Noel Gallagher at 59: Facts about the Oasis guitarist and chief songwriter
29 May 2026, 16:57
Noel Gallagher turns another year older this week, but how much do you know about the Oasis chief songwriter?
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Noel Gallagher turns 59 years old on Thursday 29th May 2026.
The Manchester rocker and his brother Liam cemented their status as one of biggest names in British music when they reunited for the first time in 16 years and embarked on their Oasis Live '25 world tour.
Noel may not be the frontman of the legendary Britpop band, but he's responsible for almost all of the anthems we know Oasis for today.
Much has happened to the musician since he quit the band in 2009, so if you haven't followed his life and career since then, you have quite a lot to catch up on!
Find out everything there is to know about Noel Gallagher including his age, date of birth, how many solo albums he has, what Oasis songs he sings on, why he left the band in the first place and much more!
Read more:
- 16 Oasis "deep cuts" we'd like to hear on the 2025 reunion tour
- Why did Oasis split? The full story of Liam and Noel Gallagher's feud...
- Liam Gallagher facts: Everything you should know about the Oasis frontman
How old is Noel Gallagher?
Noel Gallagher was born on 29 May 1967, which (at the date of this article's latest update) makes him 59 years old.
What star sign is Noel Gallagher?
Noel Gallagher's May 29th birthday makes him a Gemini.
What is Noel Gallagher's real name?
Noel Gallagher's full name is Noel Thomas David Gallagher. As the Manchester rocker has spoken about on many occasions, despite his festive French name - he simply can't stand Christmas.
“I’m not in any way a fan of Christmas as people will know even though I was named after the bloody thing itself," he told Radio X. “I don’t like Christmas, I don’t like the religious aspect. I don’t like the jingles. I don’t like any of it.”
Who are Noel Gallagher's parents?
Noel is the son of Irish immigrants Thomas and Peggy Gallagher. Peggy is the beloved matriarch of the family, but his father is estranged from the family and it has previously been revealed how he was not only physically abusive to Peggy, but also lashed out at Noel and his eldest brother Paul.
Does Noel Gallagher Gallagher have other siblings?
Other than his Oasis bandmate brother Liam, Noel has another brother, Paul - who is the eldest of the three. It's likely that Paul has been quite estranged from Noel up until quite recently, as Paul was often seen with Liam on tour, taking photos of his live shows as well as joining the Gallagher clan on holiday. According to reports, the brothers are also believed have an alleged half-sister called Emma Davies, who is said to be the result of an affair his father Thomas had.
Read more:
- Does Liam Gallagher have to pay Noel to sing Oasis songs?
- WATCH: Liam Gallagher answers his most Googled questions
- Is the Oasis ballad Songbird Liam Gallagher's best ever track?
How many albums did Noel release with Oasis?
Noel Gallagher released all seven studio albums in total with the band, from their debut Definitely Maybe in 1994 up until he quit in 2009. See the full list of Oasis albums below:
- Definitely Maybe (1994)
- (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
- Be Here Now (1997)
- Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000)
- Heathen Chemistry (2002)
- Don't Believe the Truth (2005)
- Dig Out Your Soul (2008)
Which Oasis songs does Noel Gallagher sing?*
- D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman (1994)
- Half The World Away (1994)
- Sad Song (1994)
- Take Me Away (1994)
- Bonehead's Bank Holiday (1995)
- Don't Look Back In Anger (1995)
- It's Better People (1995)
- The Masterplan (1995)
- Talk Tonight (1995)
- Step Out (1996)
- Angel Child (1997)
- Going Nowhere (1997)
- Magic Pie (1997)
- The Fame (1998)
- Flashbax (1998)
- (As Long as They've Got) Cigarettes in Hell (2000)
- Carry Us All (2000)
- Full On (2000)
- One Way Road (2000)
- Sunday Morning Call (2000)
- Where Did It All Go Wrong? (2000)
- Force of Nature (2002)
- Idler's Dream (2002)
- Just Getting Older (2002)
- Little By Little (2002)
- She Is Love (2002)
- Shout It Out Loud (2002)
- You've Got The Heart of a Star (2003)
- Can Y'See It Now? (I Can See It Now!! (2005)
- Mucky Fingers (2005)
- Part of the Queue (2005)
- Sittin' Here in Silence (On My Own) (2005)
- Who Put the Weight of the World on My Shoulders? (2005)
- Lord Don't Slow Me Down (2007)
- Falling Down (2008)
- (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady (2008)
- Waiting for the Rapture (2008)
- Those Swollen Hand Blues (2009)
*This list isn't exhaustive and does not include any hidden gems or unearthed tracks that Noel has later featured on for reissues or special releases.
Listen to this playlist of some of the best Noel-sung Oasis bangers here:
Why did Noel Gallagher leave Oasis?
There were many strained moments between the Gallagher brothers throughout the years, but things reached a pressure point in 2009. As Oasis prepared to go onstage at the Rock En Seine festival in Paris, an argument broke out, with Liam wielding Noel’s guitar around “like an axe”. It was the last straw: the show was cancelled, along with the rest of the tour and Noel issued a statement: “It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”
In another statement a few days later, titled "Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere", Noel added: "The details are not important and of too great a number to list. But I feel you have the right to know that the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends and comrades has become intolerable. And the lack of support and understanding from my management and band mates has left me with no other option than to get me cape and seek pastures new.”
Noel later claimed that the argument was started over an ad for Liam’s clothing firm Pretty Green in the V Festival programme… However, Noel later told Radio X: “I had enough when Liam and Bonehead - and this is true - started arguing over a leather jacket. I am not even kidding. I can dress it up more than this, but this is what happened.”
How many solo albums does Noel Gallagher have?
Four. See the records Noel has released as a solo artist so far:
- Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2011)
- Chasing Yesterday (2015)
- Who Built the Moon? (2017)
- Council Skies (2023)
READ MORE:
- What did Oasis play at their last ever show?
- QUIZ: Who said it: Noel or Liam Gallagher?
- Which Oasis songs did Liam Gallagher write?
- Liam Gallagher reveals his favourite Arctic Monkeys song
Is Noel Gallagher married?
Noel Gallagher was previously married to Meg Matthews from 1997 - 2001, and to Sara MacDonald from 2011 - 2023.
Noel's second wife Sara's strained relationship with his brother Liam was no secret, and she broke her silence on their bitter feud in 2020 and revealed that problems started when she and Noel had a brief split after two years together.
The 48-year-old also recalled a night when a fight erupted between the brothers in a hotel room. "They were rolling around like geckos. Noel’s shirt was in ribbons. We left, but then I realised I’d left my bag in there. Noel knocked on the door and it was hurled down the corridor.
"It just became untenable, exhausting."
How many children does Noel Gallagher have?
Liam Gallagher has three children; Anaïs Gallagher (25) from his marriage to Meg Matthews, and sons Donovan (17) and Sonny (14) from his marriage to Sara MacDonald.
What pets does Noel Gallagher have?
Noel Gallagher famously had two cats named Benson and Hedges - named after his favourite cigarettes and back in 2023, Noel recalled how his 90s parties caused them to have 'nervous breakdowns'.
Speaking on the Take 5 podcast, the musician said: “I had a couple of cats who had a nervous breakdown. Benson and Hedges, after the cigarettes.
"They were a pair of f**king lightweights. The cats had a thousand-yard stare by the end of it. They’d seen things that no feline should ever see.”
Back in 2015, he also talked about his family's plans to adopt a dog Tommy.
Does Noel Gallagher get paid when Liam sings Oasis songs?
Yes. Noel Gallagher does get paid every time Liam Gallagher performs an Oasis song penned and performed by him, but it's not coming from his brother's pocket. There's the matter of Performing Rights. All music venues are required to have a Performing Rights Society license and each artist playing needs to fill out a PRS form for every show, detailing which songs were played. This means that the owner of the publishing receives a PRS cheque as payment for their work being performed.
However, Noel must grant permission for his younger brother Liam to use his penned Oasis tracks when they are broadcast or used for his films. Noel famously denied Liam the right to use Oasis songs in both his As You Were and Knebworth 22 documentaries, but it's fair to assume that the Noel-sung Oasis songs will feature in the upcoming Live '25 documentary, which follows the brothers' epic reunion.
Is Noel Gallagher going on tour?
Following the Oasis Live '25 tour, reports strongly suggest that Noel and Liam will return to the stage in 2027, with more tour dates to be announced imminently. Liam Gallagher has already told fans in Italy that the band plans to visit Rome, but their fans on this side of the pond are hoping for a return to the hallowed Knebworth.
Oasis: the road to the reunion
What is Noel Gallagher's net worth?
Noel and his brother Liam have made The Sunday Times Rich List for the first time ever in 2026. Thanks to their reunion dates, Gallagher brothers made a joint appearance at number 11 among the top richest musicians in the UK with an estimated £375 million between them!
Noel Gallagher - According To Google
