Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder has disclosed that a severe bout of pneumonia left him unable to attend the funeral of his friend and Stone Roses bassist, Gary 'Mani' Mounfield.
Tour Cut Short by Severe Illness
The musician from Greater Manchester contracted the serious lung infection alongside his Black Grape bandmate, Paul 'Kermit' Leveridge, towards the end of their tour in December. The tour concluded on December 20, with both men falling ill around that time.
Speaking candidly on BBC Breakfast, Ryder described the extreme measures he took to finish the tour commitments. "I had to throw everything I could down me, you know, every sort of painkiller and everything else, just to get through it," he stated, emphasising an "old school" mentality to see the job done.
Collapse Forces Funeral Absence
Ryder's health deteriorated sharply upon his return home. He arrived back the day before Mounfield's funeral, which was held at Manchester Cathedral on December 22, but immediately collapsed. This meant he was forced to miss the service for the iconic bassist, who died in November 2025 aged 63.
"When I got back, I couldn't even go to the funeral. I got back the day before Mani's funeral and collapsed, and so I couldn't even go," Ryder explained to the programme.
Recovery and Looking Ahead
The singer's recovery eventually began after he was prescribed a course of antibiotics, which he likened to a "nuclear bomb" for the infection. He revealed he had only been out of bed for about four days at the time of the interview, having spent much of the Christmas period "rotting in bed" alone, though he valued time with his family.
Ryder appeared on the breakfast show with Happy Mondays dancer Mark 'Bez' Berry, who did attend Mounfield's funeral. The pair were promoting their upcoming tour celebrating 35 years of their seminal album Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches, which begins in March. Bez expressed his eagerness, saying, "I can't wait to get on the road."
According to the NHS, pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs usually caused by an infection and is more common in the colder months. Symptoms can include pain when breathing, dizziness, and coughing up blood.
