Legendary Rock Band's Guitarist Dies at 65

Perry Bamonte, who was the guitarist and keyboardist for the legendary rock band The Cure, has died at age 65.

The band confirmed his death in a statement that was dated December 26, 2025, giving his name as Perry Archangelo Bamonte. "It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte," the band wrote on its website. Although classified as a rock band, The Cure crosses multiple musical genres.

"Fusing melody and melancholy, intensity and heartbreak, the Cure helped shape several musical genres, from goth to alternative, grunge to modern pop," the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame website says. "Mastermind Robert Smith pioneered a unique frontman persona, a combination of brooding honesty and theatricality, gender-fluid and brazenly genuine. While remaining ever enigmatic as they rose from obscurity to global fame, the Cure provided irresistible, wildly popular, timeless tunes for generations."

Perry Bamonte's Cause of Death Was Given Only as a 'Short Illness'

What was Bamonte's cause of death? How did he die? The band said only that Bamonte died "after a short illness at home over Christmas."

The band's statement gave tribute to the guitarist, calling him "quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative."

"Teddy was a warm-hearted and vital part of The Cure story," the statement says. "Looking After the band from 1984 through 1989, he became a full-time member of The Cure in 1990, playing guitar, six-string bass, and keyboard on the Wish, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, Acoustic Hits, and The Cure albums, as well as performing more than 400 shows over 14 years," the band's statement continued.

"He rejoined The Cure in 2022, playing another 90 shows, some of the best in the band's history, culminating with The Show of a Lost World concert in London 1st November 2024," it adds. "Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family. He will be very greatly missed."

Fans also offered tribute. "His influence on the sonic landscape of alternative music was profound, and his unique presence during those era-defining years will be deeply missed," wrote a page on X. "Sad to hear this, the cure's sound won't be the same without him," wrote another.

Perry Bamonte Posted a Drawing Showing Music Legends in Heaven Together

Bamonte hadn't updated his public Facebook page for years. However, one of his last publicly visible Facebook posts was a share of a painting showing dead music artists, like Elvis Presley, together in heaven. "The Great Gig In The Sky," he wrote. His most recent visible post was for a guitar auction.

According to The New York Post, the band "now consists of founder Robert Smith and longtime members Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper."

Bamonte was born in London. He first "entered The Cure’s orbit in 1984 through his younger brother, who was working as the band’s tour manager at the time," The Post reported.

According to The Post, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with The Cure and also played with the band "Love Amongst Ruin alongside Placebo’s Steve Hewitt and Julian Cope’s Donald Skinner."

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