John Squire
The guitarist whose shimmering, melodic riffs provided the sonic architecture for The Stone Roses' era-defining Madchester sound.
Born 1962 (age 64)·English musician and painter·Birthday: November 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Emerging from the post-punk gloom of 1980s Manchester, John Squire fused the rhythmic drive of funk with the expansive jangle of 1960s psychedelia to create something entirely new. As the guitarist and primary musical architect of The Stone Roses, his playing was never mere accompaniment; it was the narrative. Songs like 'I Am the Resurrection' and 'Waterfall' were built on his intricate, spiraling guitar lines, which felt both mathematically precise and ecstatically loose. The 1989 self-titled debut album, a product of his tight songwriting partnership with Ian Brown, didn't just capture a moment—it catalyzed a cultural shift, blending dance music energy with rock attitude. After the band's dissolution, Squire pursued painting with the same intense focus, holding successful exhibitions. His later musical projects, including The Seahorses and solo work, never recaptured that initial lightning, cementing his legacy as the man who, for one perfect album, made a guitar sound like the future.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
John was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and played guitar on The Stone Roses' self-titled 1989 debut, a landmark album that defined the Madchester scene.
- Composed the band's iconic guitar anthems, including 'I Am the Resurrection,' 'She Bangs the Drums,' and 'Fools Gold.'
- Maintained a successful second career as a painter, with his abstract expressionist works exhibited in London galleries.
- Reunited with The Stone Roses in 2011 for a series of massively successful stadium tours.
Did You Know?
The famous lemon on the cover of The Stone Roses' debut album is based on a picture he painted.
He is left-handed but plays a right-handed guitar strung upside down, similar to Jimi Hendrix.
He turned down an invitation to audition for The Smiths before forming The Stone Roses.
“I wanted to be an artist, or a guitarist in a band. I never wanted to be a pop star.”
