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Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected] By NIOMI HARRIS FOR MAILONLINE Published: 21:51 GMT, 22 March 2025 | Updated: 21:58 GMT, 22 March 2025
Black Grape and Happy Mondays guitarist Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff has died.The guitarist also played with Mancunian band Paris Angels and was also part of Domino Bones.Tributes from fans and entertainers began pouring in for the 90s musician as his death was announced on Saturday. His cause of death has yet to be revealed.Leading the tributes was Paul’s Happy Mondays and Black Grape bandmate Bez, who shared a sweet message for his friend on Instagram.Alongside a throwback snap of Black Grape, Bez, real name Mark Berry penned: ‘Mr Paul Wagstaff (Wags), remembering the good times. RIP my friend.’Presenter Terry Christian wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘R.I.P Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff guitarist with Manchester bands Paris Angels and of course Black Grape and more recently Happy Mondays. Like asking where the music goes when it stops playing – that Manchester vibe Paul was a part of will always be in ‘the area’.’ Black Grape and Happy Mondays guitarist Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff has died Tributes from fans and entertainers began pouring in for the 90s musician as his death was announced on Saturday. His cause of death has yet to be revealedWhile Badly Drawn Boy shared: ‘I’m very saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Wags.. aka Paul Wagstaff. He was always a really lovely bloke, and a truly talented and soulful guitarist. Very sad news.’The Blockheads frontman Mike Bennett also paid tribute to the musician in a heartfelt statement, reports The Mirror.He penned: ‘Legendary Paul Wagstaff also known as Wags was an important part of Paris Angels, Black Grape and Happy Mondays.’I knew him for years and he was not just a musician but a literary scholar, and always had a kind heart and a lightness of touch with the disenfranchised.’Needless to say I dipped in and out of that category and I have to say that his advice, kind heart scholastic words stopped me from making wrong decision and venturing through dark corridors.’Despite his own physical deliberations I found him self deprecating, upbeat and creatively of genius proportions.’Elsewhere, other fans shared their condolences on X, they penned: ‘Very sad news, wrote one of the greatest riffs of the period, a song that still sounds fantastic today.”Perfume is an absolutely banging tune. RIP Wags, you’ll be sorely missed.’ Leading the tributes was Paul’s Happy Mondays and Black Grape bandmate Bez , who shared a sweet message for his friend on Instagram Presenter Terry Christian wrote on X: ‘Like asking where the music goes when it stops playing – that Manchester vibe Paul was a part of will always be in ‘the area” While Badly Drawn Boy shared: ‘I’m very saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Wags.. aka Paul Wagstaff. He was always a really lovely bloke”He would have been lead guitar on Perfume, my fav track of the 90s. Really sad news.’ Paul is survived by long-term partner Tamara Smith, an actress for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff dead: Black Grape and Happy Mondays guitarist dies as tributes pour in
