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Alternative Musician Rock

Died On This Date (November 20*, 2025) Gary “Mani” Mounfield / Stone Roses & Primal Scream Bassist

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Mani
November 16, 1962 – November 20*, 2025 (Actual date unknown at press time)

Photo Credit: livepict.com via Wikimedia

Gary “Mani” Mounfield, the beloved bassist for the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, has died at 62. His passing hits hard because Mani wasn’t simply part of two great bands. He was the heartbeat, the presence that made everything around him hit a little deeper and move with a little more purpose.

With the Stone Roses, Mani helped turn Manchester’s underground spark into a global shift. His basslines shaped the band’s sound as much as any riff or vocal melody, giving songs like “I Wanna Be Adored” and “Waterfall” that deep, magnetic pull fans still chase today. He played with an easy confidence, the kind that doesn’t draw attention to itself because it doesn’t have to.

When the Roses fell apart, Mani joined Primal Scream and gave them the same kind of lift. His work across Vanishing Point, XTRMNTR, and Evil Heat pushed the band into some of their most inventive, hard-hitting moments. He grounded their wildest ideas, tightened their heaviest ones, and made even the most chaotic tracks feel locked-in.

Musicians speak about Mani with a level of respect that tells you everything you need to know. He wasn’t flashy. He didn’t chase the spotlight. He just had feel, a rare, instinctive sense of where the groove should live and how to make the whole band sound stronger.

Offstage, Mani was adored. Funny, warm, loyal, and absolutely himself, whether he was in a rehearsal room or at a pub in Manchester. When the Stone Roses reunited in 2012, fans celebrated not just the band’s return but his. It felt complete again because Mani was back on that stage, bass slung low, grinning like no time had passed.

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Americana Folk Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (November 14, 2025) Todd Snider / Celebrated Singer-Songwriter

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Todd Snider
October 11, 1966 – November 14, 2025

Photo Credit: Unknown via Wikimedia

Todd Snider, the wry and free-spirited singer-songwriter whose blend of sharp humor, plainspoken poetry, and lived-in storytelling earned him a devoted following across three decades, has died. He was 58.

Snider emerged in the early 1990s with a style that felt both familiar and completely his own. Born in Portland and raised between Oregon and Texas, he forged a path defined by curiosity, compassion, and a talent for capturing the offbeat corners of American life. His breakthrough came with his 1994 debut, Songs for the Daily Planet, which featured “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” a track that introduced him as a songwriter who could tackle cultural absurdity with a sly grin and a sharp pen.

Across more than a dozen albums, Snider established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in Americana. His songs balanced humor with heartbreak, and his writing honored the dreamers, drifters, and strugglers who populated his world. Influenced by mentors like Jerry Jeff Walker and John Prine, he continued their tradition of plainspoken truth-telling while carving out his own unmistakable lane.
Snider’s concerts became essential to his legacy. Alone onstage with a well-worn guitar, he created an intimate environment built on stories, digressions, and observations that often felt as revealing as the songs themselves.

Outside of his own catalog, Snider was a champion of fellow musicians and a connector in the folk and Americana world. He lent support to countless up-and-coming songwriters, collaborated widely, and recorded tributes that reflected his deep respect for the craft. His 2013 album Time As We Know It: The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker remains one of the most heartfelt tributes in modern Americana.

Snider is survived by a body of work that documents a full, searching life. His songs captured grief, joy, mischief, and resilience with a clarity that made listeners feel seen. Whether writing about everyday characters or his own struggles, he brought empathy to every line.

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Musician New Wave Rock

Died On This Date (November 5, 2025) Gilson Lavis / Former Drummer For Squeeze and Jools Holland

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Gilson Lavis
August 22, 1947 – November 2, 2025

Gilson Lavis, the sharp-suited drummer whose steady hand helped steer Squeeze through the ’70s and ’80s and later became the rhythmic heart of Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, has died at 74.

Born David Leslie Gilson Lavis in Bedford, England, he began his career behind the kit for touring greats like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Dolly Parton before joining Squeeze in 1976. His crisp, economic playing drove the band’s most enduring songs, “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction,” “Tempted,” and “Black Coffee in Bed,” and helped define the snap and swagger of late-’70s British pop.

After parting ways with Squeeze in the early ’90s, Lavis reunited with frontman Jools Holland, becoming a fixture in Holland’s big band for more than three decades. Whether on Later… with Jools Holland or live on stage, his drumming remained impeccable: unflashy, unshakable, and always in service of the song.

Besides music, Lavis enjoyed painting, turning his eye toward portraiture with the same precision he once brought to rhythm. His works, often portraits of the musicians he admired, found gallery walls and private collections, proof that his creative drive was as restless as ever.

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Classic Rock Jam Band Rock Singer

Died On This Date (November 2, 2025) Donna Jean Godchaux / Former Vocalist For The Grateful Dead

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Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay
April 2, 1947 – November 2, 2025

Photo credit: Matt Tillett via wikimedia

Donna Jean Godchaux, the soulful singer who brought a distinctly Southern warmth to the Grateful Dead’s most exploratory era, has died at 78. She passed away on November 2 in Nashville after a battle with cancer, surrounded by family.

Born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Godchaux’s musical roots ran deep. Before joining the Dead in 1972, she was already part of the Muscle Shoals Sound as a backing vocalist on hits by Elvis Presley, Percy Sledge, Cher, and Boz Scaggs. That background gave her a sense of groove and precision that would later blend with the Dead’s wild improvisation, helping bridge their freeform jams with gospel-inspired soul.

Alongside her husband, keyboardist Keith Godchaux, Donna Jean became a fixture of the band’s most experimental and emotionally rich period, appearing on Wake of the Flood, Blues for Allah, and Terrapin Station. Her harmonies on songs like “Scarlet Begonias” and “Playing in the Band” added a human touch to the band’s cosmic swirl. Onstage, she brought both fire and vulnerability, matching the band’s unpredictable energy with her own fearless presence.

After leaving the Grateful Dead in 1979, she continued performing with Heart of Gold Band, various Dead offshoots, and most recently with Donna Jean Godchaux Band featuring Jeff Mattson.

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Country Musician Singer Southern Rock

Died On This Date (November 2, 2025) John Wesley Ryles / Celebrated Country Singer

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John Wesley Ryles
December 5, 1955 – November 2, 2025

Country music lost a steady and familiar voice with the passing of John Wesley Ryles on November 2 at the age of 74. A singer whose career bridged front-line hits and countless behind-the-scenes harmonies, Ryles was part of the fabric of Nashville for more than five decades.

Born in Bastrop, Louisiana, and raised in Texas, Ryles made his first mark in 1968 when, at just 17, he scored a Top 10 country hit with “Kay.” The song, a tender ballad of love and loss, introduced a warm, distinctive voice that felt both classic and new. Through the 1970s and 1980s, he released a string of singles that made him a familiar name on the charts, including “Once in a Lifetime Thing,” “Tell It Like It Is,” and “Nobody Knows.”

When the spotlight faded, Ryles found his true calling in the studio. For decades, his voice could be heard supporting some of country’s biggest stars. He became one of Nashville’s most respected harmony vocalists, known for his pitch-perfect phrasing and ability to blend effortlessly with any singer. His background vocals appeared on records by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, and Reba McEntire.

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