Thurston Moore

A major figure in both the alternative and underground/art-rock music scenes for over three decades, Thurston Moore was guitarist for and founding member of Sonic Youth, an adventurous New York quartet that embraced punk, avant-garde, neo-classical and other musical genres over the course of its highly influential career. With bassist and former spouse Kim Gordon, guitarist Lee Ranaldo and drummer Steve Shelley, Moore crafted a body of work that ranged from extreme dissonance to detached pop and sprawling psychedelia, anchored largely by his extraordinary guitar work. Moore's affinity for alternative tunings, distortion and high volume made him a hero to the New York underground scene in the early '80s, but unlike many of those players, his willingness to embrace other styles helped Sonic Youth to attain major label status and even hit records. He continued to explore new sounds with an array of side projects while guiding Sonic Youth into the new millennium before his split with Gordon brought an end to the band in 2011. In its wake, Moore continued to forge new musical paths as a solo artist and with other bands, which helped to preserve his status as one of independent music's most adventurous talents.