Paul Ryder, co-founder and longstanding bass player for the iconic British alt-rock band Happy Mondays, died on July 15 at the age of 58, the band announced.
“The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are very heartbroken and horrified to announce that Paul Ryder passed away this morning,” the band said in a social media statement.
“A true trailblazer and legend. He will be greatly missed. His funk will live on.” The statement went on. As of yet, there is no mention of a cause of death
The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning
— Happy Mondays (@Happy_Mondays) July 15, 2022
A true pioneer and legend. He will be forever missed ❤️
We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time
Long live his funk x pic.twitter.com/e2LdSaQD6u
Paul Ryder, born in 1964 in Salford, England, began playing the bass at the age of 13. He formed Happy Mondays in the early 1980s with his brother Shaun, guitarist Mark Day, drummer Gary Whelan, keyboardist Paul Davis, and percussionist Mark “Bez” Berry.
The Happy Mondays, like their Manchester-area contemporaries the Stone Roses, combined the tunefulness of British Invasion era pop rock with the flower-power optimism of psychedelic rock and the irresistible, open-ended grooves of dance music.
Paul Ryder supplied much of the band’s extremely club-friendly low-end, which helped give the band a wide crossover following, typically using a Fender Jazz bass.
Happy Mondays achieved their commercial peak with their third album, Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, released in 1990. The album went platinum in the United Kingdom, and helped spread what became known as the “Madchester” sound – the blend of dance rhythms and tie-dye psychedelic pop-rock choruses – across the country and, eventually, the rest of the world.
Paul Ryder was a key member and bass player of Happy Mondays throughout their original run. He also participated in the band’s 1999 reunion before leaving the band in 2000.
He would, however, rejoin the band when they reformed in 2012 with their original lineup and remained with them until his death.
