The Cure Guitarist Perry Bamonte Dead at 65

Perry Bamonte -- a longtime guitarist and keyboardist for The Cure -- has died ... the band announced Friday.

The group shared the sad news to their official website ... revealing Bamonte passed away at his home after a short illness over Christmas.

The post describes Bamonte as "quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative" ... calling him an integral part of the band's tale.

Perry started traveling with The Cure in 1984 as a roadie ... working as a personal assistant to Robert Smith and also as a guitar technician.

Keyboardist Roger O'Donnell left the band in 1990 -- and Bamonte stepped up -- regularly playing both keyboard and guitar.

Bamonte was let go from the group in 2005 by Smith ... but the two remained on good terms ... and he returned to tour with The Cure in 2022. In 2019, Bamonte and the rest of The Cure were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

He was 65.