Paul Ryder, Happy Mondays Member, Dies Just Hours Before Concert
Paul Ryder, a founding member of the U.K. band Happy Mondays, died suddenly on July 15. The group was scheduled to play at the Kubix Festival in Sunderland, England that night, but the performance was canceled. Ryder's older brother, Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder, shared the news on social media. Ryder, who played bass, was 58.
"The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning," the band said. "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."
After the band announced Ryder's death, Kubix Festival organizers offered their condolences. "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," they said.
Happy Mondays was a central part of the Manchester music scene during the 1980s and 1990s. They released their first album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), in 1987. Their second album, 1990's Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, included the hit singles "Step On" and "Kinky Afro." However, the band broke up in 1993, only to reunite in 1999 with the Ryder Brothers, drummer Gary Whelan, and percussionist Mark "Bez" Berry. Founding members keyboardist Paul Davis and guitarist Mark Day didn't return to the group until 2012. The current line-up includes Shaun, Whelan, Berry, singer Rowetta, Day, and keyboardist Dan Broad. They released their most recent studio album, Uncle Dysfunktional, in 2007.
Outside of Happy Monday, Ryder acted in the movies 24 Hour Party People and The Ghosts Of Oxford Street, reports the BBC. He lived in California in recent years. "I moved out to California years ago and got acclimatized within a week... I do miss some of the Manchester vibes, though," he told Music Radar in 2017.
In his 2017 interview, Ryder admitted he couldn't read music. "The grooves I played in the Mondays came from Northern soul and disco," he said. "I can't read music, so I just copied the basslines, but I could never get them spot-on so they turned into my own basslines."
Happy Mondays' fans were heartbroken by Ryder's death. "Too young. He brought musical joy to many & will be missed greatly," one fan wrote. "So sad such a shock, top bloke when I met him, thanks for [the] soundtrack of the 90s & Manchester scene," another commented. "RIP Paul. What a legend, thanks for the music, it changed my life," another fan wrote.