The Cure guitarist Perry Bamonte dies aged 65

By Casey Cooper-Fiske

The Cure guitarist and keyboard player Perry Bamonte has died aged 65, the band have said.

The veteran British rock band said Bamonte died “after a short illness at home”, in a statement on their website, which they said was posted with “enormous sadness”.

It read: “Quiet, intensive, intuitive, constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm hearted and vital part of The Cure story.

“Looking after the band from 1984 through 1989, he became a full member of The Cure in 1990, playing guitar, six string bass and keyboard on the Wish (1992), Wild Mood Swings (1996), Bloodflowers (2000), Acoustic Hits (2001), and The Cure (2004) albums, as well as performing more than 400 shows over 14 years.

“He rejoined The Cure in 2022, playing another 90 shows, some of the best in the band’s history, culminating with The Show Of A Lost World concert in London, (on) November 1, 2024.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family, he will be very greatly missed.”

Having been part of the band’s road crew from 1984, before being asked to join the band after the departure of keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, Bamonte played on some of the band’s best-known tracks, such as Friday I’m In Love, High and A Letter To Elise.

He also featured on The Cure’s live albums Paris and Show, both released in 1993.

His former bandmate, drummer Lol Tolhurst, said in a tribute posted on Instagram: “So sad to hear about Perry Bamonte passing. Cindy (Tolhurst’s wife) and I send our condolences to all that knew him. Farewell Teddy.”

Bamonte was also the bass player in supergroup Love Amongst Ruin, who have released two studio albums, their self-titled 2010 debut, and Lose Your Way (2015), and also feature former Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt and Julian Cope collaborator Donald Ross Skinner.

He also had a keen interest in fly fishing and built a career as an illustrator, contributing to the magazine Fly Culture.

Formed in 1976 by lead singer Robert Smith and Tolhurst, The Cure have had a regularly changing line-up, and are known for their heavy influence on goth, post-punk and indie music. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.