Thomas Edward Yorke was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire in 1968 with his eyelid fixed shut, a significant affliction that would affect his life greatly. After multiple botched surgeries, Yorke would be left with ptosis of the left eyelid which would cause him a substantial amount of turmoil in childhood. After moving around quite a bit, his family settled in Oxfordshire in the late 70’s. While attending Abington school for boys, he would receive his first guitar and meet fellow band members Ed O’ Brien, Phil Selway, Colin Greenwood and Johnny Greenwood. The boys would share an interest in music, eventually forming the band On a Friday, named for the fact that they were only allowed to rehearse on Fridays.
Thom turned to DJing during his college years – the band would rehearse intermittently while the boys attended university before signing to Parlophone records and changing their name to Radiohead. Yorke himself would go through a destructive period typical of alt and Brit rockers during the 90’s, due to the rising success of the band. He began binge drinking – which caused him to cancel performances due to his inability to perform. REM ’s Michael Stipe would take Yorke under his wing, advising him on how to deal with the pressures of being in a big rock band. Radiohead would go on to be one of the most successful bands to come out of Britain, garnering three Grammy Awards for “Best Alternative Album” and other awards ranging from the Ivor Novello Album Award for In Rainbows and the Q Award for “Best Act in the World Today.”
During a band hiatus, Thom Yorke would release his debut solo album The Eraser produced, once again, by Nigel Godrich. The release sparked rumors that Radiohead was breaking up, these rumors were quickly squashed when Yorke released the statement on the band’s official website – “I want no crap about me being a traitor or whatever splitting up blah blah… this was all done with their blessing.” The album would go on to earn a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album and debuted at the number 2 and number 3 spots on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart respectively. Thom Yorke tickets rarely go on sale, as he never goes on tour alone. However, Thom Yorke was one of the biggest acts at the Latitude Festival in England in 2009 – sparking a desire for Thom Yorke tickets around the isles.
In September 2009, Yorke released a double A-side single “Felling Pulled Apart by Horses, The Hollow Earth” before rumors circulated that Thom Yorke tickets would go on sale. Thom Yorke concerts sold out immediately and it was announced that Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joey Waronker of REM and Beck, Muaro Refosco of Forro in the Dark and Nigel Godrich would join him. The band would give themselves the official name Atoms for Peace in February 2010.
Yorke’s voice exhibits a wide range but is considered tenor although he typically jumps into falsetto. He has deployed a yelling-style of singing for certain tracks but generally considers his voice to be on the lighter side. He told the New York Times, “It annoys me how pretty my voice is, that sounds incredibly immodest, but it annoys me how polite it can sound when perhaps what I’m singing is deeply acidic.”
He is known for his deep involvement in political and social issues and is quite active in campaigning for fair trade, anti-globalization efforts, anti-WTO efforts, human rights, anti-war efforts and environmental campaigning. Yorke has worked with Jubilee, Amnesty International, CND, Friends of the Earth and the Trade Justice Movement. Yorke is a strict vegan.