Johnny Marr reveals why giving Oasis’ Noel Gallagher a guitar 30 years ago inspired him to quit drinking alcohol

Johnny Marr is a very, very nice man… maybe too nice

Johnny Marr has revealed how a decision to give Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher an expensive guitar served as a catalyst for him swearing off alcohol for the past 30 years.

Marr and Gallagher, both from Manchester-Irish families, first met when Oasis were still a relatively unknown band beyond their hometown. The former Smiths man clearly liked the younger musician’s attitude, personality and confidence, which led to him gifting Gallagher a 1960 Gibson Les Paul guitar previously owned by The Who‘s Pete Townshend, which Marr had used on The Smiths’ classic third album, The Queen Is Dead. Unfortunately, Gallagher broke said guitar while trying to hit an unruly stage invader during an August 1994 Oasis show at The Riverside in Newcastle. With a frankly staggering amount of cheek, Gallagher then asked his generous benefactor for a replacement for the hugely expensive guitar, and was duly given another one, a black 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom.

“It’s just to be nice,” Marr tells The Guardian. “Me giving Noel those guitars has become such a big story over the years, but people don’t realise that at the time he wasn’t who he is now. He was just a kid from Burnage. I had no idea Oasis were going to go on to such big things. I did it because he was in need, because I was lucky and had lots of guitars, and because I wished someone had done it for me.”