Radiohead

Radiohead started in 1985. The members of the band went to school together at
Abingdon School, a boys' school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The band first called
themselves "On a Friday". The band would usually rehearse on Friday in their school's
music room.

Thom Yorke (main vocalist and songwriter). Thomas Edward Yorke.

He was born on October 7th, 1968 in Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire, England.

Jonny Greenwood (lead guitarist and keyboardist). Jonathan Richard

Guy Greenwood.
He was born on November 5th,1971 in Oxford, England.
(He’s Colin Greenwood’s brother)

Ed O’Brien (guitarist and songwriter). Edward John O'Brien.

He was born on April 15th, 1968 in Oxford, England.
(He’s also known as a soloist, EOB)

Colin Greenwood (bassist and composer) Colin Charles Greenwood.

He was born on June 26th,1969 in Oxford, England.
(He’s Jonny Greenwood’s brother)

Philip Selway (drummer and songwriter) Philip James Selway.

He was born on May 23rd,1967 in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.
(He’s also known as a soloist)

History.
1985–1992: Formation and first years.
Guitarist and singer Thom Yorke and bassist Colin Greenwood were in the same year,
guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Philip Selway the year above, and multi-
instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood, brother of Colin, two years below. In 1985, they
formed On a Friday, the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music
room. Jonny was the last to join, first on harmonica and then keyboards, but soon
became lead guitarist; he had previously been in another band, Illiterate Hands, with
musician Nigel Powell and Yorke's brother Andy Yorke. According to Colin, the band
members picked their instruments because they wanted to play together, rather than
through any particular interest.
They played their first gig in 1987, at Oxford's Jericho Tavern. Although all but Jonny
had left Abingdon by 1987 to attend university. On a Friday continued to rehearse on
weekends and holidays, but played no gigs for four years. At the University of Exeter,
Yorke played with the band Headless Chickens, performing songs including future
Radiohead material. He also met the artist Stanley Donwood, who later created artwork
for Radiohead.
They recorded another demo, which attracted the attention of Chris Hufford, Slowdive's
producer and the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios. He and his business partner
attended a concert at the Jericho Tavern; impressed, they became On a Friday's
managers.
On 21 December 1991, On a Friday signed a six-album recording contract with EMI. At
EMI's request, the band changed their name; "Radiohead" was taken from the song
"Radio Head" on the Talking Heads album True Stories (1986). Yorke said the name
“sums up all these things about receiving stuff ... It's about the way you take
information in, the way you respond to the environment you're put in.”
1992–1994: “Creep”.
1994–1995: “The Bends”.
1995–1998: “OK Computer”.
1998–2001: “Kid A, Amnesiac”.
2002–2006: “Hail to the Thief”.
2006–2009: Departure from EMI, In Rainbows, and "pay what you want".
Radiohead contributed "I Want None of This", a piano dirge, for the War Child charity
album “Help: A Day in the Life”.
In 2007, EMI was acquired by the private equity firm Terra Firma. Radiohead were
critical of the new management, and no new deal was agreed. The Independent reported
that EMI had offered Radiohead a £3 million advance, but had refused to relinquish
rights to the band's back catalogue.
2009–2010: Singles and side projects.
In May 2009, Radiohead began new recording sessions with Godrich. In August, they
released "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)", a tribute song to Harry Patch, the last surviving
British soldier to have fought in World War I, with proceeds donated to the British
Legion.
Later that month, another new song, "These Are My Twisted Words", featuring
krautrock-like drumming and guitars, was leaked via torrent, possibly by Radiohead.
In 2009, Yorke formed a new band, Atoms for Peace, to perform his solo material, with
musicians including Godrich and Red-Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. They played eight
North American shows in 2010.
In June 2010, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a surprise set at Glastonbury
Festival, performing “Eraser” and Radiohead songs. Selway released his debut solo
album, Familial, in August.
2011–2012: “The King of Limbs”.
2013–2014: “Side projects and move to XL”.
In February 2013, Yorke and Godrich's band Atoms for Peace released a studio album,
“Amok”.
In May, Yorke contributed a soundtrack, “Subterranea”, to The Panic Office, an
installation of Radiohead artwork in Sydney, Australia. Yorke and Selway released their
solo albums “Tomorrow's Modern Boxes” and “Weatherhouse” in late 2014. Jonny
Greenwood scored his third Anderson film, Inherent Vice; it features a new version of
an unreleased Radiohead song, "Spooks", performed by Greenwood and members of
Supergrass. “Junun”, a collaboration between Greenwood, Godrich, Israeli composer
Shye Ben Tzur and Indian musicians, was released in November 2015.
In April 2016, Radiohead's back catalogue was acquired by XL Recordings. XL
reissued Radiohead's back catalogue on vinyl in May 2016.
2015–2016: “A Moon Shaped Pool”.
2017–2020: Side projects, “OKNOTOK” and “MiniDiscs [Hacked]”.
In 2017, Selway released his third solo work, the soundtrack to the film Let Me Go.
Yorke released his first feature film soundtrack, “Suspiria”, and his third solo album,
“Anima”. O’Brien released his debut solo album, “Earth”, in 2020.
2021–present: “Kid A Mnesia” and the Smile.
Radiohead abandoned plans to tour in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In
November, they released “Kid A Mnesia”, an anniversary reissue compiling Kid A,
Amnesiac and previously unreleased material from the sessions. It was promoted with
download singles and videos for the previously unreleased tracks "If You Say the
Word" and "Follow Me Around".
In May 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band, the Smile, a
collaboration with Godrich and the drummer Tom Skinner. Greenwood said the project
was a way for him and Yorke to work together during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In
May 2022, the Smile released their debut album, “A Light for Attracting Attention”, to
acclaim. The Smile began an international tour in May. Selway will release his third
solo album, “Strange Dance”, in 2023