Thom Yorke has talked about the “tough period” his family went through following the cancer-related death of his former spouse.
While studying art at Exeter University, the leader of Radiohead got to know Rachel Owen, an artist and lecturer at Oxford University. Before divorcing in 2015, the couple dated for 23 years and had two children, Noah and Agnes.
In 2016, Owen passed away at the age of 48 from cancer. Despite being ill that year, she taught Italian until the last few months of her life.
When asked about his role as a father to the two teenagers, Yorke said, “We’re all fine, but I can’t hope to be their mum,” to Lauren Laverne, host of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Simply said, I’m quite proud of them both. Most days, I’m amazed by it. I’m in shock that they have anything to do with me. They really are wonderful individuals.
Owen was a well-known artist who combined printmaking and photography on a global scale. She specialized in Italian medieval literature for her academic career.
Yorke stated: “We went through a lot during that really tough time when the kids’ mother passed away. It was really challenging. She went through a lot, and I hope that’s what’s occurring because my goal is to make sure we’ve recovered well.
“I’m fortunate that I now have a new partner who has entered the picture and shed light on everything, which has required a tremendous amount of courage. Honestly, if all of that is alright. It would be my greatest achievement if I could create music that both conveys all of that and continues to be meaningful to listeners.
For the most of his career, the musician has criticized politicians for not doing enough to address the climate issue. However, he acknowledged to Laverne that he was acting hypocritically by touring the globe and advocating for change.
“An issue I’ve always had to deal with is feeling like a hypocrite when I advocate for climate change initiatives since I have to travel for work. I acknowledge my hypocrisy, but what steps would you like to take to address it?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex caused a stir last month when they were reported to have taken four private jet trips in 11 days while still being vocal about environmental issues.In defense of them, Sir Elton John stated that he had ensured the flights were carbon neutral by making a donation to a fund for carbon footprints.
Yorke responded, “The truth of the matter is we’re all part of a system,” when questioned about the criticism. It’s a systemic issue that requires adjustment. You can do action, but the real action needs to take place in the UN and parliament right away; time is running short.
Yorke also mentioned how hard it was for him at first to deal with Radiohead’s popularity. “I became enraged. I get really annoyed easily. I got more control-freakery. I put my hands on the steering wheel and I was white-knuckled, and I didn’t care who I damaged or what I said,” he claimed. “I sat down with the boys and apologized years later. The doors had opened by the time we started recording OK Computer, and we had the nicest time making that record.
“Helped me when things went wild, when people started to talk to me like I was Jesus… on the street,” the leader of REM, according to the man, was Michael Stipe.