"He was a megastar... but was just a Manc lad who loved music and having a laugh"

Fans have also been paying emotional tributes and pictures following the news that bassist Gary Mani Mounfield had passed away.

Tributes and memories from across the music world and with fans alike have been flooding social media since the news broke on November 20.

Former journalist and communications director Stuart Greer shared an image of him beside Mani and described him as 'grounded and approachable', saying he was a 'megastar' but 'a Manc lad with no ego'.

"The brilliant thing about Mani was how grounded and approachable he was. The Roses are one of the most influential bands of all time and he was a megastar. But there was no ego, just a Manc lad who loved music and having a laugh," he said.

"I was a huge Stone Roses fan and met him three times in my life. The first time was in 2001 when he was DJing at our union in Liverpool. He ended up in our student flat having a few beers. I was pretty starstruck, knowing who I had standing there in my kitchen, but he was so down-to-earth.

"Years later, after becoming a journalist for the Manchester Evening News, I met him again at an event. All the celebs were there, but Mani was happy chatting to everyone who took an interest. Then a few years after that, my third and final time, I saw him at a festival in Macclesfield. I grabbed him for a photo. Again, he was just happy-go-lucky.

"I feel honoured that I got to spend a tiny fraction of time with him on a few occasions. And I make no apologies for praising him as a legend and letting him know how much the Roses and his part in the legacy meant to me. Rest in peace Mani, thanks for everything."

MEN reporter Chris Gee saw the Stone Roses around a dozen times in their early days playing the clubs of Manchester and was later Spike Island and one of the Heaton Park comeback shows.

He said: "Mani was a supremely talented musician and was integral to the Roses rhythm section with Reni, the two just grooved together. But he had the everyman touch and had time for anyone. During the height of the Roses' early fame he was often out and about in the city.

"You'd see him frequently at gigs or at football. He was completely unaffected by the band's success and was just a normal lad out enjoying himself, cheeky and full of laughs.

"He had the ability to make you feel immediately comfortable in his presence and never took anything too seriously.
You just got the impression he was so proud of being in a successful band.

"He had the quality, a lot like Ricky Hatton of being a humble, down-to-earth man who was approachable and full of joy."