Liam Gallagher
William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the rock band Oasis in the 1990s and 2000s, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye in the early 2010s, before beginning a solo career after the dissolution of both bands.[1][2] One of the most recognisable figures in British music, he is noted for his outspoken and abrasive manner; penchant for wearing parkas; distinctive singing style, in which he elongates vowels; and signature stance on stage, which consists of him holding his arms behind his back and singing up into a downward-facing microphone.
Gallagher's debut solo album, As You Were, was released in October 2017 and proved to be a critical and commercial success. It topped the UK Albums Chart and was the ninth fastest-selling debut album of the 2010s in the UK, with over 103,000 units sold in its first week.[3] In 2018, the album was certified Platinum with sales of over 300,000 units in the UK.[4] His second solo album, Why Me? Why Not, topped the UK charts upon its release in September 2019; his tenth chart-topping album, including eight with Oasis, it was the fastest-selling vinyl of 2019
Early life
William John Paul Gallagher was born in the Longsight area of Manchester on 21 September 1972, the son of Irish parents Peggy and Thomas Gallagher. The family later moved to the Burnage area of Manchester. Gallagher was physically abused by his father as a child, although not to the extent that his older brothers Paul and Noel were. He has said that the abuse affected him deeply and inspired him to become an artist.[6] When he was 10, his mother took him and his brothers and moved away from her husband, whom she divorced in 1986.[7] Although Liam maintained sporadic contact with his father throughout his teens, he has said that their issues remain unresolved. Noel has often contended that even from a young age, Liam went out of his way to antagonise people, especially Noel, with whom he shared a bedroom. The Gallagher brothers were troubled, especially in their mid-teens; Liam often shoplifted bicycles from local shops. He attended St. Bernard's RC Primary School until age 11, then The Barlow Roman Catholic High School. Despite common reports that he was expelled at age 16 for fighting, Liam was actually suspended for three months. He then returned to school, where he completed his last term in 1990,[8] later famously stating on VH1's Behind the Music in 2000 that he is "not daft" because he gained four GCSEs.[9]
Liam had no interest in music at a young age, preferring sports. He credits his change in attitude towards music to a blow to the head by a hammer he received from a student from a rival school. After this incident, he became infatuated with the idea of joining a band. Noel has said that Liam showed little interest in music until his late teens, was better looking than him, a better singer, had better clothes, and could wear a parka jacket with more style.[9] Gallagher became confident in his ability to sing and began listening to bands like the Beatles, the Stone Roses, the Who, the Kinks, the Jam, and T. Rex. In the process, he became obsessed with the Beatles' John Lennon, and would later sarcastically claim to be Lennon reincarnated despite being born eight years prior to Lennon's death.[10] Liam would also help Noel with his job as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets and worked as a watchman for British Gas.[11]
Career
Oasis (1991–2009)
When school friend Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan invited Gallagher to join his band The Rain as a vocalist, he agreed. Liam was the band's co-songwriter, along with guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs. Noel has since openly mocked this writing partnership, describing them as being "just awful", and Liam later admitted that they were "shit".[9] The band only rehearsed once a week and did not get many gigs. It was after one of their rare shows in 1991 at the Manchester Boardwalk that Noel, having recently returned from touring internationally as a roadie with Inspiral Carpets, saw them perform.
In 1993, Oasis played a four-song setlist at Glasgow's famous King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, where Alan McGee of Creation Records discovered them and signed them on for a six-record deal. In late 1993 and 1994, the band recorded their debut album Definitely Maybe, which released on 28 August 1994, and went on to become the fastest-selling British debut album ever. Liam was praised for his vocal contributions to the album, and his presence made Oasis a popular live act. Critics cited influences from the Beatles and Sex Pistols. Liam's attitude garnered attention from the British tabloid press, which often ran stories concerning his alleged drug use and behaviour.
In 1997, Definitely Maybe was named the 14th greatest album of all time in a "Music of the Millennium" poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, The Guardian, and Classic FM.[12] In Channel 4's '100 Greatest Albums' countdown in 2005, the album was placed at number 6.[13] In 2006, NME placed the album third in a list of the greatest British albums ever, behind The Stone Roses' self-titled debut album and The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead.[14] In a 2006 British poll run by NME and the book of British Hit Singles and Albums, Definitely Maybe was voted the best album of all time with The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band finishing second and Revolver third.[15] Q Magazine placed it at number five on their greatest albums of all-time list in 2006, and in that same year NME hailed it as the greatest album of all time.
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? was even more successful, becoming the third-best selling album in British history.[16] Around this time, Oasis became embroiled in a well documented media-fuelled feud with fellow Britpop band Blur. The differing styles of the bands now leading the Britpop movement – Oasis a working class, northern band and Blur a middle class, southern band – made the media perceive them as natural rivals. In August 1995, Blur and Oasis released new singles on the same day. Blur's "Country House" outsold Morning Glory's second single, "Roll with It", 274,000 copies to 216,000 during the week.[17] When the band mimed the single on Top of the Pops, Liam pretended to play Noel's guitar and Noel pretended to sing, taking a jibe at the show's format.
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? is considered to be a seminal record of the Britpop era and as one of the best albums of the nineties,[18] and it appears in several charts as one of the greatest albums of all time.[19] In 2010, Rolling Stone commented that "the album is a triumph, full of bluster, bravado and surprising tenderness. Morning Glory capped a true golden age for Britpop."[20] The magazine ranked the album at 378 on its 2012 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[21] The album's enduring popularity within the UK was reflected when it won the BRITs Album of 30 years at the 2010 BRIT Awards. The award was voted by the public to decide the greatest 'Best Album' winner in the history of the BRIT Awards.[22] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[23]
After an incident of air rage in 1998 (apparently over a scone) on a flight to Australia, Gallagher was banned for life from Cathay Pacific airlines; Gallagher said he would "rather walk".[24] During the tour of Australia, Gallagher was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly head-butting a 19-year-old fan, who claimed he was only asking him for a photo. Criminal charges were later dropped, although a civil case was pursued that led to Gallagher reportedly settling out of court.[25]
Oasis's eagerly anticipated third album, Be Here Now, was released on 21 August 1997 and set a new record as the fastest-selling album in UK Chart history. The album was derided by Noel in later years,[26] but Liam has defended the album, describing it as "a top record".[26]
On the first day of release, Be Here Now sold over 424,000 copies, becoming the fastest-selling album in British chart history; initial reviews were overwhelmingly positive.[27] The album's producer Owen Morris said the recording sessions were marred by arguments and drug abuse, and that the band's only motivations were commercial.[28] As of 2008, the album had sold eight million copies worldwide. It was the best-selling album of 1997 in the UK, with 1.47 million units sold.[29] The album topped the UK Vinyl Albums Chart in 2016, 19 years after its original release.[30]
Creation Records shut down in 1999, following which the Gallagher brothers set up their own label, Big Brother Recordings for all future Oasis releases. Interestingly, future album and singles were marked with codes starting with 'RKID'.
Oasis returned in 2000 with Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Founding members Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan left during the recording, leaving Liam Gallagher as the only member remaining from The Rain. The album featured their first song written by Liam rather than Noel, "Little James", a melody written for Liam's ex-wife Patsy Kensit's son, James Kerr.[31] This song, along with the album as a whole, received generally mixed reviews.
Oasis's next album, Heathen Chemistry (2002), featured three more songs written by Liam. One of them was "Songbird", which was an acoustic ballad about his love for Nicole Appleton. The song was the fourth single from the album and reached number 3 in the UK charts. Later that year, on 1 December, Gallagher broke several of his teeth and sustained injuries to his face after a fight broke out in a Munich bar. He and Alan White were arrested, but were released without charge. Oasis had to pull out of the shows in Munich and Düsseldorf due to Liam's injuries.
2005 saw the release of Oasis's sixth studio album, Don't Believe the Truth, featuring a further three compositions by Liam Gallagher: "Love Like a Bomb" (co-written with rhythm guitarist Gem Archer), "The Meaning of Soul" and "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel". The album won two Q Awards: a special People's Choice Award and Best Album.[32]
Gallagher joined the rest of Oasis to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the BRIT Awards 2007. As the band picked up the award, he commented on stage, "Seeing as we don't get nominated for this shit no more this'll have to do." Around the same time, it was announced that he was in negotiations with the makers of Channel 4 afternoon quiz Countdown to appear as the weekly celebrity guest in "Dictionary Corner". Co-presenter Carol Vorderman, interviewed by the Daily Sport, said, "Liam loves it and yes, we're in talks about him coming on. I told him I think it will do his cred no end of good."[33]
2008 saw the release of the band's final album Dig Out Your Soul (2008), which featured three Liam songs: "I'm Outta Time" (also a single), "Ain't Got Nothin'" and "Soldier On". Dig Out Your Soul went straight to number 1 in the UK Album Charts and reached Number 5 in the US 200 Billboard Charts. In mid-2009 at the end of the tour of the same name, the band split up due to Noel not being able to work with Liam any more.[34]
In the UK, the album sold 90,000 copies on its first day of release, making it the second fastest selling album of 2008, behind Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. It debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 1, with first week sales of 200,866 copies, making it the 51st fastest selling album ever in the UK. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 in the US, with 53,000 copies sold.[35] It is the highest chart position of any Oasis album in the US since 1997's Be Here Now which debuted at number 2, but fewer total opening week sales than Don't Believe the Truth.[35] It has so far spent a total of 30 weeks in the French Albums Chart.[36]
Many critics lauded Dig Out Your Soul as one of the band's strongest albums, one opined that "it seems Oasis have made something that can happily play alongside Morning Glory."[37]
On 28 August 2009, Noel announced his departure from the band, following an intense fight backstage at the Rock en Seine festival near Paris.
Beady Eye (2009–2014)
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