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| Chris Martin |

Chris Martin, 2008.
|
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Christopher Anthony John Martin |
| Born |
2 March 1977 (1977-03-02) (age 33)
Exeter, Devon, England |
| Origin |
London, England |
| Genres |
Alternative rock |
| Occupations |
Vocalist, producer, musician |
| Instruments |
Vocals, piano, guitar, mandolin, clarinet, harmonica |
| Years active |
1997–present |
| Labels |
Parlophone, Capitol |
| Associated acts |
Coldplay |
| Website |
Coldplay.com |
Early life
Chris Martin was born in
Exeter,
Devon and is the oldest of five children.
[1][2] His father, Anthony, was a
Chartered Accountant, and his mother, Alison, was a music teacher.
[3][4] Martin was raised in
Whitestone, Devon[1] and attended Exeter Cathedral School.
[5] It was at the prep school that Martin formed his first band, The Rocking Honkies, with Nick Repton & Iwan Gronow. After Exeter Cathedral, Martin boarded at
Sherborne School,
[5] a boys'
independent school in
Dorset. At Sherborne, Martin started a
blues band called The Rockin' Honkies. Their debut performance was met with boos from the crowd.
[6] He also met future Coldplay manager
Phil Harvey at the school.
[7] Martin continued his studies at
University College London, staying at
Ramsay Hall where he read Ancient World Studies and graduated with
First Class honours in Greek and Latin.
[2][4][8]
Recording career
Coldplay
While studying at
University College London, Martin met
Jonny Buckland,
Will Champion and
Guy Berryman. In January 1998, they formed the rock band
Coldplay. The band has had internationally recognised fame and success since their debut album,
Parachutes, in 2000. Since then, they have released several further albums/EP's including:
A Rush of Blood to the Head,
Live 2003,
X&Y,
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends,
Prospekt's March, and
LeftRightLeftRightLeft.
Solo work
Martin sitting at his piano for a 2005 concert
As a solo artist, Martin has written songs for a variety of acts including
Embrace ("
Gravity") and
Jamelia ("
See It in a Boy's Eyes"). Martin has also collaborated with
Ron Sexsmith, Faultline,
The Streets, and
Ian McCulloch. He also sang a part of the vocals for the
Band Aid 20 single, "
Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the end of 2004. In 2005, Martin collaborated with
Nelly Furtado on the track "
All Good Things (Come to an End)", for her 2006 album,
Loose. The two were once rumoured to be a couple, after they both performed at
Glastonbury in 2002. Furtado joked about the situation, saying that "Yeah, he's my boyfriend — he just doesn't know it yet".
[9]
Martin's fascination with
hip hop was shown in the summer of 2006 when he collaborated with rapper
Jay-Z for the rapper's comeback album
Kingdom Come after the two met earlier in the year. Martin put some chords together for a song known as "
Beach Chair" and sent them to Jay-Z who enlisted the help of hip hop producer
Dr. Dre to add the drum line to complete the track. The song was performed on 27 September 2006 by the two during Jay-Z's European tour at
Royal Albert Hall. In 2007, Martin appeared on a track titled "Part of the Plan" for
Swizz Beatz' debut solo album
One Man Band Man. Martin has also worked on a solo collaboration with
Kanye West, with whom he shared an impromptu
jam session during a 2006 concert at
Abbey Road Studios.
[10] He performed the chorus of
Homecoming of
Graduation.
Influences
Martin's primary influence is the British band
Radiohead. In a 2008
Rolling Stone interview Martin stated: "Sometimes I feel like they [Radiohead] cleared a path with a machete, and we came afterward and put up a strip mall. I would still give my left [testicle] to write anything as good as
OK Computer." Martin is very vocal about his love for
Norwegian pop band
a-ha. In 2005 he stated the following in an interview: "I found myself in Amsterdam 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."
[11] Martin has also performed live together with
Magne Furuholmen of a-ha.
U2 has been an important influence on Martin both musically and politically,
[12] in which he wrote for
Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time",
[13] in the section on U2, 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 catalog I know by heart. The first song on
The 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." Martin also comments on
Bono's effect on his own charity and political involvement he is even known to joke with friends referring to himself as "Crono".
[12]
Other endeavours
Martin playing "
Trouble" on his piano during a concert in Brazil, February 2007
Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues of
fair trade and has done a great deal of campaigning for the charity
Oxfam's
Make Trade Fair campaign. He personally traveled to
Ghana and
Haiti to meet farmers and view the effects of unfair trade practices.
[23] When performing, he usually has variations of "Make Trade Fair", "MTF" or an
equal sign written on the back of his left hand and the letters "MTF" can be seen emblazoned on his piano.
On 1 April 2006,
The Guardian reported that Martin was backing the British
Conservative Party leader
David Cameron and had written a new
theme song for the party entitled "Talk to David".
[25][26] This was later revealed to be an
April Fool's joke.
[citation needed] Whilst touring Australia in March 2009, Martin and the rest of Coldplay were the opening act at the 'Sound Relief' benefit concert at the SCG in Sydney, for the horrific bushfires and floods in Victoria and Queensland. Whilst performing the final song 'Fix You', Martin leapt off the stage and proceeded to run through the crowd with thousands of fans chasing him. The song had finished well before he made it back on stage, but he managed to sing the final refrain under exhaustion. He was so tired that he let the crowd sing it for him as well. At the end of the performance, he was quoted to saying 'I hope no-one got hurt'. He reportedly had to lie down for half an hour back stage and was suffering from heat exhaustion. The band then played a sold-out gig in Sydney that night.
Personal life
Martin met
American actress
Gwyneth Paltrow in 2002 backstage at a
Coldplay gig after the death of the actress' father,
Bruce Paltrow. The couple married a year later on 5 December 2003.
[27] Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born on 14 May 2004 in London.
[28] Their second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born on 8 April 2006 in
New York City.
[29] Simon Pegg is one of Apple's godfathers.
[30][31] Martin is a longtime friend of Pegg, having met him in 2001, and appears in
Shaun of the Dead,
[21] one of Pegg's movies. Apple's other godfathers are guitarist
Jonny Buckland and one of his brothers and half brother.
[31]
In a 2005
Rolling Stone magazine interview, Martin said of his religious views: "I definitely believe in God. How can you look at anything and not be overwhelmed by the miraculousness of it?"
[34] In the same interview he spoke of going through a period of spiritual confusion, stating "I went through a weird patch, starting when I was about sixteen to twenty-two, of getting
God, religion, superstition, judgment all confused".
[34] In an interview with
NME, he also stated "I'm always trying to work out what 'He' or 'She' is."
[35]
Solo discography
- See Coldplay discography for his work with that group.
| Year |
Song(s) |
Artist |
Album |
Role |
| 2002 |
"Where Is My Boy", "Your Love Means Everything, Pt. 2" |
Faultline |
Your Love Means Everything |
Featured vocals |
| "Gold in Them Hills" |
Ron Sexsmith |
Cobblestone Runway |
Featured vocals |
| 2003 |
"Sliding", "Arthur" |
Ian McCulloch |
Slideling |
Piano, backing vocals |
| "See It in a Boy's Eyes" |
Jamelia |
Thank You |
Co-writer, backing vocals |
| 2004 |
"Everybody's Happy Nowadays" |
Ash |
Orpheus |
Backing vocals |
| "Gravity" |
Embrace |
Out of Nothing |
Writer |
| "Do They Know It's Christmas?" |
Band Aid 20 |
– |
Featured vocals |
| 2006 |
"All Good Things (Come to an End)" |
Nelly Furtado |
Loose |
Co-writer, background vocals |
| "Beach Chair" |
Jay-Z |
Kingdom Come |
Producer, featured vocals |
| 2007 |
"Homecoming" |
Kanye West |
Graduation |
Co-writer, featured vocals, piano |
| 2009 |
"Lukas", "Fun", "Want" |
Natalie Imbruglia |
Come to Life |
Writer, Co-Writer |
References
- ^ a b Thomson, Graeme (2008-05-04). "Rock star rebel with a cause". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2008/may/04/pop. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ^ a b Sutton, Michael. "Chris Martin: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:acfexqekldse~T1. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (2003-12-08). "Gwyneth, Chris Wedding Talk Heats Up". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,627228,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ a b Ellen, Barbara (2003-12-07). "The Observer Profile: Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2003/dec/07/popandrock. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ a b Boshoff, Alison (200-12-09). "The very genteel Mr Paltrow". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-203666/The-genteel-Mr-Paltrow.html. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ^ "X & Y = Zzzzzzzz". The Daily Telegraph. 2005-06-11. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3617587/X-and-Y--Zzzzzzzz.html. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^ "The State of Coldplay". Q. August 2002.
- ^ No byline (2003-01-27), "She's With The Band". People. 59 (3):69
- ^ "Compilation Brings Nelly Furtado and Chris Martin Together Forever". Chart. 2001-09-05. http://www.chartattack.com/news/29676/compilation-brings-nelly-furtado-and-chris-martin-together-forever. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ NME staff author (2006). "Chris Martin to release solo collaboration" NME magazine. Retrieved 2006-04-26.
- ^ http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/martin-im-a-big-fan-of-aha
- ^ a b "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940051/the_immortals__the_greatest_artists_of_all_time_22_u2. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
- ^ "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty/. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^ "Chris Martin: I dream about Westlife". Now. 2008-05-30. http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/star-style/get-the-look/258700/chris-martin-i-dream-about-westlife/1/. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Sylvia Patterson (2008-10-05). "Girls uninterrupted". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/oct/05/girlsaloud.popandrock. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ^ "Chris Martin : you can't just fancy one member of Girls Aloud, its all or nothing". Celebrities News. fametastic. 2008-10-07. http://uk-face.glam.com/blogs/fametastic/chris_martin_you_cant_just_fancy_one_member_of_girls_aloud_its_all_or_nothing/. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ^ "Chris Martin reveals Coldplays secret love of Take That". Celebrities News. fametastic. 2008-11-17. http://fametastic.co.uk/archive/20081117/14184/chris-martin-reveals-coldplays-secret-love-of-take-that/. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ^ "Chris is on Leona's wish list". The Sun. 28 December 2008. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2074973.ece. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
- ^ Jason Gregory (2008-05-18). "Chris Martin : Kylie Minogue ie like Girls Aloud rolled into one". http://www.gigwise.com/news/43223/chris-martin-kylie-minogue-is-like-girls-aloud-rolled-into-one. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ http://www.musewiki.org/Coldplay
- ^ a b c "Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Trivia", IMDb, 2008, webpage: IMDb-5748: notes role as zombie, and singer in Ash music.
- ^ Ben Child (2009-04-01). "Bono and Chris Martin record spoof single for Sacha Baron Cohen film". http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/apr/01/sacha-baron-cohen-bono-chris-martin. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
- ^ "Coldplay". Oxfam. http://www.oxfam.org/en/getinvolved/ambassadors/coldplay. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ http://current.com/items/89450448_coldplay-gives-shout-out-to-obama-on-snl.htm
- ^ Olaf Priol (2006). "Their wives met at yoga. Now Chris Martin plans to rock the vote for Cameron's Tories" The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-04-25.
- ^ Guardian staff (2006). "Talk to David" The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-04-26.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (2003-12-10). "Gwyneth Paltrow marries Chris Martin". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,559500,00.html. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (2004-05-14). "It's a Girl for Gwyneth Paltrow & Hubby". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,638322,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ Robertson, Jessica (2006-04-10). "Coldplay's Chris Martin Has a Boy". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9740171/coldplays_chris_martin_has_a_boy. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ "Martin+Paltrow Name Pegg As Godfather". Contactmusic.com. 2007-09-09. http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/martin%20paltrow%20name%20pegg%20as%20godfather_1043099. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
- ^ a b "Simon Pegg named Apple Martin's godfather", Celebrity Baby, 2007, webpage (has 10 ads): CB.
- ^ "Chris Martin named world's sexiest vegetarian". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2005-07-23. http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/chris-martin-named-worlds-sexiest-vegetarian/2005/07/23/1121539177645.html. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ "Chris Martin: The stereo MC". The Independent. 2003-02-23. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/chris-martin-the-stereo-mc-598614.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ a b Austin Scaggs (2005-08-11). "Coldplay's Quiet Storm". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7539555/cover_story_coldplays_quiet_storm/print. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Coldplay's Chris Martin declares religious beliefs". NME. 2008-06-03. http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/37051. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
External links
| Persondata |
| NAME |
Martin, Christopher Anthony John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES |
Martin, Chris |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION |
Musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
2 March 1977 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH |
Devon, England |
| DATE OF DEATH |
|
| PLACE OF DEATH |
|