John Squire

John Squire
Man Alive! · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	John Squire
Birth date	1962
Birth place	Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England
Occupation	Musician, painter, songwriter
Years active	1982–present
Associated acts	The Stone Roses, The Seahorses, John Squire Band

John Squire John Squire is an English guitarist, songwriter, and visual artist best known for co-founding The Stone Roses and for his subsequent roles in The Seahorses and as a solo musician and painter. He achieved prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s during a period that included interactions with scenes around Madchester, Factory Records, New Order, and the Manchester music milieu. Squire's career spans recording, touring, and gallery exhibitions, intersecting with figures and institutions across British music and contemporary art.

Early life and education

Squire was born in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, and raised within the cultural orbit of Manchester and its suburbs, areas that also shaped artists such as Ian Brown, Morrissey, Joy Division, and The Smiths. He attended local schools before studying at art institutions influenced by British art education models such as Goldsmiths, University of London and Central Saint Martins, though his formative art training was rooted in regional colleges that connected him to the visual traditions of Pop Art and the legacy of artists like David Hockney and Peter Blake. During his teenage years Squire was exposed to recordings and live performances by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, alongside punk and post-punk acts including Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Joy Division, which informed both his musical and visual sensibilities.

Musical career

Squire co-founded The Stone Roses with contemporaries from the Manchester scene including Ian Brown, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, and Reni (real name Alan Wren). The band's self-titled debut album featured guitar work and songwriting that aligned them with movements such as Madchester and the flowering of alternative rock alongside peers like Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, and Primal Scream. The Stone Roses' singles, including iconic tracks which circulated alongside releases by New Order, Oasis, and Blur, contributed to a renewed interest in British guitar bands during the late 1980s and early 1990s, interacting with festivals and venues associated with Glastonbury Festival, Reading Festival, and the Hacienda.

After tensions within The Stone Roses, Squire fronted The Seahorses, recruiting musicians influenced by acts such as The Smiths, Teenage Fanclub, and The La's; the Seahorses released a notable single and an album during the mid-1990s that engaged with the broader Britpop era alongside bands like Oasis, Pulp, and Suede. Squire later resumed solo work, releasing material and touring with musicians from circles connected to Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, and other figures from the UK rock tradition. Throughout his musical career Squire collaborated with producers, labels, and festivals, intersecting with entities such as Geffen Records, Silvertone Records, and promoters active in venues across London, Manchester, and international circuits that included New York City and Los Angeles.

Artwork and visual art

Parallel to his music, Squire developed a visual art practice informed by the histories of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and British modernism. His paintings and lithographs reference and echo the work of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, and British contemporaries like Peter Blake. Squire produced many album covers and posters employing techniques such as splatter painting and collage; these designs became part of the visual identity associated with The Stone Roses and were exhibited in galleries and commercial spaces alongside works by musicians-turned-artists including John Lennon and David Bowie.

Exhibitions of Squire's work have appeared in institutions and commercial galleries that operate within the UK and internationally, bringing him into curatorial networks linked with galleries in London, Manchester, New York City, and Los Angeles. His art has been reviewed in publications and contexts concerned with contemporary painting and music-related art, drawing comparisons with multidisciplinary figures like Jamie Reid and aligning with music-art crossovers seen in initiatives by Factory Records and other label-affiliated visual programs.

Personal life

Squire's personal life has included relationships and family ties that have been reported in British cultural media alongside coverage of peers such as Ian Brown and Robbie Williams. He has split his time between residences in England and creative periods abroad, often in locales favored by UK artists for retreats and studios, such as parts of Spain and Los Angeles. Squire has maintained friendships and professional contacts across the UK music and art scenes, intersecting with musicians, visual artists, producers, and promoters like Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Mark E. Smith, Richard Jobson, and curators involved with contemporary art fairs and galleries.

Legacy and influence

Squire's dual legacy as a guitarist and painter places him among British artists who bridged popular music and fine art, influencing later musicians and visual artists including members of Britpop bands like Oasis and Blur, and inspiring art practices among musicians such as Thom Yorke and Graham Coxon. The Stone Roses are frequently cited in histories of British rock alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Smiths, and The Clash for their impact on UK music culture, festival circuits, and the revival of guitar-based bands. Squire's visual motifs and album artwork have become part of the iconography surrounding the Madchester era, referenced in retrospectives, documentaries, and museum displays that situate his work within broader narratives alongside figures from British pop culture, contemporary art, and the international music industry such as Brian Eno, Robert Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, and institutions like Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Category:1962 births Category:English guitarists Category:English painters