The Cure guitarist and keyboard participant Perry Bamonte has died aged 65, the legendary British darkish rock band introduced on Friday.
Bamonte, who turned a full member of The Cure in 1990, “passed away after a short illness at home over Christmas”, in line with a press release revealed on the band’s web site.
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte,” it mentioned. “Quiet, intensive, intuitive, constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm hearted and vital part of The Cure story.”
It added: “Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family, he will be very greatly missed.”
The Cure — whose 66-year-old frontman Robert Smith is known for his progressive strategy to music in addition to on-stage stamina — has remodeled itself all through its prolific decades-spanning existence.
When The Cure shaped in 1976, Bamonte was initially a part of its roadcrew from 1984 earlier than having fun with two stints as a musical member, taking part in guitar, six string bass and keyboard.
The first, from 1990, spanned 14 years; the second stint was from 2022 onwards.
In its assertion, The Cure famous he had helped create quite a few albums, together with “Wish” (1992), “Wild Mood Swings” (1996), “Bloodflowers” (2000), “Acoustic Hits” (2001), and “The Cure” (2004).
He carried out in additional than 400 reveals throughout his first 14-year interval within the band, after which performed one other 90 after rejoining three years in the past, it added.
Those later gigs have been “some of the best in the band’s history”, the assertion mentioned.
Led by Smith’s plaintive, wailing voice and wealthy guitar textures, The Cure helped form Goth rock with albums together with 1982’s “Pornography”, which was filled with suicidal imagery.
The band later had hits with a lot cheerier materials, together with “Friday I’m in Love”.
It had saved up touring however earlier than final yr’s launch of “Songs of a Lost World” had not launched a brand new studio album since 2008’s “4:13 Dream”.
The band’s former drummer, Lol Tolhurst, mentioned in a tribute posted on Instagram that he was “so sad” to study of Bamonte’s demise, including that he and his spouse “send our condolences to all that knew him”.
“Farewell Teddy,” he added.
Bamonte was additionally the bass participant in supergroup Love Amongst Ruin, which has launched two studio albums.
© 2025 AFP