Gary Lightbody facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Lightbody OBE
Lightbody at Rock im Park 2018
Background information
Birth name	Gareth John Lightbody
Born	(1976-06-15) 15 June 1976 (age 49) Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
Genres	Alternative rock power pop indie rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter guitarist multi-instrumentalist
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1994–present
Associated acts	Snow Patrol The Reindeer Section The Cake Sale Listen... Tanks! Tired Pony Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran Bry

Gareth John Lightbody (born 15 June 1976) is an Irish musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He also started the music groups The Reindeer Section and Tired Pony.

Early Life and Education

Gareth John Lightbody was born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. His parents are Lynne and Jack Lightbody. Gary has one sister named Sarah.

He went to Rathmore Primary School, Rockport School, and Campbell College. At Campbell College, he discovered the poems of Seamus Heaney. This inspired him to write his own poems and songs.

In 1994, Lightbody moved to Scotland. He studied English literature at the University of Dundee. He was also a keen hockey player there.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Snow Patrol

In 1994, Lightbody formed a band called Shrug. He started it with Mark McClelland and Michael Morrison. Morrison later left the band. They had to change their name to Polarbear because another band already used Shrug.

In their first seven years, the band added drummer Jonny Quinn. They released two albums: Songs for Polarbears and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. They also toured with bands like Levellers, Ash, and Travis. The band lived in Glasgow while recording their first two albums. Lightbody even worked at a bar called Nice n Sleazy's. Today, he still owns a small place in Glasgow. He feels a strong connection to the city.

Gary Lightbody has a baritone singing voice. He cannot read music but finds his way through chords by "guessing." The song "Disaster Button" from A Hundred Million Suns talks about his past struggles.

DJing and Radio Work

While at the University of Dundee, Lightbody became friends with Nick DeCosemo. Nick started a club night called The Spaceship. Lightbody and other friends, including Roy Kerr, Tom Simpson, and Anu Pillai, would DJ there. They played a mix of house, rock, and hip hop. They became very popular.

Lightbody later helped write "What Are You Waiting For" for Freeform Five. He also filled in for DJ Zane Lowe on his BBC radio show in 2007. Listeners voted him the best fill-in DJ. He has put together two DJ mix albums: The Trip: Created by Snow Patrol and Late Night Tales: Snow Patrol.

Other Creative Projects

Lightbody performing live at Vega in Copenhagen in 2006

Gary Lightbody has worked on many projects outside of Snow Patrol. He even appeared in an episode of Game of Thrones. He played a soldier who sang "The Bear and the Maiden Fair."

Writing for Magazines

Lightbody writes for different music magazines and newspapers. He has written for Q magazine and was a guest-editor for The Irish Times music section. He shares his favorite albums and artists in his essays.

In May 2009, he started his music column, Gary Lightbody's Band of the Week, in Q The Music.com. In 2011, he wrote essays for The Huffington Post.

More Music Collaborations

As a songwriter, Lightbody has written for many artists. In 2000, he formed The Reindeer Section. This was a "supergroup" with 47 musicians from 20 different bands. It included members from Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, and Idlewild. The group released two albums.

• In 2000, he sang on a track for the band Mogwai.
• In 2001, he worked on the song "Fallen" with British musician Cut La Roc.
• In 2005, Lightbody joined The Cake Sale. This group raised money for Ireland's Make Trade Fair campaign. He sang "Some Surprise" with Lisa Hannigan.
• In 2006, he sang on albums for The Freelance Hellraisers and Kidda.
• In 2007, he wrote "Just Say Yes" for Nicole Scherzinger. Snow Patrol later released this song on their Up to Now album.
• In 2009, Lightbody announced two new solo projects. One was a country group called Tired Pony. The other was an experimental group with producer Jacknife Lee, called Listen... Tanks!.
• In 2009, Lightbody, Johnny Quinn, and Nathan Connolly started Polar Music. This company helps artists with their music.
• In 2010, Lightbody recorded the first album for Tired Pony in Portland, Oregon. The album was called The Place We Ran From. This supergroup included R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and singer Zooey Deschanel.
• Lightbody and Jacknife Lee also wrote music for the Irish film My Brothers.
• He collaborated with former Kinks singer Ray Davies on the song "Tired of Waiting for You" in 2010.
• In 2012, he was featured on the song "The Last Time" on Taylor Swift's album Red.
• He performed "Chasing Cars" with Ed Sheeran at the iTunes Festival in 2012.
• In 2013, he performed at the Derry City of Culture concert. He sang "Run", "Just Say Yes", and "Chasing Cars".
• He appeared on The X Factor UK Season 10 with Taylor Swift in 2013.
• In 2015, he and Johnny McDaid wrote songs for the film A Patch of Fog.
• In 2017, they composed music for the film Gifted.
• In 2021, he was featured again on "The Last Time (Taylor's Version)" for Taylor Swift's re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version).

Musical Style and Songwriting

Lightbody in 2008, Bloomsbury Theatre in London

Musical Influences

When he was young, Lightbody listened to artists like Super Furry Animals and Michael Jackson. As a teenager, he enjoyed hard rock bands like AC/DC and KISS. Later, he got into alternative bands like Pixies.

How He Writes Songs

Lightbody started writing songs at age 15. He had a few guitar lessons but preferred to learn on his own. He likes to create new sounds rather than follow strict rules. He believes simple songs are the most honest. He tries to keep Snow Patrol's music "simple and pure."

One of his biggest inspirations was the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. Lightbody's lyrics often talk about love. He tries to write from his own experiences. He sees songwriting as a way to understand his feelings.

Many people praise Lightbody's songwriting. In 2009, a famous person told him that Snow Patrol's songs had become well-known. They compared his band's work to artists like Frank Sinatra and The Beatles.

Personal Life and Interests

Lightbody supports Manchester United football club. He also cheers for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland national football teams. This is mentioned in the song "Lifening."

He is a big fan of the X-Men comics, especially Wolverine. He owns many comics, some still unopened. He hopes they might become valuable one day.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Lightbody is involved in many good causes, especially related to music. He is on the board of directors for the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Northern Ireland. This center helps young artists start their music careers. He has supported young bands by having them open for Snow Patrol's tours.

Lightbody supports the growing music scene in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has said that artists like Kurt Cobain inspired him to become a musician.

In July 2019, Lightbody started the Lightbody Foundation. This foundation supports charities in Northern Ireland and around the world. In May 2020, he gave £50,000 to help musicians in Northern Ireland. Later, the foundation donated about $90,000 to nine charities in America.

Lightbody has also worked with Save the Children in Uganda. He wrote about this experience in New Statesman.

Awards and Recognition

Honors Received

In July 2012, Lightbody received an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the University of Ulster. This was a special award for his achievements.

In November 2018, he received an award for his amazing contribution to music at the Northern Ireland Music Prize.

Lightbody was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2020. This honor was for his services to music and charity in Northern Ireland.

On August 30, 2022, Lightbody was given the Freedom of the Borough of Ards and North Down.

Other Awards

Images for kids

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  Lightbody at Rock im Park 2018

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  Lightbody performing live at Vega in Copenhagen in 2006

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  Lightbody in 2008, Bloomsbury Theatre in London

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  Lightbody's pedalboard

See also

In Spanish: Gary Lightbody para niños