Igornhx at 21:36, 1 March 2026

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{{Short description|American guitarist (born 1960)}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2016}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter}}
| instrument = Guitar
| name = Kim Thayil
| image = Kim Thayil - Fabrik Hamburg 2018 04.jpg
| caption = Thayil performing with [[MC5|MC50]] in 2018
| birth_name = Kim Anand Thayil
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|9|4}}
| birth_place = [[Seattle, Washington]], U.S.
| alias =
| genre = {{hlist|[[Alternative metal]]|[[grunge]]|[[alternative rock]]|[[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]|[[hard rock]]}}
| current_member_of = {{hlist| [[3rd Secret]]|[[MC5|MC50]]}}
| past_member_of = {{hlist| Bozo and the Pinheads|Identity Crisis|[[Soundgarden]]|[[No WTO Combo]]}}
| years_active = 1980–present
| website =
}}
'''Kim Anand Thayil'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |date=December 28, 2023 |title=Flower |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/360247510 |website=ASCAP Repertory}}</ref> (born September 4, 1960)<ref name="bio">[http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/misc/kim.shtml Kim Thayil Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010611000049/http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/misc/kim.shtml |date=June 11, 2001 }} Unofficial SG Homepage.</ref><ref name="spin">{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2010 |title=Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on Protests, Quarantine and Teaming Up With Brandi Carlile |url=https://www.spin.com/2020/06/soundgardens-kim-thayil-on-protests-quarantine-and-teaming-up-with-brandi-carlile/ |website=SPIN Magazine}}</ref> is an American musician best known as the [[lead guitar]]ist of the [[Seattle]]-based [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Soundgarden]], which he co-founded with singer [[Chris Cornell]] and bassist [[Hiro Yamamoto]] in 1984. Cornell and Thayil remained as the original members of the band until Cornell's death in 2017, and the band's subsequent split in 2018. Thayil was named the 100th greatest guitarist of all time by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in 2010,<ref name=100GG>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231|title=100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=December 2, 2010|access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref> and the 67th greatest guitarist of all time by [[Spin (magazine)|SPIN]] in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2012/05/greatest-guitarists-all-time/|title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time|date=May 3, 2012|website=Spin|access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref> Thayil has won two [[Grammy Awards]] as a member of Soundgarden.<ref name="grammy">{{Cite web |title=Kim Thayil |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/kim-thayil/17480 |access-date=September 8, 2020 |website=Grammy.com}}</ref>

He was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of Soundgarden in 2025.

==Biography==
===Childhood and early life===
Born in [[Seattle, Washington]] in 1960, Thayil grew up in the [[Chicago]] suburb of [[Park Forest, Illinois|Park Forest]].<ref name="spin" /> His [[Malayalis|Malayali]] parents came from the state of [[Kerala, India|Kerala]] in India to Seattle.<ref name="spin" /> His mother was a music teacher who studied to be a concert pianist at the [[Royal Academy of Music]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-18 |title=Hammer of the Gods: Spin's 1994 Soundgarden Cover Story |url=https://www.spin.com/2017/05/soundgarden-1994-cover-story/ |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=SPIN |language=en-US}}</ref> His father earned a degree in chemical engineering, received employment in Chicago and moved there with his family.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maverick Philosopher: Saturday Night at the Oldies: I Give Chess Lesson to Father of Kim Thayil |url=https://maverickphilosopher.blog/index.php/2013/11/16/small-world-i-give-chess-lesson-to-father-of-kim-thayil/ |website=maverickphilosopher.blog/}}</ref>

Thayil started writing lyrics at 12 years old.<ref name="kerrang">{{Cite web |last=Garner |first=George |date=September 4, 2020 |title=Soundgarden's Kim Thayil: "we Weren't Out To Get Laid, We Weren't Out To Get High, We Just Wanted To Make You F*cking Hurt" |url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/soundgardens-kim-thayil-we-werent-out-to-get-laid-we-werent-out-to-get-high-we-just-wanted-to-make-you-fucking-hurt/ |website=Kerrang!}}</ref> In 1977, he formed his first band in Chicago, Bozo and the Pinheads,<ref>{{cite book|title=Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music|last=Prato|first=Greg|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|year=2009|isbn=9781554903474|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTg4whS9ClUC&pg=PT28 |page=28}}</ref> a [[punk rock]] band.<ref name="kerrang"/> They did both original songs (written by Thayil and inspired by his [[punk music]] tastes) and cover tunes (mostly [[Sex Pistols]], [[Devo (band)|Devo]], and [[Ramones]]).<ref name="unofficial-kim">{{cite web|url=http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/misc/kim.shtml|title=Unofficial SG Homepage: Kim Thayil|website=web.stargate.net|access-date=February 1, 2016|archive-date=June 11, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010611000049/http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/misc/kim.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="kerrang"/> Their first gig was at a school talent show for an audience of about 500 people.<ref name="unofficial-kim"/>

He played guitar in a [[post-punk]] band called Identity Crisis in 1980 and released a 7-inch EP called ''Pretty Feet''.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Discogs]]|url=http://www.discogs.com/Identity-Crisis-Pretty-Feet/release/3271093|title=Identity Crisis – Pretty Feet|date=March 1980 }}</ref>

Thayil met [[Hiro Yamamoto]] at [[Rich East High School]] in Park Forest. He graduated, along with Hiro Yamamoto, from the Active Learning Process School (ALPS) at Rich East High School in 1979, the same school [[Bruce Pavitt]] graduated from two years earlier, in 1977. He and Yamamoto decided to move to [[Olympia, Washington]], to study at [[Evergreen State College|The Evergreen State College]], but they were unable to find jobs and decided to move to Seattle. There, Thayil was a DJ for [[KEXP-FM|KCMU]] and earned a degree in philosophy at the [[University of Washington]]. In Seattle they also met [[Chris Cornell]], a roommate, and the three formed [[Soundgarden]] in 1984.<ref name="unofficial-kim"/><ref name="Rolling Stone_2018-11-01">{{Citation | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/soundgardens-kim-thayil-talks-new-chris-cornell-box-set-749656/| title=Kim Thayil on New Chris Cornell Box: 'The Main Thing Is to Represent His Versatility'| newspaper=Rolling Stone| date=January 11, 2018| access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref>

===Soundgarden (1984–1997)===
Soundgarden became the first of Seattle's grunge bands to sign with a major label ([[A&M Records]]). They went on to release five albums, including three which went [[Music recording sales certification|platinum]] at least once, and won two [[Grammys]].<ref name="grammy"/>

Thayil became acclaimed for his guitar work, which was typically characterized by heavy [[riff]]ing, and was cited among other grunge guitarists as an influence and a pioneer of the "[[Grunge|Seattle Sound]]." In 1994, Thayil commented, "I think Soundgarden is a pretty good band and I'm a fine guitarist. I'm not God, but I'm certainly not average. I feel very comfortable with the fact that not many other people can do what I do on guitar. I think my guitar is happy with the way I play it."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gilbert|first1=Jeff|title=Primecuts: Kim Thayil|url=http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/gschool_5-94.shtml|website=Unofficial Soundgarden Homepage|access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref>

Originally one of Soundgarden's main songwriters, Thayil's contributions as a writer eventually dwindled to just one song on ''[[Down on the Upside]]'', "Never the Machine Forever", although he contributed to details in every song, as did every band member. Thayil explained that "Collaboration was paramount in our early music, especially right at the beginning when it was me on guitar, Hiro on bass and Chris on drums", but eventually all four members became songwriters of their own, "all writing guitar parts that I had to learn." This led him to do "Never the Machine Forever" all on his own, as Thayil thought "Well, if I'm going to have a song on this fucking record, I'm going to have to write lyrics."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/soundgarden-ups_downs_of_screaming_life|title=Soundgarden The Ups and Downs of Screaming Life|website=exclaim.ca}}</ref>

While a member of Soundgarden, he wrote the following songs for the band:
{{col-start}}{{col-3}}
* "[[Hunted Down]]" (''[[Screaming Life]]'') ''... music''
* "Nothing to Say" (''Screaming Life'') ''... music''
* "Tears To Forget" (''Screaming Life'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "Little Joe" (''Screaming Life'') ''... music''
* "Hand of God" (''Screaming Life'') ''... music''
* "Kingdom of Come" (''[[Fopp (EP)|Fopp]]'') ''... credited to Soundgarden''
* "[[Flower (Soundgarden song)|Flower]]" (''[[Ultramega OK]]'') ''... music''
* "All Your Lies" (''Ultramega OK'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "Circle of Power" (''Ultramega OK'') ''... music''
* "Incessant Mace" (''Ultramega OK'') ''... music''
* "[[Hands All Over (Soundgarden song)|Hands All Over]]" (''[[Louder Than Love]]'') ''... music''
{{col-3}}
* "Get on the Snake" (''Louder Than Love'') ''... music''
* "Heretic" (''[[Loudest Love]]'') ''... music''
* "[[Jesus Christ Pose]]" (''[[Badmotorfinger]]'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "[[Room a Thousand Years Wide]]" (''Badmotorfinger'') ''... lyrics''
* "New Damage" (''Badmotorfinger'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "[[My Wave]]" (''[[Superunknown]]'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "Superunknown" (''Superunknown'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "Limo Wreck" (''Superunknown'') ''... music (co-written)''
* "Kickstand" (''Superunknown'') ''... music''
* "Never the Machine Forever" (''[[Down on the Upside]]'') ''... music and lyrics''
* "Black Rain" (''[[Telephantasm]]'') ''...music (co-written)''
{{col-3}}
* "Non-State Actor" (''[[King Animal]]'') ''...lyrics (co-written)''
* "By Crooked Steps" (''King Animal'') ''...music (co-written)''
* "A Thousand Days Before" (''King Animal'') ''...music''
* "Blood on the Valley Floor" (''King Animal'') ''...music''
{{col-end}}

===Post-Soundgarden (1997–2010)===
Thayil joined singer [[Johnny Cash]], bassist [[Krist Novoselic]] of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] and drummer [[Sean Kinney]] of [[Alice in Chains]] for a cover of [[Willie Nelson]]'s "[[Red Headed Stranger|Time of the Preacher]]", featured on the tribute album ''Twisted Willie'', released in January 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-27-ca-29172-story.html |title=ALBUM REVIEWS / POP: 'Twisted Willie' Gives Nelson Grunge Honors Treatment |last=Hochman |first=Steve |date=January 27, 1996 |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=August 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Twisted Willie">{{Cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Twisted-Willie/release/1562651 |title=Various – Twisted Willie |website=Discogs |date=January 30, 1996 |access-date=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

After the 1997 breakup of Soundgarden, Thayil went on to contribute guitar to work by [[Pigeonhed]] and [[The Presidents of the United States of America (band)|Presidents of the United States of America]]. More recently, he contributed guitar to the track "Blood Swamp" from the 2006 [[Sunn O)))]]/[[Boris (band)|Boris]] album [[Altar (Sunn O))) and Boris album)|Altar]], for which he also wrote liner notes. Thayil also plays lead guitar on a track called "V.O.G." by Ascend, which features [[Gentry Densley]] ([[Iceburn]], [[Eagle Twin]]) and [[Greg Anderson (guitarist)|Greg Anderson]] (Sunn O))), Engine Kid, [[Goatsnake]]). Ascend's record, titled ''Ample Fire Within'', was released in 2008 by [[Southern Lord Records]].

In 1999, Thayil formed a [[punk rock|punk]] band, the [[No WTO Combo]], with [[Jello Biafra]] (formerly of [[Dead Kennedys]]), [[Krist Novoselic]] (formerly of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], at the time a member of [[Sweet 75]]), and Gina Mainwal (also of [[Sweet 75]]). The band was formed to celebrate and further [[1999 Seattle WTO protests|the rampant protest activity]] against the [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999|WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999]], which was held on November 30, 1999. Originally scheduled to play at [[The Showbox]] on that same evening, police prevented the band from doing so, forcing the show to be rescheduled for the following night. This was Thayil's first live concert since the breakup of Soundgarden. The show was recorded by Mark Cavener and mixed by Soundgarden producer [[Jack Endino]]; it was released as the album ''[[Live from the Battle in Seattle]]'' in May 2000.

In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine named Thayil #100 on the list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time".<ref>Fricke, David; Edmonds, Ben; Eliscu, Jenny; Kemp, Rob; Kot, Greg; Levy, Joe; Moon, Tom; Puterbaugh, Parke; Randall, Mac; Sheffield, Rob (September 18, 2003) "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" ''Rolling Stone'' Issue 931, pp. 46-61. The list was posted to the Internet on August 27, 2003</ref><ref name=100GG />

In 2004, Thayil played guitar for [[Probot]], [[Dave Grohl]]'s [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] side-project; he was featured on the songs "Ice Cold Man" and "Sweet Dreams".

Thayil was a recurring participant on the ''[[Almost Live!]]'' sketch comedy show, calling things "lame" during "The Lame List" segments.<ref name="Spin199304">{{cite magazine |issn=0886-3032 |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=30 |title=Live from Seattle, it's...Almost Live! |url={{GBurl|gxsArQZdyBwC|page=30}} |department=News |publication-date=April 1993}}</ref><ref name="GrungeDiaries">{{cite book |title=The Grunge Diaries: Seattle, 1990–1994 |section-url={{GBurl|9IozEAAAQBAJ|page=49}} |pages=49–50 |section=Saturday, May 5 |first=Dave |last=Thompson |year=2021 |isbn=9781493055692 |oclc=1243906850}}</ref>

In 2009, Thayil played with Soundgarden's [[Matt Cameron]] and [[Ben Shepherd]] at a show in Seattle on March 24, 2009, at the [[Crocodile Cafe]] that was headlined by [[Tom Morello]]'s [[The Nightwatchman]]. It was the first time the three had played together in public since the band's 1997 breakup. The three were joined by [[Tad Doyle]] of fellow 1990s Seattle band [[Tad (band)|TAD]], and performed three Soundgarden songs. For the last song ("[[Spoonman]]") they were joined by [[Tom Morello]] (Morello had played the song before with [[Audioslave]]). Thayil has also played with [[Greg Gilmore]] of [[Mother Love Bone]] and Danny Kelly of Heliotroupe in the group Set & Setting. Their debut performance was October 31, 2009, above the famed [[K Records]] warehouse now known as the Cherry Street Loft ("The Loft on Cherry") in [[Olympia, Washington]].

===Soundgarden reunion (2010–2017)===
[[File:Soundgarden @ McCallum Park (522012).jpg|thumb|Thayil with [[Soundgarden]] in 2012]]
On January 1, 2010, it was announced through Facebook and Twitter posts by Chris Cornell that the official Soundgarden fanclub had been restarted. On April 15, 2010, it was announced that Soundgarden would play its first show since 1997 the following day at the Showbox at the Market in its Seattle hometown. The band played under the name 'Nudedragons', an anagram for Soundgarden.

On August 5, 2010, the band played their first reunion show under the Soundgarden name at [[The Vic Theatre]] in Chicago. Three days later, they headlined the final night of [[Lollapalooza]] in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]].

In September 2010, the band released the compilation album ''[[Telephantasm]]''. November 2012 saw the release of ''[[King Animal]]'', their first studio album since 1996.

In 2012, Thayil voiced a character in [[Metalocalypse (season 4)|Season IV: Church of the Black Klok]]'s "Dethcamp" in the [[Adult Swim]] original series ''[[Metalocalypse]]''.

On May 18, 2017, Chris Cornell was found dead in his hotel room, cancelling the rest of their tour and the band was disbanded again in 2018, with the exception of their one-off show of Tribute to Chris Cornell in January 2019.<ref name="Spin police report">{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2017/05/chris-cornell-police-report-death-details/ |title=Chris Cornell Police Report Details the Hours Before Singer's Death |first=Taylor |last=Berman |work=Spin |date=May 19, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name="RS police report">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chris-cornell-police-report-details-singers-death-w483238 |title=Chris Cornell: Police Report Details Singer's Final Hours |first=Daniel |last=Kreps |magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 19, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref>

=== Projects outside Soundgarden ===
In March 2018, it was announced that original member of the [[proto punk]] band [[MC5]], [[Wayne Kramer]] would embark on a 35 date tour of North America for their 50th anniversary of the band's debut ''[[Kick Out the Jams]]'', recruiting Thayil to play guitar along with [[Brendan Canty]] of [[Fugazi]], [[Doug Pinnick]] of [[King's X]], and Marcus Durant of [[Zen Guerrilla]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/mc5-plot-kick-out-the-jams-50th-anniversary-tour-w518688|title=MC5's Wayne Kramer Plots 'Kick Out the Jams' 50th Anniversary Tour|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 3, 2018 |access-date=May 20, 2018}}</ref>

In 2020, Thayil played guitar solos on the song "The Firebird" for the jazz fusion band, the [[Barrett Martin|Barret Martin]] Group. In 2021, he played lead guitar and [[Matt Cameron]] played drums for a track, "Only Love Can Save Me Now", on the new [[The Pretty Reckless]] album. The Pretty Reckless frontwoman [[Taylor Momsen]] said that without Thayil, recording the track would have been impossible, as "Kim is a master – there's no-one else like him."<ref>{{Cite web|last=February 2021|first=Michael Astley-Brown 12|title=Hear Soundgarden's Kim Thayil tear it up on new The Pretty Reckless track Only Love Can Save Me Now|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/hear-soundgardens-kim-thayil-tear-it-up-on-new-the-pretty-reckless-track-only-love-can-save-me-now|access-date=March 11, 2021|website=guitarworld|date=February 12, 2021|language=en}}</ref> In December 2020, Thayil, [[Krist Novoselic]], Jennifer Johnson, Jillian Raye, Jeff Fielder and Ben Smith performed the song "Drone" at the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture's tribute to [[Alice in Chains]]. In 2021, Thayil appeared on [[Mastodon (band)|Mastodon]]'s double album ''[[Hushed and Grim]]'', playing lead guitar on the track "Had It All".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2021/09/17/soundgardens-kim-thayil-to-appear-on-mastodons-new-album/|title = Soundgarden's Kim Thayil to Appear on Mastodon's New Album|date = September 17, 2021}}</ref>

In 2021, Thayil, along with drummer Matt Cameron, bassist Krist Novoselic, guitarist Bubba Dupree, and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye, formed the group [[3rd Secret]]. Their self-titled debut album, which they recorded at The Bait Shop in [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] with producer [[Jack Endino]], was released in April 2022. The group also performed at the [[Museum of Pop Culture]] in Seattle.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/3rd-secret-album-kim-thayil-matt-cameron-krist-novoselic-1336127/|first=Kat|last=Bouza|title=New Grunge Supergroup Featuring Members of Soundgarden and Nirvana Drops Debut LP|date=April 11, 2022|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>

In 2024, Thayil appeared on [[Bear McCreary]]'s epic rock concept album, graphic novel, and concert experience - ''"The Singularity"''.

In 2025, Thayil was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], as a member of Soundgarden.<ref>https://rockhall.com/inductees/soundgarden/</ref>

Thayil recorded a cover version of "The Day I Tried To Live" with King Ultramega to celebrate the induction of Soundgarden into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://newnoisemagazine.com/news-king-ultramega-release-the-day-i-tried-to-live-featuring-kim-thayil-of-soundgarden/|first=Abir|last=Mahmud|title=King Ultramega Release 'The Day I Tried To Live' Featuring Kim Thayil Of Soundgarden|date=November 12, 2025|magazine=New Noise Magazine}}</ref>

==Discography==
'''Soundgarden'''
{{See also|Soundgarden discography}}

'''No WTO Combo'''
* ''[[Live from the Battle in Seattle]]'' (2000)

'''Probot'''
* ''[[Probot]]'' (2004)

'''Sunn O))) and Boris'''
* ''[[Altar (Sunn O))) and Boris album)|Altar]]'' (2006)

'''3rd Secret'''
* ''[[3rd Secret]]'' (2022)
* ''[[3rd Secret|The 2nd 3rd Secret]]'' (2023)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cci}}
*{{IMDb name|0857237}}

{{Soundgarden}}
{{2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thayil, Kim}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Grunge musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Seattle]]
[[Category:Soundgarden members]]
[[Category:American alternative rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Sub Pop artists]]
[[Category:American musicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni]]
[[Category:American people of Malayali descent]]
[[Category:American lead guitarists]]
[[Category:Alternative metal guitarists]]
[[Category:American heavy metal guitarists]]
[[Category:People from Park Forest, Illinois]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:3rd Secret members]]

Kim Thayil - Revision history

Igornhx at 21:36, 1 March 2026