Perry Arcangelo Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboardist for the influential gothic band. Treatmentdied. He was 65.
Group announced about his death on their official website on Friday.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte, who passed away after a short illness at home on Christmas Day,” the band wrote.
“Quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and extremely creative, 'Teddy' was a heartfelt and vital part of The Cure's story,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to his entire family. He will be greatly missed.”
Bamonte worked with the band in various capacities from 1984 to 1989, including as a roadie and guitar technician. He officially joined the band in 1990 when keyboardist Roger O'Donnell left. It was then that he became a full-fledged member of the group, playing guitar, six-string bass and keyboards.
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Joining on the heels of the band's mainstream breakthrough, 1989's Disintegration, Bamonte appears on a number of The Cure albums, including 1992's Wish, which included the career-defining hits “Friday I'm in Love” and “High,” as well as 1996's “Wild Mood Swings” and 2000's “Wild Mood Swings.” “Bloodflowers” and the 2004 release of the same name.
Bamonte was fired from The Cure by their lead singer and leader Robert Smith in 2005. At that time, he had performed in more than 400 concerts over 14 years. Bamonte has returned to the band in recent years and will play another 90 shows with the band in 2022.
In 2019, Bamonte was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of The Cure. He joined The Cure on their North American Tour in 2024, when the band reduced ticket prices to $20 after promising to make concerts affordable for fans following complaints about exorbitant fees. Vocalist Robert Smith said at the time that he was “sickened” by the Ticketmaster commission fiasco.
His final performance with the band was on 1 November 2024 in London at a special one-off event to celebrate the release of their latest and first album in 16 years, Songs of a Lost World. The concert was filmed for the movie The Cure: The Lost World Show, released in theaters worldwide this month. It is also available on Blu-ray and DVD.
