Thom Yorke

Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead.

A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto.

He has been described by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.

Yorke formed Radiohead with schoolmates at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire.

Yorke was born on 7 October 1968 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

He was born with a paralysed left eye, and underwent five eye operations by the age of six.

According to Yorke, the last surgery was "botched", giving him a drooping eyelid.

He decided against further surgery: "I decided I liked the fact that it wasn't the same, and I've liked it ever since. And when people say stuff I kind of thought it was a badge of pride, and still do."

The family moved frequently.

Shortly after Yorke's birth, his father, a nuclear physicist and later a chemical equipment salesman, was hired by a firm in Scotland.

The family lived in Lundin Links until Yorke was seven, and he moved from school to school.

The family settled in Oxfordshire in 1978, where Yorke attended primary school in Standlake.

Yorke said he knew he would become a rock star after seeing the Queen guitarist Brian May on television for the first time at the age of eight.

He initially wanted to be a guitarist rather than a singer, but began singing as he had no one else to sing the songs he was writing.

He received his first guitar as a child.

At 10, he made his own guitar, inspired by May's homemade Red Special.

By 11, he had joined his first band and written his first song.

Seeing Siouxsie Sioux in concert at the Apollo in 1985 inspired him to become a performer; Yorke said he had never seen anyone "captivate an audience like she did".

Yorke attended the boys' public school Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

He felt out of place, and got into physical fights with other students.

He found sanctuary in the music and art departments, and wrote music for a school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

At school, he performed a vocal recital of a Schubert piece, which helped him find the confidence to become a singer.

Terence Gilmore-James, the Abingdon director of music, recalled Yorke as "forlorn and a little isolated" thanks to his unusual appearance, but talkative and opinionated.

Their 1992 debut single, "Creep", made Yorke a celebrity, and Radiohead went on to achieve critical acclaim and sales of more than 30 million albums.

Yorke's early influences included alternative rock acts such as Pixies and R.E.M.

With Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A (2000), Yorke moved into electronic music, influenced by Warp acts such as Aphex Twin.

With the artist Stanley Donwood, Yorke creates artwork for Radiohead albums and his other projects.

He often incorporates "erratic" dancing into his performances.

Yorke's solo work comprises mainly electronic music.

His debut solo album, The Eraser, was released in 2006.

To perform it live, in 2009, he formed a new band, Atoms for Peace, with musicians including the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and the Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.

They released an album, Amok, in 2013.

Yorke's second solo album, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, was released in 2014, followed by Anima in 2019.

In 2021, Yorke debuted a new band, the Smile, with the Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and the jazz drummer Tom Skinner.

Yorke has collaborated with artists including PJ Harvey, Björk, Flying Lotus and Modeselektor, and has composed for film and theatre.

His first feature film soundtrack, Suspiria, was released in 2018.

Yorke is an activist on behalf of human rights, animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes, and his lyrics incorporate political themes.

He has been critical of the music industry, particularly of major labels and streaming services such as Spotify.

With Radiohead and his solo work, he has employed alternative release platforms such as pay-what-you-want and BitTorrent.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead in 2019.