The Cure’s guitarist and keyboardist, Perry Bamonte, has died aged 65.
The English rock band confirmed that Bamonte had passed away after “a short illness” over Christmas in a statement posted to their website.
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte, who passed away after a short illness at home over Christmas,” the statement reads.
His bandmates described him as “quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative” as well as “warm-hearted” and “a vital part of the cure story.”
Bamonte was “looking after the band” from 1984 to 1989 before becoming a full-time member of The Cure in 1990.
He played guitar, six-string bass and keyboard on albums The Wish, Wild Mood Swings and Bloodflowers. He also played on the Acoustic Hits and The Cure albums.
The musician performed more than 400 shows over 14 years, according to the statement.
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“He rejoined The Cure in 2022, playing another 90 shows, some of the best in the band’s history,” the statement reads.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family. He will be very greatly missed.”
His final show was The Show of a Lost World on November 1, 2024.
Tributes have started pouring in online, including from a founding member of The Cure, Lol Tolhurst.
“So sad to hear about the passing of Perry Bamonte from The Cure,” he wrote on X.
“Perry joined us all as my keyboard tech initially, then, after working as guitar tech, went on to play in the band.
“A quiet, unassuming man, he will be missed by many. Cindy and I send our love to his family.”
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Long-time fans of the band described him as a “soft and tender soul” adding that he was “kind, generous and helpful.”
The london-born musican first joined The Cure’s team as part of the band’s road crew in 1984, later becoming a guitar technician and assistant for Robert Smith.
Bamonte joined the band as a full-time member in 1990, after Keyboardist Roger O’Donnell left the band.
He was a full-time member of the band until 2005.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 with the rest of the band.
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