Inside Oasis’ family life – ‘forgotten’ older brother who shunned fame and ‘abusive dad’

The long-running feud between Noel and Liam Gallagher is finally over – and Oasis are back.

They are going on the road together next year with ticket prices now confirmed for their 17-date reunion tour.

The UK and Ireland gigs are expected to sell out within minutes and below we look at how it all started for the brothers who had humble beginnings.

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Family life

Noel and Liam are the sons of Tommy and Peggy Gallagher and they grew up in a semi-detached council house in Burnage.

But they also had an older sibling called Paul who said Liam caused him the most trouble as a child because he was an “attention seeker” who would snatch his clothes, records and money.

Their Irish mum Peggy is from Charlestown, Mayo, and moved to Manchester in 1962. She said she “hated” the city initially and admitted she must have cried for about six months after struggling to settle into a new country.

But in 1963 she met Tommy, who also has Irish roots in Drogheda, Meath, at a carousel and they got married less than a year later. She said of him: “He was lovely when I met him like.”

Paul arrived first followed by Noel before five years later they had Liam – and Peggy said the early years with her children was the “best” time of her life.

However, Peggy, Noel and Liam have all claimed that Tommy was an abusive man who often lashed out violently.

Abuse

Remembering the dark moments in the Supersonic documentary, Liam said: “Me dad used to knock me mam about. There was many times where it got like that. He never touched me, I don’t know why he didn’t. Sometimes you’d f***ing want the crack instead of having to witness it.”

Despite not physically harming Liam, Tommy allegedly did not hold back when it came to Noel.

“He used to kill Noel,” his mother, now 81, said. “Noel was the one who got it most. I remember Noel saying once ‘if you don’t get out of here and leave him mam I am going to kill him’. And I thought ‘oh Jesus, you can’t be doing time for the likes of him’.”

Giving his own take, Noel said: “Yeah, my dad used to beat the living daylights out of me. I’ve never felt compelled to either talk about it or write about it. You can’t let that kind of thing affect you in any way because you are then carrying that weight all the way through life.”

Peggy eventually found the courage to leave Tommy and they divorced in 1986 after she and the boys moved out.

Older brother Paul recalled: “He never came after us. He wouldn’t dare. It was a sense of see you later, we’re free.”

Gallagher brothers as children

Peggy described Noel as being “very quiet” and he would usually be in his room either writing on a piece of paper or strumming a guitar.

Laughing, she called Liam a “devil” and said she never knew he was even bothered about music as a child.

And this was also the case for Liam who said: “For me the music, I wasn’t into until when I was about 16,17 maybe. Anyone with a guitar or in a band I thought was a bit suspect, do you know what I mean and I would hurl abuse at them.”

Noel’s passion was always music and he said: “Once I discovered weed and guitars you go into another world. Why would you want to go out?

“Everything I ever wanted from life was coming out of the speakers. I don’t know why Liam and me would be so different – we both had the same childhood.”

Eventually the boys formed Oasis and one of the motivations was to make mum Peggy proud and to give her a better life.

Noel admitted that having to raise the boys would have been “tricky” for her and she “gave it all up” for them to achieve their dreams.

Liam shared similar feelings and said: “I wanted to make her proud and stop her from doing like three f***ing jobs and put her feet up and have nice things.”

Paul Gallagher

Paul has kept out of the spotlight over the years but he has always had a close relationship with his famous brothers.

Giving an insight in a recent interview, he said he speaks to them both and sees Liam every other day.

And as for why he keeps a low profile, he told the Michael Anthony Show podcast: “I do my own thing, I stay away from it as much as humanly possible.

“Yeah f**king annoying. How many years has it been now, 30? How many times can you say [inaudible noise], it’s excruciating.”

And rather than constantly being asked by Oasis fans about his younger siblings, he said he would prefer to “flat around invisible”.

Paul works as a DJ and will be Liam’s best man for his wedding to fiancée Debbie Gwyther.

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk