JAKARTA - The world's rock music is again saddened by deep grief. Perry Bamonte, a figure widely known as a guitarist and keyboard player of the legendary British band The Cure, breathed his last at the age of 65, on December 24.
The departure of the musician, who is often called 'Teddy', occurred after he fought against the disease at his residence, right on Christmas.
This sad news was confirmed directly by the band through a statement on their official website. The Cure gave a touching final tribute to a figure who is considered to have made a vital contribution to the band's long journey during his membership.
"Calm, intense, intuitive, constant, and very creative, 'Teddy' is a warm and very important part of The Cure's history," The Cure wrote in an official statement.
The band said Bamonte had been with the band from 1984 to 1989, becoming a full member of The Cure in 1990, playing guitar, six-string bass, and keyboards on "The Wish", "Wild Mood Swings", "Bloodflowers", acoustic hits, and The Cure albums, and performing in more than 400 shows over 14 years.
"He rejoined The Cure in 2022, playing 90 more shows, some of the best in the band's history, culminating with the 'The Show of a Lost World' concert in London on November 1, 2024. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his entire family. He will be greatly missed," read the band's official statement.
Born in London in 1960, Bamonte is actually not a new person in The Cure's environment, before he finally stepped on stage as a permanent member. He started his steps as part of the field crew in 1984 through his brother, Daryl Bamonte, who was then serving as a tour manager.
His talent and dedication led Bamonte to become a personal assistant and guitar technician for lead vocalist Robert Smith, until he was officially appointed as a member in 1990, replacing Roger O'Donnell's position.
During his heyday with the band, Bamonte was involved in the creation of several crucial albums, including The Cure's most commercially successful album, "Wish" which was released in 1992. In the album, the six-string bass drum and the piano harmony can be heard clearly on hit songs such as "Friday, I'm in Love", "A Letter to Elise", and "High".
His contributions continued until the album "Bloodflowers" in 2000, before he left the group in 2005 when Robert Smith changed the band's format to a trio.
After briefly joining Love Amongst Ruin in 2012, Bamonte was seen again with his old colleagues when The Cure was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
The formal reunion only took place in 2022 for the global tour titled "Shows of a Lost World". His last monumental performance was recorded at the Troxy club, London, in November 2024.
Traces of Bamonte's expertise in playing musical instruments on stage can now be witnessed by fans through the concert documentary "Shows of a Lost World" which is currently showing in cinemas.
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