Noel Gallagher Biography

Noel Gallagher was born on 29th of May 1967, to Irish immigrants, Peggy and Thomas Gallagher, in the inner-city area of Manchester, Noel was raised along with his two brothers, Paul and Liam.

After the birth of Liam, Noel and his family moved to Burnage where he and his brothers attended St. Bernard’s RC Primary school. Noel was expelled from the school at the age of 15 for throwing a bag of flour over a teacher.

He experienced an abusive and unhappy childhood due to his father who was an alcoholic. Following the gruesome incidents of abuse, Peggy, Noel’s mother, obtained a legal separation in the year 1976, and landed herself a job in a school canteen.

Noel is known to have a talent for playing soccer. Soon after, he developed a taste for music as well. Around the age of 12, Noel was gifted a guitar by his mother, which inadvertently began his musical journey.

As a teenager, when he was working with a gas subcontractor, an unfortunate incident at the workplace crushed his foot bones. It was during this time when Noel brought a new guitar and composed few songs that would eventually be part of the album, Definitely Maybe.

Noel Gallagher auditioned for Inspiral Carpets to become the new vocalist of the band in his early twenties. Though he was unsuccessful in this attempt, he became a part of the band’s road crew which eventually allowed him to dream bigger.

In 1991, when he returned from the tour of Inspiral Carpets, Noel learnt about his brother’s involvement with a local band called the Rain.

Though he was initially asked to join the Rain as the band manager, he persistently insisted on taking over the creative control of the band. Noel Gallagher soon joined the band as a solo songwriter, which earned him the nickname ‘The Chief’. Soon after this, the band’s name was changed to Oasis.

Noel Gallagher was instrumental in providing Oasis with its first critical and commercial success by writing the first single, Supersonic. The band came out with its debut album Definitely Maybe, in 1994.

Over the years, the band came out with six more albums, namely, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), Be Here Now (1997), Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000), Heathen Chemistry (2002), Don't Believe The Truth (2005) and Dig Out Your Soul (2008).

Following a tiff with Liam, in 2009,  Noel Gallagher his split from the band. Though the rest of Oasis performed together under the name of Beady Eye, Noel separated his ways and stayed out of the public eye.

In 2011, he marked his presence in the music industry, with his rock band, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Later that year, he released his first single, The Death of You and Me, which was followed by his second album Chasing Yesterday. The third album, Who Built the Moon? was released six years later.

His band also served as the headliner for a benefit concert named ‘We Are Manchester’ on 9th September 2017, to mark the reopening of Manchester Arena

In 2019, he toured the United States with an American rock band called The Smashing Pumpkins.

His Magnus opus is undoubtedly the song named Don’t Look Back in Anger, which was released in the year 1996 as a single from the album What’s the Story. This song became a symbol for those affected by the terrorist attacks on Manchester in 2017. It has gone on to become an anthem for all football fans.

Supersonic, which was released in the year 1994, is known to be one of Noel’s most iconic works as it peaked at No. 31 on the official UK charts the same year and contributed to the success of the band Oasis.

One of the lesser-known facts is that Noel Gallagher got engaged at the age of 18 to his girlfriend Diane, but the relationship did not work out.

Although he left his family to live with his long-term girlfriend Louise Jones in 1988, the relationship soon ended in 1994.

He married Meg Mathews in the year 1997 whom he met through an MTV presenter. They were blessed with a daughter whom they named Anais Gallagher. However, the relationship ended on a bitter note with a divorce.

Even though his relationships were unsuccessful, he took a shot at happiness when he married Sara MacDonald in 2011. Currently, they are living in Hampshire with their sons Donovan and Sonny.

He is known to have written the famous song Wonderwall for his former wife Meg Mathews. But he never performed the song on stage, instead gave it to his brother Liam.

Though he is left-handed, he plays his guitar using his right hand.