Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for the Cure, has died. According to a statement the band shared on their website, Bamonte passed away from a short illness over Christmas at his home. He was 65.
Perry Archangelo Bamonte was born in London, England on September 3, 1960. As a result of his younger brother Daryl being the band's tour manager, he became part of Cure's road crew in 1984. Later, Bamonte became the guitar technician and personal assistant for Robert Smith.
In 1990, after keyboardist Roger O'Donnell left the band, Bamonte became a full-time member of the Cure. He played guitar, six-string bass, and keyboard. In 1993 he switched to lead guitar after the departure of Porl Thompson. He played on 1992's Wish, 1993's Paris and Show, 1996's Wild Mood Swings, 1997's Galore, 2000's Bloodflowers, 2001's Greatest Hits, and 2004's The Cure. Smith dismissed Bamonte from the band in 2005.
In 2012, Bamonte joined supergroup Love Amongst Ruin with ex-Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt and Donald Ross Skinner. Bamonte was featured on 2015's Lose Your Way. Ten years later, Bamonte reunited with the Cure.
He was not on 2024's Songs Of A Lost World since the band had finished recording before he rejoined. But he did tour with the Cure for Shows Of A Lost World tour, with their most recent show at London's Troxy in November 2024. He can be seen in the band’s concert film The Show Of A Lost World that was released just last week.
The band's full statement reads:
It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte who passed away after a short illness at home over Christmas.
Quiet, intense, 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 time member of the cure in 1990, playing guitar, six string bass and keyboard on the Wish, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, Acoustic hits and the Cure 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 1st November 2024.
Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family. He will be very greatly missed.
Watch some of Bamonte's performances below.
