Paul Arthurs

Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs is an English musician best known as the co‑founder and rhythm guitarist of the Britpop giants Oasis, a role he fulfilled from the band's inception in 1991 until his departure in 1999 and, after a 25‑year hiatus, he rejoined for the 2025 Oasis Live ’25 Tour. Born on 23 June 1965 in Manchester to Irish‑Catholic parents, he grew up in Longsight and later Levenshulme, attended St Peter’s Roman Catholic Grammar School in Prestwich, and acquired the nickname “Bonehead” at the age of eight after his parents insisted on a very short haircut; despite his working‑class upbringing and early jobs as a plasterer and building contractor, his passion for music was evident through piano and accordion lessons and borrowing his elder brother’s guitar to teach himself. In the mid‑1980s he formed his first band Pleasure and Pain, later joining Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, Tony McCarroll and Chris Hutton in the Rain, a precursor to Oasis, where his forward‑thinking approach and solid rhythm work earned him the informal title of the group’s “glue” and made him a crucial collaborator with Liam and Noel Gallagher on early compositions such as “Life in Vain” and “Take Me”. Throughout the height of Oasis’s fame, Arthurs contributed not only guitar but also keyboards—including piano, Mellotron, and melodica—on the seminal (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? album, and even filled in on bass during the 1995 American tour when the band’s bassist was unavailable, showcasing his versatility and reliability on stage and television appearances like the Late Show with David Letterman. After leaving Oasis in 1999 to spend more time with his young family, he continued to explore diverse musical projects: forming Moondog One with former Smiths members in 2001, releasing the Parlour Flames album in 2013 with Vinny Peculiar, and founding Phoneys & the Freaks in 2014, while also serving as a fill‑in guitarist for Beady Eye and a long‑standing member of Liam Gallagher’s solo backing band from 2017 to 2024, appearing at major venues such as the London Stadium and the Reading & Leeds festivals. In 2022 he publicly disclosed a diagnosis of tonsil cancer, underwent successful treatment, and was declared cancer‑free later that year, allowing him to resume touring; today he lives in Manchester with his wife Kate, a Manchester United supporter, and their two children, continuing to perform, record, and inspire fans of alternative rock and Britpop worldwide.