Photo Credit: The Cure Facebook Page
Perry Archangelo Bamonte, legendary guitarist and keyboard player for The Cure, passed away on Christmas after a confirmed illness. His death marks the loss of one of alternative rock’s most quietly influential figures, an artist whose presence shaped the sound, texture, and emotional depth of The Cure across multiple eras. Bamonte’s legacy is not only written in chart-topping songs and historic tours, but in the subtle brilliance he brought to a band that defined generations.
Below, we remember moments in music from a musician who helped make alternative rock history.
1. JOINING THE CURE AT ITS CREATIVE PEAK (1990–2005)
Perry Bamonte officially joined The Cure in 1990, 15 years after the band’s original incarnation, just as they entered one of their most successful and visible periods. His arrival coincided with major European festival headlining slots, including the band’s second appearance at Glastonbury.
That same era saw the release of Mixed Up, featuring reimagined versions of classics like “Never Enough,” “Close To Me,” and “A Forest.” In 1991, The Cure finally received long-overdue home recognition with the Brit Award for Best British Group, cementing their cultural impact. Bamonte’s layered guitar work and keyboard textures became integral to the band’s evolving live and studio sound.
2. CONTRIBUTING TO ERA-DEFINING HITS (1992 – 2004)
Bamonte played a key role during the production of Wish (1992), one of The Cure’s most commercially and critically successful albums. This era produced enduring hits such as “Friday I’m in Love,” a song that bridged alternative credibility with global pop success.
His contributions during this period helped expand The Cure’s sonic palette, balancing brightness and melancholy, accessibility and depth, while reinforcing their place at the center of alternative rock’s mainstream breakthrough.
- Wish (1992)
- Wild Mood Swings (1996)
- Bloodflowers (2000)
- The Cure (2004)
3. A TRIUMPHANT RETURN: LOST WORLD TOUR & FINAL RECORDINGS (2022–2024)
After a 17-year absence, Bamonte rejoined The Cure in 2022 for the critically acclaimed Lost World Tour, reconnecting with audiences worldwide. His return was more than nostalgic, it was creatively vital.
He contributed to the band’s latest studio album, Songs of a Lost World, a project that reaffirmed The Cure’s relevance decades into their career. The era also included high-profile remixes by artists such as Chino Moreno and Olivia Rodrigo, underscoring the band’s continued influence across generations.
The journey culminated in Show of a Lost World, performed in London on November 1, 2024, one of the most powerful performances in the band’s history.
LEGACY
From 1990 onward, Bamonte performed on Wish, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, and The Cure studio albums, contributing guitar, six-string bass, and keyboards. Across two tenures, he played more than 490 shows, many remembered as some of the band’s finest.
In 2019, Bamonte and The Cure were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition of a body of work that reshaped alternative music.
Quiet, intense, intuitive, and deeply creative, Perry Bamonte was a warm-hearted and essential part of The Cure’s story. His music lives on, in the songs, the shows, and the generations of artists and fans he inspired.
PERRY ARCHANGELO BAMONTE
1960–2025
He will be very greatly missed but forever remember in music.
