John Squire is an English guitarist, songwriter, and painter best known as the lead guitarist and creative force behind The Stone Roses. Born in 1962 in the Greater Manchester area, Squire helped establish the guitar sound that became closely associated with the Manchester music scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
His career has never followed a conventional rock-star path. After The Stone Roses, he formed The Seahorses, released solo records, stepped away from music for long periods, and developed a serious career as a visual artist. He returned to the musical spotlight in 2024 when he joined forces with former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher for the album Liam Gallagher & John Squire.
The project introduced Squire to a new generation of listeners while reconnecting him with the guitar-driven music that defined his early career. The album reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, giving Squire his first UK chart-topping album under his own name or as part of a collaboration.
Who Is John Squire?
John Squire, whose full name is Jonathan Thomas Squire, was born on November 24, 1962. He grew up around Timperley and Altrincham in Greater Manchester and became friends with Ian Brown during his school years.
That friendship eventually became one of the most important partnerships in British alternative music. Squire and Brown developed an early interest in punk and rock music, and their shared musical ambitions eventually led to the formation of the band that became The Stone Roses.
Squire became the band’s guitarist and a key songwriter. His playing combined melodic guitar lines with psychedelic influences, creating a sound that became central to The Stone Roses’ identity.
He is also an accomplished painter. During periods away from music, Squire concentrated heavily on visual art, exhibiting his work in galleries in Britain and abroad.
Early Life and Education
Squire grew up in the Manchester area and attended Heyes Lane Junior School before moving to Altrincham Grammar School for Boys. His friendship with Ian Brown developed during their school years.
Art was an early interest. Squire was already drawing and creating artwork as a young person, while music gradually became another major creative outlet. He later attended South Trafford College but left as his ambitions in music developed.
Before The Stone Roses became established, Squire also worked as an animator. AllMusic records that he worked with Cosgrove Hall, the British animation studio associated with productions including Dangermouse and The Wind in the Willows.
His background in visual art and animation would remain important throughout his career. Even after becoming famous as a guitarist, he continued to treat painting and design as serious forms of creative expression.
John Squire and The Stone Roses
Squire’s name is inseparable from The Stone Roses, the Manchester band that helped redefine British guitar music at the end of the 1980s.
The group developed from earlier musical projects involving Squire, Brown and other musicians. By the middle of the 1980s, The Stone Roses had taken shape, with Squire providing much of the band’s distinctive guitar work.
Their self-titled debut album, The Stone Roses, arrived in 1989. Its combination of melodic guitar, psychedelic influences, dance-oriented rhythms and Manchester indie culture made it one of the defining records of its era.
Squire’s guitar work became one of the album’s most recognizable elements. His style favored memorable melodic phrases rather than relying solely on conventional hard-rock techniques, helping give the band a sound that stood apart from much of the British rock music of the period.
The Stone Roses followed their debut with Second Coming in 1994. The record presented a heavier and more guitar-focused version of the group, with Squire taking an even more prominent musical role.
The band eventually broke apart, and Squire left in 1996. His departure marked the end of one of the most influential periods of his musical career.
The Seahorses and Solo Career
After leaving The Stone Roses, Squire formed a new band, The Seahorses.
The group released Do It Yourself in 1997. The album became a major UK success, reaching No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and spending 49 weeks on the chart.
The Seahorses also produced songs that became associated with Squire’s post-Stone Roses period, including “Love Is the Law,” “Blinded by the Sun” and “Love Me and Leave Me.”
The band did not last long. The Seahorses broke up toward the end of the 1990s, after which Squire moved increasingly toward solo work and visual art.
His first solo album, Time Changes Everything, arrived in 2002. It reached No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart. His second solo album, Marshall’s House, followed in 2004 and reached No. 90.
Marshall’s House was particularly connected to Squire’s interest in painting. The songs were inspired by the work of American artist Edward Hopper, illustrating how closely his musical and visual interests had become connected.
John Squire’s Art Career
John Squire art has become an important part of his identity, particularly since he stepped away from regular music-making.
His artwork has appeared in exhibitions since the 2000s, with shows including Heat, Light, Death & Industry, Negative Afterimages, Nefertiti, Structural Violence, Celebrity and Disinformation. His official exhibition record also lists shows in London, Brussels, Edinburgh, Bristol, Tokyo, Manchester and other locations.
One of his best-known exhibitions was Disinformation, held at Newport Street Gallery in London in 2019.
For that body of work, Squire experimented with digital imagery before translating selected compositions into large oil paintings. His process involved manipulating photographs and digital images before using them as the foundation for physical paintings.
The exhibition demonstrated that Squire’s interest in art was more than an extension of his musical fame. Painting had become a central part of his creative life.
His work has also appeared on music-related projects. The artwork associated with The Seahorses’ Do It Yourself, for example, was created by Squire. His visual style has consequently remained connected to both sides of his career.
John Squire and Liam Gallagher
One of the most significant developments in Squire’s later career came through his collaboration with Liam Gallagher.
The two musicians had known each other through the British rock scene for years, but their collaboration became a formal recording project in the early 2020s. Their self-titled album, Liam Gallagher & John Squire, was released on March 1, 2024 through Warner Music.
The album contained 10 tracks, including “Just Another Rainbow,” “Mars to Liverpool,” “Raise Your Hands,” “One Day at a Time” and “Mother Nature’s Song.”
The collaboration attracted considerable attention because it brought together two major figures from Manchester’s rock history: Gallagher, best known as the singer of Oasis, and Squire, the guitarist and songwriter associated with The Stone Roses.
The record also marked Squire’s return to a sustained musical project after a long period focused primarily on art.
Liam Gallagher and John Squire Album Success
The collaboration was commercially significant.
Liam Gallagher & John Squire went straight to No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. Official Charts described it as Squire’s first UK No. 1 album and noted that his earlier solo releases had also charted, while The Stone Roses had achieved multiple Top 10 albums.
The project was followed by live performances and a headline tour in 2024. The partnership gave Squire another major chapter in his music career without requiring a full return to the Stone Roses.
It also created an unusual link between two landmark Manchester bands. Gallagher brought the vocal identity associated with Oasis, while Squire supplied the guitar work that had helped define The Stone Roses.
John Squire’s Relationship With Ian Brown
Squire’s professional relationship with Ian Brown remains one of the defining relationships of his career.
The pair became friends as schoolboys and later formed the creative partnership at the heart of The Stone Roses. Their songwriting helped establish the band’s musical identity during its most influential period.
The Stone Roses reunited for a series of performances in the early 2010s. Squire returned to the stage with the band, although he subsequently moved back toward his individual artistic work.
Their history remains central to discussions of Squire because the guitarist’s work with Brown helped establish the musical legacy for which he is best known.
Personal Life and Family
Squire has generally kept his personal life away from the level of publicity associated with many major rock musicians.
He has been married and has six children. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Squire discussed his family and described how some of his children had developed creative interests of their own.
His family life has also intersected with his artistic interests. The same interview described Squire working on music and painting from his home environment while maintaining a relatively private lifestyle.
Unlike many musicians from his generation, Squire has rarely centered his public image around celebrity. His career has instead remained focused on music, painting and individual creative projects.
John Squire’s Physical Appearance
John Squire has maintained a relatively understated public image throughout his career.
During his Stone Roses years, his appearance was closely associated with the band’s distinctive Manchester aesthetic. In later life, photographs and public appearances have generally reflected a quieter artistic persona.
Specific height measurements are not consistently documented by authoritative sources, so an exact figure is best avoided.
John Squire Net Worth
The exact John Squire net worth is not publicly established.
Online estimates sometimes assign specific figures to his wealth, but those numbers are generally difficult to verify because there is no authoritative public financial statement covering his music royalties, publishing income, artwork, property, investments and other assets.
Squire has had several commercially successful periods. The Stone Roses generated substantial record sales and touring income, The Seahorses’ debut became a major UK success, his solo albums charted, and his 2024 collaboration with Liam Gallagher reached No. 1 in the UK.
He has also developed an established art career, with works exhibited and sold through the art market. However, those factors do not provide enough information to state a reliable net-worth figure.
For that reason, any precise online estimate should be treated as an unofficial calculation rather than a confirmed valuation.
John Squire and XRP Price Prediction Searches
A current search trend creates an important identity distinction involving the name John Squire.
Some searches for “XRP price prediction John Squire” refer to a different John Squire who posts about cryptocurrency under the X account @TheCryptoSquire. Recent financial articles have identified that individual as a crypto commentator who has discussed XRP price scenarios.
That person should not be confused with the British guitarist and painter discussed in this article.
The musician John Squire is associated with The Stone Roses, The Seahorses, solo music, painting and the 2024 collaboration with Liam Gallagher. The XRP-related John Squire is a separate online crypto personality.
This distinction is particularly useful for readers who encounter the same name in search results covering both music and cryptocurrency.
Interesting Facts About John Squire
1. He was a school friend of Ian Brown
Squire and Ian Brown knew each other before The Stone Roses existed. Their friendship eventually developed into one of the most recognizable songwriting partnerships in Manchester rock.
2. He worked in animation
Before achieving international recognition through music, Squire worked in animation, including work connected with Cosgrove Hall productions.
3. He became a professional painter
Painting has been a major part of Squire’s creative life. His exhibitions include Disinformation at Newport Street Gallery in London.
4. The Seahorses reached No. 2 in the UK
The Seahorses’ Do It Yourself reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart in 1997 and remained on the chart for 49 weeks.
5. His 2024 collaboration with Liam Gallagher reached No. 1
Liam Gallagher & John Squire became Squire’s first UK chart-topping album.
6. He has released music inspired by visual art
His 2004 album Marshall’s House was closely connected to the paintings of Edward Hopper, reflecting the relationship between Squire’s music and visual-art interests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is John Squire?
John Squire is an English guitarist, songwriter and painter best known for his work with The Stone Roses. He later formed The Seahorses, released solo albums and developed a career as a visual artist.
How old is John Squire?
John Squire was born on November 24, 1962, making him 63 years old as of September 2026.
What band was John Squire in?
Squire was the guitarist and a major songwriter for The Stone Roses. After leaving the band in 1996, he formed The Seahorses.
Did John Squire work with Liam Gallagher?
Yes. Squire and Gallagher released the collaborative album Liam Gallagher & John Squire in 2024. The album reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart.
Is John Squire also an artist?
Yes. Painting has been a major part of his career. He has exhibited his work at galleries including Newport Street Gallery in London.
What is John Squire’s net worth?
There is no reliably confirmed public figure for John Squire’s net worth. Online estimates vary and should not be treated as verified financial information.
Is the John Squire associated with XRP the Stone Roses guitarist?
No. Current XRP-related articles identify a separate John Squire who uses the online name @TheCryptoSquire. The guitarist and painter John Squire is associated with The Stone Roses and Liam Gallagher.
Conclusion
John Squire’s career extends well beyond his reputation as The Stone Roses’ guitarist. His work with the band established him as one of the key guitarists of Manchester’s alternative-rock era, while The Seahorses and his solo albums gave him opportunities to explore different sides of songwriting.
Painting became an equally important part of his creative life, leading to exhibitions and a second career that developed largely away from the spotlight. His return to music alongside Liam Gallagher in 2024 added another significant chapter, with their collaborative album reaching No. 1 in the UK.
For anyone researching John Squire, the clearest picture is that of a musician and artist whose career has moved between guitar, songwriting and painting rather than following a conventional rock-star trajectory. His legacy rests not only on The Stone Roses but also on the creative work he pursued after leaving the band.
