John Squire

For other people with the same name, see John Squire (disambiguation).

John Squire
Onstage Manchester, England 2011
Onstage Manchester, England 2011
Background information
Birth nameJonathan Thomas Squire
Born (1962-11-24) 24 November 1962 (age 61)
Altrincham, Cheshire, England
GenresAlternative rock, Madchester, psychedelic rock, blues rock
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1980–2007, 2011–2017, 2022–present
LabelsSilvertone, Geffen
Formerly of
Websitejohnsquire.com

Jonathan Thomas "John" Squire (born 24 November 1962)[1] is an English musician, songwriter and painter. He was the guitarist for the Stone Roses, a rock band in which he formed a songwriting partnership with lead singer Ian Brown. After leaving the Stone Roses he went on to found The Seahorses and has since released two solo albums. In 2007, Squire gave up music to fully commit to painting.[2] However, he later returned to music when the Stone Roses reformed in 2011. When the Stone Roses disbanded for a second time in 2017, Squire once again retired from music industry and returned to painting. However, he continued to play guitar occasionally, including making guest appearances for two shows with Liam Gallagher at Knebworth in 2022. In late 2023 he started working with Liam Gallagher on a collaborative studio album which released in 2024.

Squire has been described as one of the most accomplished and influential British rock guitarists of the late 1980s and early 1990s,[3] known for his chiming melodies, spiraling riffs and live solos. He was voted the 13th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years in a national poll by BBC 6 Music in 2010.[4]

  1. ^ Larkin, Colin (ed.) (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0231-3
  2. ^ "Roses legend gives up music". Manchester Evening News. 5 July 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  3. ^ Warshaw, Aaron. "John Squire biography". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  4. ^ "6Music - The Axe Factor". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 3 March 2015.