Gary Lightbody facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Lightbody
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Lightbody at Rock im Park in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gareth John Lightbody |
| Born | 15 June 1976 Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
Gareth John Lightbody (born 15 June 1976) is a musician from Northern Ireland. He is famous for being the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has also started other music groups, including the Reindeer Section and Tired Pony.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Gareth John Lightbody was born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. His father, Jack Lightbody, was a business owner. Gary has one sister, Sarah. He went to Rathmore Primary School, Rockport School, and Campbell College.
At school, he discovered the poems of Seamus Heaney. This inspired him to start writing his own poems and songs.
In 1994, Lightbody moved to Scotland to study English literature at the University of Dundee. He also enjoyed playing hockey for his university team.
Music Career
Snow Patrol
In 1994, Lightbody started a band with his friends Mark McClelland and Michael Morrison. Their first name was Shrug. After Morrison left, they had to change the name to Polarbear because another band was already called Shrug. Later, they changed it again to Snow Patrol.
For the first seven years, the band worked hard but didn't make much money. They released two albums, Songs for Polarbears and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. They also toured with famous bands like Ash and Travis.
During this time, Lightbody felt frustrated with the band's lack of success. This was a difficult period for him, and he would sometimes get angry and break the band's equipment on stage. He later said that his bandmates helped him through this tough time.
Even though he is a successful musician, Lightbody cannot read sheet music. He says he "guesses" his way through chords. He has a deep baritone singing voice.
Working as a DJ
While at university, Lightbody became friends with Nick DeCosemo. Together, they started a club night called The Spaceship where they would DJ. They played a mix of music styles like house, rock, and hip hop.
Lightbody has also created two DJ mix albums. One was part of The Trip series, and the other was with his bandmate Tom Simpson for the Late Night Tales series.
Working on Other Projects
Besides Snow Patrol, Lightbody has worked on many other musical projects. He loves collaborating with other artists and trying new things.
Supergroups and Collaborations
In 2000, he created a Scottish "supergroup" called the Reindeer Section. A supergroup is a band made of musicians who are already famous from other bands. The Reindeer Section had 47 musicians from 20 different bands, including members of Belle & Sebastian and Mogwai.
In 2009, he started another supergroup called Tired Pony. This band plays country-style music and includes famous musicians like Peter Buck from R.E.M. and Zooey Deschanel from She & Him.
Lightbody has also worked with many other artists.
- He sang on the song "The Last Time" with Taylor Swift for her album Red in 2012. They performed the song together on the TV show The X Factor in the UK. He later re-recorded the song with her for Red (Taylor's Version) in 2021.
- He worked with The Cake Sale, a group of Irish musicians, to raise money for charity.
- He wrote the song "Just Say Yes", which Snow Patrol released in 2009.
- He sang with Ray Davies from the famous band The Kinks on a new version of the song "Tired of Waiting for You".
Acting and Writing
Lightbody is also a writer and has even tried acting. He made a special appearance in the TV show Game of Thrones. In the episode "Walk of Punishment", he played a soldier who sings a song.
He has written articles about music for magazines like Q and newspapers like The Irish Times. In his articles, he often recommends his favorite albums and artists to his readers.
How He Makes Music
His Influences
When he was young, Lightbody listened to artists like Michael Jackson and Kool & the Gang. As a teenager, he got into rock bands like AC/DC and KISS. Later, he discovered alternative bands like the Pixies and Pavement, which influenced Snow Patrol's sound.
As a boy, he dreamed of being a huge rock star like Bono from the band U2.
His Songwriting Style
Lightbody started writing songs when he was 15 years old. He taught himself to play guitar and prefers to invent his own chords rather than follow a formula. He says his songwriting style is simple and honest.
His lyrics are often about love and personal experiences. He has said that writing songs is like a type of "therapy" for him. For example, he wrote the song "Chocolate" after making a mistake in a relationship.
His songwriting has been highly praised. A well-known person once told him that Snow Patrol's songs have become modern classics, like songs by the Beatles.
Personal Life
Lightbody is a fan of the Manchester United football club. He also supports both the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland national football teams.
He is also a big fan of the X-Men comics, and his favorite character is Wolverine. He has a large collection of comic books.
Charity Work
Lightbody is involved in many charity projects. He is a board member of the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast. This center helps young musicians in Northern Ireland start their careers.
In 2019, he started the Lightbody Foundation to support charities in Northern Ireland and around the world. In 2020, he gave £50,000 to help musicians who were struggling. He has also worked with the charity Save the Children in Uganda and has spoken out to raise awareness about depression.
Honours and Awards
- In 2012, Lightbody received an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the University of Ulster.
- In 2018, he received an award for his outstanding contribution to music at the Northern Ireland Music Prize.
- In 2020, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to music and charity.
- In 2022, he was given the Freedom of the Borough of Ards and North Down, his home area.
Musical Equipment
Lightbody is known for playing Fender Telecaster guitars. His main guitar is a black Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe, which often has a "CELT" sticker on it. He also uses guitars made by Gretsch, Gibson, and Guild.
For his sound, he uses amplifiers made by Mesa/Boogie and Marshall. He also uses several effects pedals, like the BOSS Super Overdrive and Space Echo, to create his unique guitar tones.
See also
In Spanish: Gary Lightbody para niños
