The enigmatic lead guitarist of the iconic band "Soundgarden", is more than just a maestro on strings; his journey through music is akin to a sonic rollercoaster intertwined with personal anecdotes that make his story truly unique.
(Photo: Mauricio Santana)
= He was born in Seattle, Washington on September 4. Growing up in a culturally diverse setting, he cultivated a passion for music at a young age, inspired by his exposure to various genres.
= His mother was a music teacher who studied to be a concert pianist at the Royal Academy of Music. His father earned a degree in chemical engineering, received employment in Chicago and moved there with his family.
= He learned to play the guitar when he was 12 years old, at that time he also started to write lyrics.
= In 1977, he formed his first band "Bozo and the Pinheads", a punk rock band. They did both original songs (written by Thayil) and cover tunes ("Sex Pistols", "Devo", and the "Ramones"). Their first gig was at a school talent show in front of about 500 people.
= In 1980 he played guitar in a post-punk band called "Identity Crisis", which released a 7" inch EP called "Pretty Feet".
= Thayil met Hiro Yamamoto at Rich East High School. He graduated, along with Hiro, at Rich East High School in 1979, the same school Bruce Pavitt (the founder of Sub-Pop) graduated from 2 years earlier.
= He and Yamamoto decided to move to Olympia, Washington, to study at The Evergreen State College, but they were unable to find jobs and decided to move to Seattle. There, Thayil earned money as a DJ for KCMU and earned a degree in philosophy at the University of Washington.
(Photo: Wikimedia)
= Thayil becomes involved in Seattle’s burgeoning punk and heavy metal scenes. His early influences include bands like "Black Sabbath", "Led Zeppelin", and punk acts such as the "Ramones".
= In Seattle the two met with singer/drummer Chris Cornell. Chris and Yamamoto formed a cover band called the "Shemps" which performed around Seattle in 1983. After a while Yamamoto left the band and was replaced by Thayil. Cornell and Yamamoto stayed in contact, and after the "Shemps" broke up Cornell and Yamamoto started jamming together, and were eventually joined by Thayil.
= In 1984 the three formed the band "Soundgarden" included Cornell (drums and vocals), Yamamoto (bass), and Thayil (guitar). The band named themselves after a wind-channeling pipe sculpture titled "A Sound Garden".
(Photo: Jay Blakesburg)
= In 1985 the band enlisted Scott Sundquist on drums to allow Cornell to concentrate on vocals. The band traveled around playing various concerts with this lineup for about a year.
= Their first recordings were three songs "Heretic", "Tears to Forget" and "All Your Lies", that appeared on the 1986 compilation album for C/Z Records called "Deep Six". It also featured songs by fellow grunge pioneers "Green River", "Skin Yard", "Malfunkshun", the "U-Men", and the "Melvins".
= In 1986, Cornell's then-girlfriend and future wife, Susan Silver started managing "Soundgarden". In the same year, Sundquist left the band to spend time with his family and was replaced by "Skin Yard"'s drummer, Matt Cameron.
(Photo: vinylchapters.com)
= A "Soundgarden" performance one night impressed KCMU DJ Jonathan Poneman who offered to fund a release by the band, so Thayil suggested he team up with Bruce Pavitt. Poneman offered to contribute $20,000 in funding for Sub Pop, effectively turning it into a full-fledged record label. "Soundgarden" signed to Sub Pop, and the label released "Hunted Down" in 1987 as the band's first single.
= Through Sub Pop, the band released the "Screaming Life" EP in 1987, and the "Fopp" EP in 1988, and a combination of the two, "Screaming Life/Fopp", in 1990. These EPs created a very big buzz around the band and it became very popular in Seattle.
= Thayil became acclaimed for his guitar work, which was typically characterized by heavy riffing, and was cited among other grunge guitarists as an influence and a pioneer of the "Seattle Sound."
= In 1988 the band signed with the label "SST Records" and released their debut album "Ultramega OK", the album created huge exposure for the band and even a nomination for a Grammy Award. As a result, "Soundgarden" was signed with the big label "A&M Records" and became the first band from the grunge scene in Seattle to sign a record deal with a big label.
= In 1989 the band released their second album "Louder Than Love". On this album, "Soundgarden" first introduced its special time signature (a rhythm that is not arranged in 4 regular bars) and took it one step further toward metal. This is their first album to enter the Billboard 200 and this is also Hiro's last album with the band replaced by bassist Ben Shepherd.
= In 1991 when the grunge scene became huge in the US and just before it broke into the rest of the world, the band released their third album "Badmotorfinger". With singles like "Jesus Christ Pose", "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" and a Grammy nomination, the album became one of the most successful. The band became known for popularizing grunge music and setting the stage for the success of their next album.
= In 1994 the band released their fourth album "Superunknown". It's considered the band's most successful album, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 and producing singles such as "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried to Live", "Black Hole Sun", and "My Wave" and "Fell on Black Days". The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won two. The album was a critical and commercial success, solidifying Thayil’s reputation as a leading guitarist in the grunge scene.
= In 1996 the band released their fifth album "Down On the Upside". On this album, the band moved away from their grunge roots and experimented with other musical genres, with less powerful riffs and the additions of instruments with acoustic sounds. The album did not succeed like its predecessor. It produced singles such as: "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand", "Blow Up the Outside World" and "Ty Cobb/Rhinosaur".
(Photo: soundgardenworld.com)
= Thayil joined singer Johnny Cash, bassist Krist Novoselic of "Nirvana" and drummer Sean Kinney of "Alice in Chains" for a cover of Willie Nelson's "Time of the Preacher", featured on the tribute album Twisted Willie, released in January 1996.
= After the tour to promote the album "Down On the Upside", disagreements began between the band members, especially between Cornell and Thayil. Cornell wanted to keep moving from the heavy reefs and distortion to other directions and Thayil opposed the idea. By 1997 it was no longer possible to bridge the gaps and one of the five big bands of the grunge disbanded.
= In 1999, Thayil formed a punk band, named "No WTO Combo", with Jello Biafra ("Dead Kennedys"), Krist Novoselic ("Nirvana"), and Gina Mainwal ("Sweet 75"). The band was formed to celebrate and further the rampant protest activity against the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was held on November 30, 1999. This was Thayil's first live concert since the breakup of "Soundgarden". The show was recorded by Mark Cavener and mixed by "Soundgarden" producer Jack Endino; it was released as the album "Live from the Battle in Seattle" in May 2000.
= In the same year he collaborates with Chris Cornell on the latter’s solo album "Euphoria Morning", contributing to the song “Can’t Change Me.”
= In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Thayil number 100 on the list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time"
= In 2004, Thayil played guitar for "Probot", Dave Grohl's heavy metal side-project. He was featured on the songs "Ice Cold Man" and "Sweet Dreams."
= In 2006 he collaborated with Japanese experimental music group "Boris" and American drone metal band "Sunn O)))" on the album "Altar".
= In 2009, Thayil played with Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd at a show in Seattle at the Crocodile Cafe that was headlined by Tom Morello's "The Nightwatchman". It was the first time the three had played together in public since the band's 1997 breakup.
= In 2010 after 12 years of hiatus "Soundgarden" returned and reunited. The first song to come out after the reunion was "Live to Rise" which was recorded in 2012 specifically for the movie "The Avengers". This is not the only song Cornell wrote for a movie/tv series.
= At the close of 2012, "Soundgarden" released their sixth and last album, "King Animal," 16 years after their fifth album. The album produced three singles: "Been Away Too Long," "By Crooked Steps," and "Halfway There." The band members unanimously agreed that this album felt like a direct continuation of "Down The Upside," as if only a year or two had elapsed since its release.
= A seventh album was scheduled for release, however, following Cornell's passing, the band opted to disband. There is uncertainty surrounding the status of the seventh album, as the band members are working on completing the recordings with Cornell's vocals, but they are facing delays. At present, it remains unclear whether or when the album will be released.
= In 2018 Thayil joined "MC50", a 50th-anniversary tour for "MC5", as a touring guitarist.
= In 2020, Thayil played guitar solos on the song "The Firebird" for the jazz fusion band, the "Barret Martin Group".
= In 2021, Thayil played lead guitar and Matt Cameron played drums for a track, "Only Love Can Save Me Now", on "The Pretty Reckless" album "Death By Rock And Roll".
= In December 2020, Thayil, Novoselic, Jennifer Johnson, Jillian Raye, Jeff Fielder and Ben Smith performed the song "Drone" at the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture's tribute to "Alice in Chains".
= In 2021, Thayil appeared on "Mastodon's" double album "Hushed and Grim", playing lead guitar on the track "Had It All."
= In 2021, Thayil, along with Cameron, Novoselic, guitarist Bubba Dupree, and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye, formed the group "3rd Secret". Their self-titled debut album, which they recorded with producer Jack Endino, was released in April 2022. The group also performed at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.
= Thayil keeps collaborating with many different artists in many different spectrums of music and we are sure we will keep hearing his music or his influences.
= One thing is for sure, we will never, never ever forget the sound of his guitar distorted humming keep loudly shredding the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel-Aviv in 2014. His guitar echo still resonates in our heads even today.
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