“Katy told him point-blank that every artist gets dragged. She wanted him to know she understands exactly how it feels,” a source told Rob Shuter’s Shuterscoop. Another insider added, “ [Perry] connected him with producers and told him to keep working. She wants him to take the criticism seriously, but not personally.”

A former roadie, Mr. Bamonte joined the band in 1990. He played on five albums and in hundreds of shows and was “a vital part of the Cure story,” the band said.