He was the guitarist for the Stone Roses, a rock band in which he formed a songwriting partnership with lead singer Ian Brown.

However, he continued to play guitar occasionally, including making guest appearances for two shows with Liam Gallagher at Knebworth in 2022.

Squire has been described as one of the most accomplished and influential British rock guitarists of the late 1980s and early 1990s,[3] known for his chiming melodies, spiraling riffs and live solos.

Squire was lead guitarist, and the partnership between him and Brown formed the heart of the band's lyrical and musical output.

Squire (now calling himself John, instead of his birth name of Jonathan) co-wrote all of the tracks with Brown and painted the cover art, a Jackson Pollock-influenced piece containing references to the May 1968 riots in Paris.

It featured a heavier blues-rock sound, similar to Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers Band,[8] but fused with Ian Brown's distinct Britpop vocal style.

[12][13] Squire and Gallagher announced their debut tour, on 26 January 2024, with sell out performances in Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, London and Dublin.

His artwork has adorned the singles, album covers and promotional posters for his and the Stone Roses' music.

At the Smithfield Gallery opening, Squire told a reporter from the Manchester Evening News that he was giving up music for good.

Although both Brown and Squire performed Stone Roses songs in their solo gigs, a band reunion seemed unlikely.

Squire was interviewed in June 2007 by Dave Haslam on XFM Manchester radio and discussed his current work as an artist, and claimed that even if Brown phoned him and suggested a Stone Roses reunion, he would turn the offer down.

[22] In March 2011, Brown and Squire met at the funeral of Mani's mother, leading to speculation that the band would reform.

[23] However, on 18 October 2011, at London's Soho Hotel, the Stone Roses announced that they would reunite for the first time in fifteen years, playing three shows at Heaton Park, Manchester, on 29 and 30 June and 1 July 2012 as part of an extensive Reunion Tour, and on 2 December 2011 Brown and Squire performed together live for the first time since 1995.

They joined Mick Jones from the Clash, the Farm and Pete Wylie at the Manchester Ritz in aid of the Justice for Hillsborough campaign.

They performed "Elizabeth My Dear" as a duo before being joined by Mick Jones and the Farm for renditions of the Clash's "Bankrobber" and "Armagideon Time" with Ian Brown taking on lead vocals for the three songs.

On 3 and 4 June 2022, Squire made his first stage appearances in five years at the encore of Liam Gallagher's two Knebworth House concerts, as a guest guitarist on the song "Champagne Supernova".