British musician Perry Bamonte, a key member of The Cure for more than a decade, died at the age of 65, the band itself announced in a statement published on its official website. According to the message, Bamonte died after a brief illness at his home during the Christmas celebrations.
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the passing of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte,” said The Cure, who also expressed their condolences to the musician’s family and highlighted the profound mark he left both personally and artistically.
From London to the British music circuit
Born in London in 1960, Perry Bamonte began his musical career at an early age.
At the age of 19 he started as a bass player and joined, along with drummer Paul Langwith, The Plan project, a guitar duo featuring Robert Marlow and Vince Clarke, who would later become a key figure in electronic music with Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure.
This early stage allowed Bamonte to develop a solid musical foundation and instrumental versatility that would mark the rest of his career.
His link with Robert Smith and the road to The Cure
Before officially joining The Cure, Bamonte worked as personal assistant and guitar technician to Robert Smith, the band’s leader and vocalist, during the 1984 tour.
That role brought him closer to the creative core of the group and allowed him to collaborate constantly between 1984 and 1989, even before he became a formal member.
In 1990, Bamonte fully joined The Cure, initiating a key stage for the group’s sound and evolution.
An essential member for 14 years
Described by the band as “calm, intense, intuitive, steady and hugely creative,” Perry Bamonte was a multi-instrumentalist who contributed guitar, six-string bass and keyboards.
He participated in fundamental albums such as Wish, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, Acoustic Hits and The Cure, contributing to the atmospheric and emotional sound that characterizes the group.
During his time with The Cure, Bamonte performed more than 400 concerts around the world, establishing himself as a key player in the touring and live performance of the band’s repertoire.
The closing of a stage with The Cure
In 2005, Bamonte left The Cure to pursue personal interests such as illustration and fly fishing.
However, his bond with the band was never completely severed.
He returned in 2019, on the occasion of The Cure’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and returned again in 2022 for the Shows of a Lost World tour.
For Hispanic fans of The Cure in the United States, the figure of Perry Bamonte represents an important stage of the group, associated with albums, tours and songs that marked generations.
His musical and human contribution was recognized by the band itself, which closed its statement with a clear message: “We will miss him very much”.
With his passing, The Cure loses an essential contributor to its recent history, and alternative music bids farewell to an artist whose sensitivity and consistency left a lasting impression.
