R.I.P. Paul Ryder

The bass player Paul Ryder from the band Happy Mondays is dead, and is the brother of Shaun Ryder the singer in the band. In a statement, the family said they were «very sad and shocked to announce that Paul Ryder has passed away this morning».

Ryder was an active member of the band through most of its history, from its inception in 1983 through to his death, and was often credited for giving the band their trademark groove upon which some of their biggest hits were built. It was during Paul Ryder tenure with the band that it had its biggest successes with albums such as Pills ‘n’ Thrills And Bellyaches which sold more than 350,000 copies in the UK alone.

Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark Bez Berry later joined the band onstage as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta joined as a second vocalist in 1990.

 The group’s work bridged the Manchester independent rock music of the 1980s and the emerging UK rave scene, drawing influence from funk, house, and psychedelia to pioneer the Madchester sound.They experienced their commercial peak with the releases.