NME has reported that Paul Ryder, bassist of the legendary English rock band Happy Mondays, has sadly passed away at the age of 58. The band took to social media to announce the tragic news to fans.

Happy Mondays’ Twitter post on the situation explained that “The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning,” going on to describe the artist as “A true pioneer and legend. He will be forever missed.”

The post emphasizes the importance of respecting the “privacy of all concerned at this time.” The band has not yet released any details about the cause of Ryder’s death. See the full statement via Twitter below.

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

Long live his funk x pic.twitter.com/e2LdSaQD6u

— Happy Mondays (@Happy_Mondays) July 15, 2022

Paul Ryder was a founding member of the classic English rock band, originally created in 1980. Paul’s brother, Shaun, was the frontman and vocalist of the group, with the original lineup consisting of the Ryder brother as well as Mark Day on Guitar, Gary Whelan on drums, and Mark Berry serving as the band’s dancer and percussionist. The band was prone to bouts of inactivity and resurgence, but Paul played with Happy Mondays for the majority of its career, with the exception of its 2004-2010 period. It is not yet known how the band will proceed in the musician’s absence.