Johnny Marr reveals how a call from Noel Gallagher about Mani’s death inspired tracks on his latest album

Johnny Marr has recalled how he learned from Noel Gallagher that Gary “Mani” Mounfield had passed away, and explained how that news helped shape some of the lyrics on his new album ‘The Age of Everything’.

Mani first rose to prominence as the bassist for the Stone Roses, joining the band in 1987 and appearing on both of their landmark albums before the group split in 1996. He later played with Primal Scream until 2011, when the Stone Roses reunited. He died on November 20 at age 63 after respiratory complications tied to long‑standing emphysema.

The announcement of his death prompted an outpouring of tributes across social media from fans and fellow musicians, including Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, New Order, Courteneers’ Liam Fray, Elbow, Richard Ashcroft, Tim Burgess and Peter Hook.

Johnny Marr has now revealed that he received the news via a phone call from fellow Manchester music legend Noel Gallagher, who reached out while Marr was working on his new solo album, ‘The Age of Everything’.

Speaking to Radio X, Marr said he was tracking the second song on the album, ‘Beyond The Rain’, when the call came in.

“It was around 11 a.m. We had our headphones on and were ready to tackle ‘Beyond the Rain’,” he said. “My phone rang and I could see it was Noel.” He added that he normally wouldn’t answer, but Noel’s call was unusual because Gallagher usually texts.

“I picked up, the rest of the band were standing by, and Noel told me that Mani had died,” Marr continued. “Everyone was shocked and upset. Of course, I and my bandmates had known Mani for many years.”

He explained that the group briefly considered stopping the session, but ultimately decided to keep recording and tweak a few lyrics.

“I could almost hear Mani saying, ‘Come on, Mr. Marr, keep rocking,’” Marr recalled. “Even though we were stunned, we pushed through the track.” When he returned the next day to lay down vocals, he adjusted a couple of lines.

“There was a lyric about the sun coming out that I changed to, ‘I shine like a northern son, back to where I once belonged,’ and a few other tweaks gave the song a more poignant feel,” he said. “I didn’t write the song directly about Mani, but his presence was on our minds while we sang it.”

The former Smiths guitarist released his fifth solo album on October 2 via BMG, following 2022’s ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1–4’, the 2023 ‘best‑of’ compilation, and the 2025 live record ‘Look Out Live!’

He has also contributed to Gorillaz’ latest album ‘The Mountain’, appeared with the band in London in June, worked on the star‑studded ‘Help(2)’ charity album for War Child, and joined Pet Shop Boys on stage in London in early April to perform deep cuts and rarities.

At the end of last month, Marr spoke to NME about his new solo record, his affection for The Cure and Fontaines D.C., his outlook for the future, and why Manchester mayor Andy Burnham isn’t barred from listening to The Smiths.

“When I’m asked about the album title, many assume it refers to overwhelm, overuse and overstimulation,” he told the publication. “That is certainly part of it, but because I’ve lived with those feelings and I’m naturally optimistic, I view it differently.”

“If you were explaining ‘The Age Of Everything’ to a five‑year‑old, you’d describe it in a completely different way. If you start looking at it through the lens of Buddhism or new‑age spirituality, the phrase takes on another meaning entirely.”

Check out the full interview here, and watch the NME video of Marr blind‑ranking songs from his discography above.

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