Ian McCulloch of Echo and The Bunnymen sings at Paul Ryder’s funeral on Happy Mondays.
Ryder, who was bassist for the Happy Mondays and brother of frontman Shaun, died last month aged 58.
Posting the news on social media, the band wrote: “The Ryder family and members of the band Happy Mondays are extremely saddened to say that Paul Ryder has passed away this morning. A true pioneer and legend. He will be missed.” at least forever.”
Alan McGee, who attended the service, described it as a “wonderful farewell” and recalled how he spoke at the start of the funeral, which took place in Manchester yesterday (August 4). McGee added that both McCulloch and Rowetta sang at the funeral as a tribute.
“Farewell to my friend Paul Ryder from @happymondaysofficial today in Mancunia.. ian brown/bez and I share our memories of Horse..” McGee wrote. Rowetta and Ian [McCulloch] both sang… glad I spoke up first, because the service got heavier.. at one point I looked up [y] every member of the band was crying.. we love you Paul Ryder.”
Rowetta posted her own tribute to Ryder on social media, writing “We love you so much.”
Other mourners at the funeral included Stone Roses’ Ian Brown, fellow Happy Mondays member Bez, and Peter Hook, former New Order bassist and now a solo artist.
Ryder formed the band with his brother Shaun in 1980, playing until their initial break-up in 1993. Although he did not join the band’s 2004 reunion, he joined Happy Mondays for a new set of reunion dates in 2012 ., which continued for the next ten years to the present day.
Tributes to Ryder from the Manchester music scene and elsewhere on the Internet poured in at the time of his death. Brown wrote: “Rest IN PEACE PAUL RYDER GREAT FRIEND MUSICIAN SHOE FELLA GRÉ ORT TO AMELIA JACOB SONNY CHICO AND THE FAMILY AND THE BAND I LOVE YOU FOR A LONG TIME X.”
Haçienda DJ Dave Haslam said: “We are very sorry to hear of the death of Paul Ryder, he was a great contributor to Happy Mondays and was good company and a great man, RIP.”
Last month, the Happy Mondays also released a new EP, ‘Tart Tart’, in tribute to Paul.
Shaun of the EP said: “This special edition of ‘Tart Tart’ showcases the unique musical talents of our brother Paul Ryder, who has passed away… Horse will be missed by all.
“Funk and rock n roll brought to Happy Monday … I’ve loved you R kid for a long time.”
You can listen to the EP above on Spotify, or listen to it via other streaming platforms here.
Additionally, fans can pre-order a special seven-inch vinyl edition of “Tart Tart” from the official Happy Mondays store. The physical version will arrive on November 18th.
All proceeds from the release will be donated to MusiCares, a charity chosen by Paul’s daughter, Amelia, who explained, “MusiCares is a charity that helps people in the music industry who are struggling with addiction.
“Fourteen years ago, Paul received help and support from the organization that helped him fund extended outpatient care and therapy that allowed him to have the next 14 happy and productive years.”
He added: “Two weeks ago he mentioned them in an interview and often expressed his gratitude and desire to return their support so that others could be helped too.”
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