BREAKING Paul Ryder dead: Happy Mondays bassist and Shaun’s brother passes away suddenly aged 58 – hours before he was due to play show
- The musician was found dead today just hours before the band were due to play at Kubix Festival in Sunderland on Friday
- The circumstances of Paul’s death are not known
- Shaun, 59, and Paul were the original founders of The Happy Mondays
Shaun Ryder’s brother and Happy Mondays bassist Paul has died suddenly aged 58.
The musician was found dead today just hours before the band were due to play at Kubix Festival in Sunderland on Friday.
The circumstances of Paul’s death are not known.
Shaun, 59, and Paul were the original founders of The Happy Mondays.
MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for more information.
Paul Ryder dead: Happy Mondays star and Shaun’s brother has passed away suddenly aged 58 – hours before he was due to play show (stock image)
The band paid tribute with a Facebook post which read: ‘The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning.
‘A true pioneer and legend. He will be forever missed.
‘We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.’
Following the news of Paul’s death, fans and showbiz stars rushed to offer their condolences on social media.
The band Fat Cops wrote on Twitter: RIP Paul Ryder, who was a good friend to us when we toured with Happy Mondays. Hell of a bass player.’
Founding member of Oasis Paul Arthurs shared: ‘Thoughts with you all Shaun, sad news xxxxx.’
Sad loss: The band paid tribute with a Facebook post on Friday
While musician Rob Smith shared: RIP Paul Ryder.’
Paul has previously been very open about his addiction battles in the early days of the band and used heroin.
In 2014, Paul told MailOnline how he treated his now 16-year-old son’s cancer with cannabis.
He had said that as a recovering addict he would never have encouraged Chico to take drugs.
But when faced with his son’s diagnosis – a rare form of soft tissue cancer – the musician said he and his wife took the decision to use cannabis oil.
Chico fell ill in November 2012, complaining of a sore throat.
But just weeks after that Christmas his family received the devastating diagnosis – he was suffering the cancer rhabdomyosarcoma.
Founding members: Paul, (left), pictured with brother Shaun Ryder while performing with The Happy Mondays in July 2012
Doctors in Los Angeles where the family lived prescribed a synthetic form of cannabis to ease the side effects of the chemotherapy such as nausea and vomiting.
But Chico’s parents took the treatment one step further, giving their then 11-year-old son cannabis oil, through his stomach tube – with the full support of his medical team.
Paul, originally from Salford, told MailOnline: ‘I found myself coaching him on how to inhale cannabis vapour from a vapourising machine.
RIP: The circumstances of Paul’s death are not known
‘It was surreal – but it worked brilliantly, and gave him instant relief.
‘My drug problems have been well documented. I nearly lost my life. But now they are being used instead to help Chico.’
Chico’s illness came as a huge shock to his parents and older brother Sonny, who was aged 12 at the time.
His mother Angela, 50, said: ‘Before he became ill, he was a normal, energetic little boy. He loved skate-boarding, dirt-biking and football.
Hero: Paul previously revealed he treated his son Chico’s cancer with cannabis oil back in 2012
Poorly: Chico fell ill with a sore throat in November 2012. Just weeks later, he was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma
‘Everything was going well until we were hit with an almighty bombshell.’
A sore throat didn’t clear up and a swelling appeared on the side of Chico’s neck. Initial tests for lymphoma were clear – and the family breathed a sigh of relief.
But five days before Christmas 2012, he became very ill.
With Paul away on tour with the newly reformed band, Angela kept him updated with texts.
And one night, as he was about to take to the stage in London, his phone bleeped with news which was to change his life.
Trying anything: Chico’s father, Paul Ryder, pictured far right with his bandmates, including Chico’s uncle Shaun Ryder, third left, said he and his wife Angela decided to take their son’s treatment a step further, giving him doses of cannabis oil through a stomach tube, with the full support of his medical team
‘They are admitting him into hospital for more tests. 50-50 chance it’s cancer,’ the message read.
Paul said: ‘I was in a daze throughout the gig, I can’t remember playing at all.
‘It was so surreal to know that the rest of the world was oblivious, enjoying the festivities, tucking into turkey and having happy family times, while we were stuck in a hospital, dealing with our worst nightmare.’
Three days after Christmas, Chico was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma.
Paul told MailOnline: ‘I walked in there, to his hospital room and I just lost it, he looked so sick and frail. I went straight into the bathroom and threw up.’
It was the start of a battle which would see Chico cheat death more than once – while his father and uncle, Happy Mondays front man Shaun, hid their secret heartache from fans.
His wife said: ‘Shaun was shell-shocked; he sent text messages to Paul saying he couldn’t believe it and how he wished we weren’t so far away.
‘Like most people, he just didn’t know what to say.’
In January 2020, it was revealed that Chico, now 16, had been in remission for over two and a half years.
According to Herb, the teen still takes cannabis oil daily as well as ‘nine other supplements.’ He also grows his own cannabis.
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