Real Name: Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood
Born: November 5, 1971
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is a guitarist and also a multi-instrumentalist born on November 5, 1971 in Oxford, England.He is best known as the member of an English Alternative Rock band ‘Radiohead’ and serves as the lead guitarist. Jonny Greenwood is a Grammy and BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards nominated musician. He is also composer-in-residence for the BBC. In addition to guitar he plays Viola, Xylophone, Ondes Martenot, Organ, Piano, Glockenspiel, Banjo, Drums and Harmonica.
Jonny Greenwood and his brother Colin Charles Greenwood attended Abingdon School near Oxford where Colin met Thom Yorke, the founding member of the band “Radiohead”. Radiohead was formed during the late 1980s under the name “On A Friday”. Jonny Greenwood was younger then the other four members of the band and was given a chance to play harmonica at a gig at the Jericho Tavern in 1987 in Oxford. Jonny later took up keyboard duties and performed with the band. The band got disbanded for few years as the members of the band went off to continue their studies. The band “On A Friday” was reformed again in the summer of 1991 and released couple of demos and gigs.
On A Friday quickly became popular and was seen on the cover of ‘Curfew’, a magazine. The band “On A Friday” signed a recording contract with the EMI, a British Music Company in 1991 for which Jonny Greenwood left the university and joined the band. The band got inspired by the American Rock band’s album “True Stories” and renamed the band as “Radiohead”. The band members included Thom Yorke on vocals, Jonny Greenwood on guitar and other instruments, Colin Greenwood on bass guitar, synthesizers, Phil Selway on drums, percussion and Ed O’Brien on backing vocals and guitar.
Jonny Greenwood is the only band member without a university degree and is capable of playing any instruments. Jonny Greenwood has written many songs for the albums of Radiohead and is seen as a lead guitarist. Some of his music composition includes ‘The Tourist’ and ‘Subterranean Homesick Alien’, songs from the album “OK Computer” and ‘A Wolf at the Door’, song from the album “Hail to the Thief”.
Jonny Greenwood released his first solo album “Bodysong” in 2003. Jonny Greenwood worked for BBC as a composer at his resdidence from May 2004. Working with BBC helped him compose several pieces for the symphony orchestra. Some of his works like Piano for Children, Popcorn Superhet Receiver and smear made him popular. The later was premiered in 2004. A live concert was commissioned by BBC Radio with Greenwood's new work on April 2005.
Jonny Greenwood received the ‘BBC Radio 3 Listeners Award’ at the 2006 BBC British Composer Awards for his composition work in “Popcorn Superhet Receiver”.
Jonny Greenwood, a fan of ‘Dub reggae’ music released a compilation album “Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller’ in association with ‘Trojan Records’ in March 2007. Jonny was provided with an extensive list of songs by Trojan Records from which he selected 17 songs and played. He received an award at the “Critics’ Choice Awards” for his composition work for the movie “There Will Be Blood” from director Paul Thomas Anderson. It was announced that Jonny Greenwood won the trophy for Best Film Score in the ‘Evening Standard British Film Awards’ for 2007 on 4 February 2008.
Jonny Greenwood is married to Sharona and they have a son Tamir, born in 2002 and daughter Omni, born in 2005. Sharona Greenwood gave birth to their third child in February 2008.
His Guitar Collection includes:
- Fender Telecaster Plus
- Fender Telecaster
- Fender Starcaster with Fender Wide Range pickups
- Gretsch G6119-1962HT Tennessee Rose HT
- Gibson Les Paul
- Gibson ES-335
- Gibson Les Paul Goldtop
- Martin D-35
- Taylor Big Baby
Some of his albums include:
- Pablo Honey (1993)
- The Bends (1995)
- OK Computer (1997)
- Kid A (2000)
- Amnesiac (2001)
- Hail to the Thief (2003)
- In Rainbows (2007)