Guy Berryman | |
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.jpg) Berryman performing withColdplay in 2023 | |
| Born | Guy Rupert Berryman (1978-04-12)12 April 1978 (age 46) |
| Education | University College London (dropped out) |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner(s) | Keshia Gerrits (2012–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | London, England |
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Guy Rupert Berryman (born 12 April 1978) is a Scottish musician, songwriter, producer, businessman and designer. He is best known as the bassist of therock bandColdplay andelectronic supergroupApparatjik. Raised inKirkcaldy, he started to play bass at an early age, drawing inspiration fromJames Brown,the Funk Brothers andKool & the Gang. His projects beyond music includeThe Road Rat magazine andAmsterdam-based fashion brand Applied Art Forms.[1]
Berryman joined Coldplay withChris Martin,Jonny Buckland andWill Champion atUniversity College London, where he enrolled in amechanical engineering degree but later dropped out. The band signed withParlophone in 1999, finding global fame after the release ofParachutes (2000) and subsequent records. He has won sevenGrammy Awards and nineBrit Awards as part of Coldplay. Having sold over 100 million albums worldwide,[a] they are the most successful group of the 21st century.[4]
Guy Rupert Berryman was born on 12 April 1978 inKirkcaldy,Fife, Scotland.[5] He is the youngest son of engineer Rupert Berryman and his wife Elizabeth, whose family were merchants and factory owners in the region.[6] Raised close to theBeveridge Park area, he said his childhood was one with "a huge sense of freedom", as he went out with friends and "just did whatever we wanted from a very young age", which included exploring theRaith Estate and the woods near it.[6] Still during his childhood, he developed a passion for watches, exploring the ones his father had even though "the drawers were meant to be off-limits".[7]
Berryman said that listening toStevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" (1969) was a pivotal moment in his life, as well as the reason why he decided to become a bass player: "I can remember being maybe six years old, having this experience. I had obviously heard music in the background, in the house and stuff, but that was the first moment that I ever connected with music on a personal level and since then I've always been a huge fan ofsoul andMotown".[6]
With his father involved in building theChannel Tunnel as a project manager, Berryman's family moved toKent when he was around 12 years old, the same period in which he began to play bass.[8] During his time atEdinburgh Academy, he played drums and trumpet for the school band.[9] The lessons made him notice he was "a leftie who plays right-handed" and the bassist later founded a group named Time Out.[10] His education was continued atKent College, inCanterbury.[11] He then enrolled inmechanical engineering atUniversity College London, where he metChris Martin,Jonny Buckland andWill Champion, eventually forming Coldplay.[12]
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Berryman was the third member to join the band in 1997.[13] Their college friend Kris Foof described him as "a quiet young man who had been put in 'Paris Block', the less populated block of rooms inRamsay Hall. The rest of the band had been placed in 'New York Block', but not Guy, he was the outsider that the insiders all knew about, namely from his stockpile of musical instruments in his room".[10] Martin affirmed having a wrong impression of Berryman when they first met: "He's not as scary as he looks [...] Everyone thinks he's moody, soft-spoken is better".[10] Along with Buckland, they recorded a number of demos without having a drummer and, by November of that year, the trio called themselves Big Fat Noises.[13] Champion then completed the performing line-up in 1998.[b] Berryman later dropped out of his original degree and enrolled in a seven-yeararchitecture programme atthe Bartlett, which in turn was abandoned to focus on playing bass.[15] He worked as a bartender to pay rent.[10]
During theColdplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018) documentary, the bassist mentioned the marketing campaign forX&Y (2005) was a very turbulent period for the band, as they had frequent arguments, particularly between him and Martin: "I was probably much more opinionated back then, which was a huge pain in the ass for everyone, I don't know if I was trying to get away from myself or if I wasn't comfortable with myself, but I definitely had a drinking problem".[16] When the band were asked about their creative process in an interview forThe Howard Stern Show, they claimed that while Buckland is usually more optimistic to either disapprove or give his input on Martin's initial ideas, Berryman tends to be more critical, concluding that if he does not like a certain song, "there's no point in ever playing it again".[17] Conversely, he has been responsible for starting tracks such as "Magic" on his own, which was released as the lead single for their sixth album,Ghost Stories, in 2014.[18]
Berryman formed a supergroup called Apparatjik withMagne Furuholmen (froma-ha),Jonas Bjerre (fromMew) andMartin Terefe in 2008.[19] Their debut single, "Ferreting", was the musical theme ofBBC Two seriesAmazon, being included in theSongs for Survival album as well.[19] Proceeds were donated toSurvival International.[19] Two years later, the band releasedWe Are Here (2010) for digital download on their official website and performed at theCTM Festival.[20] In 2011, they played at theNeue Nationalgalerie,[21] appeared at the Steirischer Herbst Festival,[22] then launched Apparatjik World, aniPad application in which fans helped them to produce songs.[23] After several versions of the project, the final one was namedSquare Peg in a Round Hole (2012) and made available as their second studio album.[24] In 2020, the group published a song called "Julia" on theirYouTube channel.[25] However, Berryman has not performed with the rest of the band since 2011, making it unclear whether he was a collaborator during the creative process behind the track.[26]
In 2019, the bassist founded quarterly magazineThe Road Rat along with two friends and car specialists.[27] They celebrate classic automobiles, but on-diary stories are not covered because each issue is meant to be "timeless".[28] He oversees the project from his garage and works as its creative director.[29] In the following year, he launched Applied Art Forms, a fashion brand inspired by utilitarian, workwear and military clothing,[30] including designersHelmut Lang,Katharine Hamnett andMartin Margiela.[31] Berryman set its headquarters inAmsterdam and handles both styling and creative direction, though the former role is shared with Marcel Verheijen.[32] He said that his focus is on longevity,[33] making occasional updates instead of following the traditional seasonal calendar.[30] The bassist also mentioned taking a sewing machine with him while touring with Coldplay to mock up pieces.[32] Still in 2020, Berryman helped to release a plant-based protein foodstart-up called Bodyhero.[34] He then donated part of his personal archive to Marrkt in 2022, with the proceeds going toSave the Children.[35] In 2023, Applied Art Forms switched their menswear presentation to unisex,[32] sold exclusive wireless headphones in partnership withMaster & Dynamic,[36] and collaborated with Hannah Martin to launch their firstjewellery collection, which drew influence fromindustrial andpunk aesthetics.[37]
Berryman guested onMagne Furuholmen's debut album,Past Perfect Future Tense (2004), along with Champion.[38] He played bass on the subsequentA Dot of Black in the Blue of Your Bliss (2008) as well.[39] In 2007, he wrote "Guy Romance Theme" and co-wrote "Bass Theme" for the soundtrack ofThe Longest Night in Shanghai.[40] His most notable hobby throughout the years has beenphotography, which included taking candid photos of his bandmates with disposable cameras on theTwisted Logic Tour (2005–07) and throwing them to attendees.[41] He then provided pictures for the booklet ofa-ha's ninth album,Foot of the Mountain (2009).[42] Accompanied byRik Simpson, the bassist founded a producing duo called The Darktones and contributed toLove You More (2010) andYou&I (2011) bythe Pierces.[43] Berryman played instruments like the guitar,glockenspiel,omnichord, keyboards and percussion on the latter record.[44] He also producedJames Levy & the Blood Red Rose'sPray to Be Free (2012) and Hudson Hank'sDayBreak (2013).[45] DuringMusic of the Spheres World Tour (2022–25), he curated a photo diary forNME and shot pictures for the concert run's official book.[46]
With a style described as "slick" and "relaxed",[47] Berryman is usually seen using different models of aFender Precision Bass, including editions such asSquier,Mustang,Jazz andJaguar.[48] The latter was used during the recording sessions forViva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008).[49] He mentioned the first "proper" bass used after joining Coldplay was aRickenbacker 4001, which can be seen on the music video for "Shiver".[49] In 2003, his gear included twoAmpeg SVT amplifiers, two 15" cabinets, one 8"x10" cabinet and aTone Bender pedal for distortion.[50] In 2012, it was reported he bought a custom-madeHiwatt bass rig.[51] The 200-watt amp head was hand-built in the United Kingdom and paired with a 4x12 cabinet, loaded with Fane speakers.[51] When questioned about his musical taste, Berryman stated that it was hard to condense it down, but he "could not live withoutthe Beatles orMotown".[52] Additionally, he mentionedJames Brown,Marvin Gaye,Kool & the Gang andthe Funk Brothers as musical inspirations.[53]
According toThe Times, Berryman has an estimated wealth of £113 million as of May 2022.[54] He is a known supporter ofRaith Rovers,[8] showing interest in photography, fashion and electrical gadgets as well.[41] After six years dating, he married interior designer Joanna Briston in 2004.[55] The couple filed for divorce three years later, but remained close to raise their daughter.[55] He subsequently moved to theCotswolds and built a workshop to repair the cars from his collection.[56] In 2014, he became engaged to Dutch model Keshia Gerrits,[57] while 2024 saw them relocating toAmsterdam.[58] Berryman has two children with her.[56]
Before restoring automobiles, he took flying lessons and wanted to refurbish aSpitfire and aTiger Moth, eventually growing bored of aircraft.[59] He is also a collector ofsynthesisers,cameras andwatches: "I'm a completist when it comes to collecting, so I have to restrain myself [...] At least with cars you have to have space to keep them all in. But you can get a lot of watches into a drawer".[7] Berryman likewise is the founder of Dawghaus, an online catalogue focused on curating "the best in design" and promoting well-established creations alongside the ones he thinks that deserve more attention.[7] He is the only Coldplay member with a personal social media account.[60]
With Coldplay[edit]Main articles:Coldplay discography andsongs
With Apparatjik[edit]
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