Oasis British band Oasis was originally formed in 1991 by Manchester schoolmates, Liam Gallagher on vocals; Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs on guitar; Paul McGuigan on bass; and Tony McCaroll on drums. Meanwhile, Liam’s brother, Noel Gallagher had returned to Manchester and also wanted to join the band, under the condition that he would have control over all of the band’s song writing. The other members agreed, and they began rehearsing under the name "Oasis."After a few years playing small gigs, the band was signed to Creation Records. They released their first single Supersonic, in 1994, to positive reviews. Their debut album, Definitely Maybe hit number one, and went on to become the fastest-selling debut in Britain’s history. This launched the band into the spotlight, amidst growing tensions between the Gallagher brothers, who squabbled during interviews.1995 saw a change in band mates when drummer, Tony McCaroll left and was replaced by Alan White. It did not hamper their escalating success however, as their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, released in 1995, shot straight to number one in their native England – and became the fastest-selling album in the U.K. since Michael Jackson's 1987 release, Bad. The album also became a Top Ten hit in the U.S., Europe, and Asia; on the strength of its hit single, Wonderwall.
By 1996, the band had become as infamous as they were famous, due to the rift between the Gallagher brothers, which was reportedly the reason they pulled out of their scheduled US summer tour. They then shifted their focus to recording their third album, Be Here Now, released in 1998. While recording their fourth album in1999, Oasis saw the departure of another band mate, Paul Arthurs. Noel Gallagher raised eyebrows with the statement he made one day later during an interview, in which he glibly commented: "It’s hardly Paul McCartney leaving The Beatles." Oasis then kicked-off the new millennium with their first live recording, Familiar To Millions, which covered all mediums by being released on CD, cassette, DVD, VHS, Triple Vinyl, and Mini Disc. While touring the U.S. to promote the 2002 release of their next album, Heathen Chemistry, Noel Gallagher, Andy Bell and touring keyboardist Jay Darlington were injured when their taxi crashed head-on with another vehicle in Indianapolis. This set their tour back by two weeks, which further impeded the album’s failure to catch on in the mainstream. More bad luck followed later that year when Liam Gallagher and a few of the band’s roadies were involved in a street fight in Munich, resulting in an arrest for Gallagher and injuries to both he and a few members of the band’s security.In 2005, Oasis drummer, Alan White left the band, and was replaced by Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey. That same year, Oasis released their sixth studio album Don't Believe the Truth, which reached number one on the U.K. charts and has sold an estimated 3.5 million copies worldwide.
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