint album next year.

The former Oasis frontman recently boasted that the currently untitled LP is “the best record” since the Beatles’ Revolver.

Liam, a Beatles superfan, and John hit the studio after former fans surprised by bringing the guitarist along for his two Knebworth shows last June, where he performed the Britpop group’s 1995 classic Champagne Supernova.

Liam bragged that their record sounds better than the 1966 LP, which contained the hits Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine.

When asked if it is true that their record will be released in 2024, he replied to X: “It’s the best record since revolver (sic).”

When another user said this was a “big statement,” Liam wrote back, “What comes your way is bigger. I’m humbled by it. (sic)’

Liam previously said his dream supergroup would include someone from The Stone Roses and his good friend Richard Ashcroft, formerly of The Verve.

In 2017 he said: ‘The ideal guys would be the guys from The Stone Roses. I think they just broke up so that would be good.

‘[Richard] Ashcroft would be good. There are a lot of people, but the majority of them are all doing their own thing. But if they want to do one, let us know. I do it.’

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)