Paul Ryder, bass player and founding member of The Happy Mondays, has died aged 58. Photo: PA
Paul Ryder, bass player and founding member of The Happy Mondays, has died aged 58. Photo: PA
Paul Ryder, bass player and founding member of The Happy Mondays, has died aged 58. Photo: PA
Paul Ryder, bass player and founding member of The Happy Mondays, has died aged 58. Photo: PA

Happy Mondays pay tribute to 'pioneer and legend' Paul Ryder after sudden death aged 58


Selina Denman
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Paul Ryder, bass player and founding member of English band The Happy Mondays, has died at the age of 58.

Manchester-born Ryder founded the group in 1980 with his frontman brother Shaun and was credited with shaping the band’s signature funk sound.

“The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning,” the group wrote on their official Facebook page on Friday.

“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.”

No cause of death has been made public. The band were scheduled to perform at Kubix Festival in Sunderland on Friday but cancelled following Ryder’s death.

In a statement on Facebook, festival organisers said: “Following the tragic news of Paul Ryder passing away this morning, The Happy Mondays will no longer be playing tonight’s show and our thoughts remain with the band and Paul’s family at this difficult time.”

Ryder was born in Salford in 1964 and was a self-taught guitarist. The band’s original line-up also included drummer Gary Whelan and guitarist Mark Day, who were later joined by dancer Bez.

The band found fame in the late 1980s, while experimenting with their trademark brand of psychedelic pop, and peaked in the 1990s with their second album Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, which featured the chart-topping singles Step On and Kinky Afro. The band performed in Dubai in 2013.

Left to right, Mark Day, Paul Ryder and Shaun Ryder of The Happy Mondays with the Inspiration Award during the 61st Annual Ivor Novello Music Awards. Photo: PA
Left to right, Mark Day, Paul Ryder and Shaun Ryder of The Happy Mondays with the Inspiration Award during the 61st Annual Ivor Novello Music Awards. Photo: PA

Ryder remained an active member as the Happy Mondays broke up and reformed multiple times over the past 40 years. He also acted in several films, including The Ghosts of Oxford Street and Losing It, and made a cameo as a gangster in the film 24 Hour Party People.

British musicians have been paying tribute to Ryder, with Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown tweeting: “Rest in peace Ryder. A great friend, a great musician, a great fella.”

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British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

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Updated: July 16, 2022, 6:52 AM`