William John Paul Gallagher was born on September 21, 1972, in the Longsight area of Manchester, England. He has two older brothers, Paul and Noel Gallagher; Noah would later become one of Liam’s band mates. A shy child, Liam tended to hide behind his mother, traumatised after playing by a river where he nearly drowned, and by the behavior of his alcoholic father who was increasingly violent toward her and the boys. When he was fourteen his parents divorced, but by then he had already become involved in petty crime, stealing to pay for cannabis. He reacted to his brother Noel's growing love of music by deciding he hated it all, but after Noel moved out he began to explore it for himself, developing a particular obsession with John Lennon. When his friend Paul McGuigan asked him to sing with his band The Rain, he jumped at the chance. This was the band which would become Oasis.

Oasis's early songs were written by Gallagher and guitarist Paul Arthurs, but the band struggled to gain positive attention, with even Noel dismissing them as "shite." Recognizing his brother's talent, Gallagher persuaded him to join the band and contribute his own song writing talent. After this, it was only a matter of time until the band came to the notice of Sony America, helped on their way by scout Alan McGee. A hit album, Definitely Maybe, followed, and Gallagher soon found himself living the life he had dreamed of, drinking as much as he wanted and socializing with the likes of Richard Ashcroft and Ian Brown. It didn't work out entirely the way he'd hoped however. Accusations of cocaine use and assault on female fans began to surface. Gallagher's promiscuity became a popular topic in the tabloid press and he also made headlines for fighting with his brother, who walked out on the band several times. He also fought with drummer Tony McCarroll, who consequently left.

It was with difficulty that Oasis kept it together long enough to make their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? but the massive success of this record firmly established them at the forefront of the burgeoning Britpop movement. Two less popular albums, Be Here Now and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, followed, but the band maintained a popular following. During this time Gallagher became determined to clean up his act and enforced a ban on alcohol for the band, again prompting his brother to quit. However, he continued to be involved in fights, feuding with sometime friend Robbie Williams and allegedly getting into a scrap with footballer Paul Gascoigne. These helped to keep Oasis in the headlines in the run up to their next two albums, Heathen Chemistry and Don't Believe the Truth, which restored their popularity with fans and critics alike.

In 1997, Gallagher married actress Patsy Kensit, and the two had a son, Lennon Francis, whose godmother is Elizabeth Hurley. Only a week after they got together, however, Gallagher conceived a daughter, Molly, with Kill City singer Lisa Moorish. His marriage ended in divorce after three years. He then got together with All Saints singer Nicole Appleton, by whom he has a son, Gene.

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