Thom Yorke: Things you should know about the Radiohead and The Smile frontman

7 October 2024, 14:14 | Updated: 7 October 2024, 14:17

We celebrate the Radiohead and The Smile frontman by taking a look at his life and career thus far.

1. Where was Thom Yorke born?

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

   

2. What happened to Thom Yorke's eye?

   When he was born, Thom's left eye was discovered to be paralysed. He had five operations on it before he was six years old and the last one left him with a drooping eyelid.

   

3. Is Thom Yorke married?

   Thom was with his partner Dr. Rachel Owen for 23 years. They had two children: Noah, born in 2001 and Agnes, born in 2004. The pair separated amicably, with Yorke saying: "It's perfectly amicable and has been common knowledge for some time." Sadly, Owen passed away on 18 December 2016, after losing her battle with cancer. Since 2017, Yorke dated Italian actress Dajana Roncione and the pair married in September 2020.

   

4. What was Radiohead's original name?

   Radiohead were originally called On A Friday. When they signed to the Parlophone label in 1991, they were persuaded to change their name.

   

5. Where did Radiohead get their name from?

   The name Radiohead is taken from a Talking Heads song, included on their 1986 album True Stories: "Transmitter! Oh! / Picking up something good / Hey, radio head! / The sound...Of a brand-new world."

   

6. When did Thom Yorke move to Oxford?

   Thom didn't move to Oxford until he was ten years old.

   

7. What did Thom Yorke's father do?

   Thom's father was a nuclear physicist and moved around the country depending on his work.

   

8. What was Thom Yorke's first recording?

   Between the end of school and the start of Radiohead, Thom occasionally DJed and was a member of the band Headless Chickens. They released a track called I Don't Want To Go To Woodstock on an EP released by Exeter label Hometown Atrocities in the summer of 1989.

   

9. Where did Radiohead form?

   He met the future members of Radiohead - Colin and Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway - at the Abingdon public school in Oxford.

   

10. What is the name of Thom Yorke's debut solo album?

    Thom's first solo album was The Eraser, released in July 2006. The second, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, was released in September 2014.

    

    Thom Yorke – The Eraser, The Eraser, 2006 [HD]

11. Which song did Thom Yorke collaborate with PJ Harvey on?

    Thom performed guest vocals on PJ Harvey's song This Mess We're In, which was included on the album Stories From The City Stories From The Sea in 2000.

    

    PJ Harvey feat. Thom Yorke - This Mess We're In

12. Which song did Thom Yorke collaborate with Bjork on?

    Thom also appears on Bjork's Selmasongs album, which was released in 2000. He sings on the track I've Seen It All.

    

    Björk ft. Thom Yorke - I've seen it all

13. Who are Atoms For Peace?

    Thom's side project Atoms For Peace features Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and R.E.M. drummer Joey Waronker.

    

    Atoms For Peace - Ingenue

14. Who is in The Smile and how many albums do they have?

    

    The Smile is a side project consisting of Thom Yorke, his Radiohead bandmate Johnny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner.

    Since forming in 2020, the band have released two albums; A Light For Attracting Attention (2022) and Wall of Eyes (2024) with another on the way this year entitled Cutouts.

    Listen to their Bodies Laughing track here:

    

    The Smile - Bodies Laughing (Visualiser)

15. Which Film Soundtracks Has Thom Yorke Worked On?

    Yorke covered Roxy Music songs for the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack back in 1998, but his latest cinematic outing is for the 2018 remake of the classic horror movie Suspiria.

    

    Thom Yorke - Has Ended