Kim Thayil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kim Thayil
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Thayil performing with MC50 in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kim Anand Thayil |
| Born | September 4, 1960 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Kim Anand Thayil (born September 4, 1960) is a famous American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Soundgarden. He won two Grammy Awards with the band. Magazines like Rolling Stone and SPIN have also called him one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Contents
Biography
Early life and starting music
Kim Thayil was born in Seattle in 1960. He grew up in Park Forest, Illinois. His parents came from Kerala, India. His mom was a music teacher and a trained pianist. His dad was a chemical engineer.
Kim started writing song lyrics when he was 12 years old. In 1977, he formed his first band in Chicago called Bozo And The Pinheads. They were a punk rock band. They played their own songs and covers by bands like the Sex Pistols. Their first show was at a school talent show. Later, he played guitar in another band called Identity Crisis.
Kim met Hiro Yamamoto in high school. They both moved to Seattle. There, Kim worked as a DJ for a radio station. He also earned a degree in philosophy from the University of Washington. In Seattle, they met Chris Cornell. The three friends then formed Soundgarden in 1984.
Soundgarden years (1984–1997)
Soundgarden became one of the first grunge bands from Seattle to sign with a major record label. They released five albums. Three of their albums sold millions of copies. The band also won two Grammy Awards.
Kim Thayil became well-known for his guitar playing. He was famous for his heavy riffs. Many people saw him as a key part of the "Seattle Sound." In 1994, Kim said he felt good about his unique guitar style.
Kim helped write many songs for Soundgarden. He wrote the lyrics for "Room a Thousand Years Wide." He also wrote the music and lyrics for "Never the Machine Forever."
Here are some of the songs Kim helped write for Soundgarden:
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After Soundgarden (1997–2010)
After Soundgarden broke up in 1997, Kim Thayil worked with other musicians. He played guitar on songs for bands like Pigeonhed. He also contributed to the 2006 album Altar by Sunn O))) and Boris.
In 1999, Kim formed a punk band called the No WTO Combo. He played with Jello Biafra (from Dead Kennedys) and Krist Novoselic (from Nirvana). They formed the band to support protests against a big meeting in Seattle. Their live show was recorded and released as an album. This was Kim's first live concert since Soundgarden broke up.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Kim Thayil one of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time." In 2004, he played guitar for Probot, a heavy metal project by Dave Grohl.
In 2009, Kim played with Soundgarden's Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd at a show in Seattle. It was the first time they played together in public since 1997. They played three Soundgarden songs.
Soundgarden reunion (2010–2018)
On January 1, 2010, Chris Cornell announced that Soundgarden's fan club was back. On April 15, 2010, the band announced their first show since 1997. They played in Seattle under the name 'Nudedragons'. This name is an anagram for Soundgarden.
On August 5, 2010, the band played their first reunion show as Soundgarden in Chicago. Three days later, they were the main band at the Lollapalooza festival.
In September 2010, the band released a collection of songs called Telephantasm. In November 2012, they released King Animal. This was their first new studio album since 1996.
On May 18, 2017, Chris Cornell passed away. This led to the band breaking up again in 2018. They did play one tribute show for Chris Cornell in January 2019.
In March 2018, Kim Thayil joined Wayne Kramer of the band MC5. They went on a tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of MC5's first album.
Other projects
In 2020, Kim Thayil played guitar solos for a jazz fusion band called the Barret Martin Group. In 2021, he played lead guitar on a song called "Only Love Can Save Me Now" for The Pretty Reckless. The band's singer, Taylor Momsen, said Kim's playing was amazing.
In 2021, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Krist Novoselic formed a new group called 3rd Secret. They released their first album in April 2022. The group also performed at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.
Discography
Soundgarden
No WTO Combo
- Live from the Battle in Seattle (2000)
Probot
- Probot (2004)
Sunn O))) and Boris
- Altar (2006)
3rd Secret
- 3rd Secret (2022)
- The 2nd 3rd Secret (2023)
Images for kids
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Kim Thayil performing with MC50 in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Kim Thayil para niños
