William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press. He remains one of the most recognisable figures in modern British music.
Although his elder brother Noel Gallagher wrote the majority of Oasis's songs, Liam has penned the singles "Songbird" and "I'm Outta Time", along with a string of album tracks and B-sides.
Since Noel's departure from Oasis in August 2009, Liam has said he will continue making music with ex-Oasis members Gem Archer, Andy Bell, drummer Chris Sharrock and keyboard player Jay Darlington, recording under the bandname Beady Eye. Jeff Wootton, guitarist for the Phase III Gorillaz House Band, will also be a member.
Gallagher was born in Burnage, Manchester, and is the third and youngest child of Irish parents Thomas and Peggy Gallagher. Thomas was often violently abusive to his family and although his older brothers Noel and Paul took the most abuse, Liam has said that the abuse affected him deeply and inspired him to become an artist. When Liam was 10, Peggy took the boys and moved away from Tommy. Although Liam maintained sporadic contact with his father throughout his teens, he has said that their issues remain unresolved.
Paul and Noel often contend that even from a young age, Liam went out of his way to antagonise people, especially Noel, with whom he shared a room. The Gallagher brothers were troubled, especially in their teens. Liam was expelled from school at age 15 for fighting, and would often steal bicycles from local shops.
Noel Gallagher has said that Liam showed little interest in music until his late teens. Liam became confident in his abilities to sing and began listening to bands like The Stone Roses, The Who, The Kinks, The Jam, T.Rex and The Beatles. In the process he forged a life-long obsession with John Lennon; Liam would later claim to be Lennon re-incarnated, despite being born 8 years prior to his death.
Gallagher married Patsy Kensit on 7 April 1997. However, the marriage got off to a bumpy start due to various incidents reported in the tabloids. Gallagher made headlines after an incident of road rage. He allegedly leaned out of his car window, grabbed a cyclist and threw him off his bike. The cyclist was not injured and Gallagher was given a caution. In January 1998, Lisa Moorish bore Gallagher a daughter, Molly, who was conceived during an affair in Los Angeles only a week after he and Kensit were married.
Patsy Kensit bore Gallagher a son named Lennon Francis in September 1999. The couple divorced a year later.
Liam Gallagher's second son, Gene, was born to Nicole Appleton on 2 July 2001. Liam tried to drag a photographer into a fight outside the hospital.
In 2004, Gallagher made headlines when it was revealed that he regularly paid £2000 in child support for his son Lennon Francis and daughter Molly. Furthermore, he criticised musician Pete Doherty, the father of Lisa Moorish's other child, for his alleged lack of child support. The relationship between the two was put under further strain, because of Doherty's heavy heroin habit and his visits to Moorish under the influence of the drug.
In April 2007, it was reported that Gallagher had purchased a property in Henley-on-Thames. Gallagher and Appleton were married on 14 February 2008 at Westminster Register Office, the same venue where he married his first wife, actress Patsy Kensit. Also present were Appleton's sister Natalie and her husband, The Prodigy's Liam Howlett. Noel Gallagher and band mates Gem Archer and Andy Bell were not notified until after the ceremony took place.
Gallagher is an avid Manchester City fan.
Filmography Liam Gallagher
