Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He is best known as the vocalist, pianist and co-founder of therock bandColdplay.
Christopher Anthony John Martin was born on 2 March 1977 inExeter,Devon, England.[5][6] He is the eldest of five children.[7] His father, Anthony John Martin, is a retired chartered accountant.[8] His mother, Alison Martin, is from Zimbabwe and works as a music teacher.[9][10] His family's caravan and motorhome sales business, Martin's of Exeter, was founded in 1929 by his grandfather John Besley Martin, CBE (aHigh Sheriff andMayor of Exeter).[11][12][13][14][15] His great-great-grandfather,William Willett, campaigned for and madeBritish Summer Time a recognised practice.[16][17][18]
Martin co-founded the band along with Jonny Buckland after they met during UCL'sorientation week in 1996.[10] The pair spent the rest of the year planning a band and began writing their first songs together in early 1997, rehearsing nightly.[27] Guy Berryman joined the group in the following months and the group recorded numerous demos without a drummer.[28] By November, the trio was known as Big Fat Noises.[28] In 1998, they became Starfish "in a panic", after Will Champion scheduled their debut live performance at the Laurel Tree only a few days after joining the band.[29] Weeks later, the band settled on the name Coldplay,[29] suggested by UCL friend Tim Crompton.[28] He had considered it for his own band after finding a copy of Philip Horky'sChild's Reflections, Cold Play (1997), but ultimately discarded the idea.[28]
Martin's interest inhip hop led to a collaboration with rapperJay-Z for on the song "Beach Chair" for the albumKingdom Come (2006).[32] Martin supplied chords and Coldplay producer Rik Simpson created the drum pattern; Jay-Z then brought inDr. Dre to mix the track. Martin and Jay-Z performed "Beach Chair" atRoyal Albert Hall on 27 September 2006. He also recorded the chorus forKanye West's "Homecoming" onGraduation (2007), following an impromptu jam session atAbbey Road Studios the same year.[33]
In 2015, Martin collaborated withAvicii during sessions for Avicii's album,Stories (2015). Their first joint composition, "Heaven", originated in that period, withSimon Aldred ofCherry Ghost providing early vocals. Martin also sang on "True Believer". In 2017, he performed "A Different Corner" at theBrit Awards in tribute toGeorge Michael.[34] Martin co-wrote "Homesick" forDua Lipa's self-titled debut album,Dua Lipa (2017).[35] In 2019, Martin was featured on Avicii's posthumous album,Tim (2019); the song "Heaven" features vocals by Martin and was written by Avicii and Martin prior to Avicii's death in 2018.[36][37]
A major influence on Martin and Coldplay was the Scottish rock bandTravis, with Martin crediting the band for the creation of his own band.[47] The Irish rock bandU2 is another important influence on Martin both musically and politically.[48] Martin wrote forRolling StoneMagazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" on the band,[49] saying: "I don't buy weekend tickets to Ireland and hang out in front of their gates, but U2 are the only band whose entire catalogue I know by heart. The first song onThe Unforgettable Fire, "A Sort of Homecoming", I know backward and forward—it's so rousing, brilliant, and beautiful. It's one of the first songs I played to my unborn baby."[48] Martin has also been influenced byRadiohead.[50] In 2024, Coldplay invited and performed alongsideMichael J. Fox at theGlastonbury Festival.[51]
Martin is very vocal about his love for Norwegiansynth-pop banda-ha. In 2005, he stated in an interview: "I found myself inAmsterdam the other day and I put a-ha's first record on. I just remembered how much I loved it. It's incredible songwriting. Everyone asks what inspired us, what we've been trying to steal from and what we listened to as we were growing up—the first band I ever loved was a-ha."[52] Martin has also performed live together withMagne Furuholmen of a-ha, introducing him as "the best keyboard player in the world".[53] In November 2011, he stated that "back when we didn't have any hits of our own we used to play a-ha songs."[54]
Coldplay performedR.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" withMichael Stipe during theirAustin City Limits performance in 2005, as a part of theTwisted Logic Tour. Martin went on to call "Nightswimming" "the greatest song ever written".[61] He has calledRichard Ashcroft, formerly ofthe Verve, "the best singer in the world".[62] He also admires the lyrics ofMorrissey.[63] Martin was quoted as calling Coldplay's song "Shiver" a rip-offJeff Buckley influenced by Buckley's song "Grace". In 2008, Coldplay released an alternate music video for "Viva la Vida", directed byAnton Corbijn as a tribute to the music video forDepeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". It shows Martin dressed as a king, asDave Gahan was in the original video. The band stated: "This is our attempt at a video cover version, made out of love for Depeche Mode and the genius of Anton Corbijn".[64]
According toThe Times in May 2023, Martin had an estimated net worth of £160 million.[65] In a 2012 interview with theDaily Mirror, Martin revealed that he had been suffering fromtinnitus since his early adult years, although he said that he had noticed the symptoms even as a teenager "while listening to loud music".[66] As a result, Martin wears specially filteredearplugs or customisedin-ear monitors while performing and has encouraged his bandmates to do the same as a preventive measure.[67] Similarly, he has encouraged his children to wear hearing protection at concerts.[68] Martin has also become an advocate forhearing loss awareness, having partnered with theRoyal National Institute for Deaf People.[69]PETA named Martin the World's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2005.[70] However, he began eating meat again after his separation from his then-wife, American actressGwyneth Paltrow.[71]
Martin is a supporter ofExeter City.[72] He is alsoambidextrous.[73] In February 2020, a cassette tape was discovered by a former fellow pupil of Martin's. It contained a three-minute instrumental piece titled "Electric Thunder", which was composed by Martin, aged 12, at Exeter Cathedral School. Martin played keyboards on the track accompanying other pupils performing in a group called Grandisson Ensemble. The cassette was expected to sell for £600 at auction; it ultimately fetched £840.[74][75]
According to one source, Martin previously had a relationship with live events producer Lily Sobhani around theParachutes album release.[76] He andGwyneth Paltrow married on 5 December 2003.[5][77] Their daughterApple was born in May 2004 inLondon.[78] Martin and the band released a song titled "I am your baby's daddy" under the name "the Nappies" in anticipation of her birth.[79] Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" was also inspired by Martin's experience and awe at becoming a father, being thelead single for the band'sX&Y album. ActorSimon Pegg and Martin's bandmateJonny Buckland are his daughter's godfathers, and Martin is godfather to Pegg's daughter.[80] His second child, Moses, was born in April 2006 inNew York City.[81] The name was inspired bya song of the same name. In March 2014, Martin and Paltrow announced their separation as a "conscious uncoupling" after ten years of marriage.[82] Paltrow filed for divorce in April 2015 and it was finalised on 14 July 2016.[83][84] From August 2015 to August 2017, he was in an on-and-off relationship with actressAnnabelle Wallis.[85] Martin began dating American actressDakota Johnson afterwards.[86] They resided inMalibu, California.[87] In 2024, it was revealed the couple had been engaged for several years.[86] In June 2025,People reported that they split up after eight years of dating.[88]
Martin playing piano at a concert in Brazil in 2007
Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues offair trade and has campaigned forOxfam'sMake Trade Fair campaign. He travelled toGhana andHaiti to meet farmers and view the effects of unfair trade practices.[89] When performing he usually has variations of "Make Trade Fair", "MTF" or anequal sign written on the back of his left hand and the letters "MTF" can be seen emblazoned on his piano.[90]
On 1 April 2006,The Guardian reported that Martin was backing the BritishConservative Party leaderDavid Cameron, and had written a newtheme song for the party titled "Talk to David".[93][94] This was later revealed to be anApril Fool's joke. While touring Australia in March 2009, Martin and the rest of Coldplay were the opening act at theSound Relief benefit concert at theSydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, for the victims of bushfires and floods in Victoria and Queensland.[95] Martin appeared in a video for the "Robin Hood Tax" campaign, which proposes a tax on stock trades in the United States.[96] This tax is aimed at levelling the field between the 1% and 99%. In June 2016, Martin supported Vote Remain in theUnited Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[97] In November 2023, Martin expressed support for Palestine during theGaza war.[98]
^With exception of tracks 5, 7, 10, 13, 21 and 22, Martin performed backing vocals in all songs from the album's "Snow Queen" edition.[121]
^According to Ora's interview forApple Music, Martin "helped take this song to another level" and "put that Chris Martin dust on it", but his name is not shown in the album's personnel credits.[124]
^"Latest Coldplay News".Capital FM (Press the "View More" button on the "Facts" column). 2023. Archived fromthe original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved27 February 2023.
^"Chris Martin".Biography.Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved18 March 2020.
^Lord Tanlaw (24 March 2006)."Lighter Evenings (Experiment) Bill".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 679. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Lords. col. 461.Is the Minister aware also that in 1909, William Willett, who was the great-great grandfather of the popular singer Chris Martin of Coldplay, drafted Bills for Parliament's acceptance proposing daylight saving in this country as a means of conserving energy?Archived 11 April 2023 at theWayback Machine
^Shaun of the Dead (2004) – Trivia, IMDb, 2008, webpage:IMDb-5748Archived 25 February 2018 at theWayback Machine: notes role as zombie, and singer inAsh music.
^"Phoenix (Deluxe) by Rita Ora".Apple Music (Use the "Reader Mode" extension to see the archived page in full). 23 November 2018.Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved5 January 2023.
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