Chris Martin

Lore & Background

Martin has won eight Grammy Awards personally, and as part of Coldplay the band has won nine Brit Awards. They have sold over 160 million records worldwide, becoming the most successful group of the 21st century. The Independent and the Evening Standard ranked Martin among the most influential British public figures, while American Songwriter named him one of the best male singers of the 21st century.

Reader's Guide

Martin co-founded the band with Jonny Buckland after they met during orientation week at university in 1996. The pair spent the rest of the year planning a band and began writing their first songs together in early 1997. Guy Berryman joined in the following months. In 1998, they became Starfish after Will Champion scheduled their debut live performance at the Laurel Tree only a few days after joining.

Weeks later, the band settled on the name Coldplay, suggested by his friend Tim Crompton. Since the release of Parachutes in 2000, the band achieved international recognition. Their song 'Yellow' entered the charts at number four and became the group's breakthrough. Martin has written songs for various artists including Embrace, Jamelia, Ron Sexsmith, Faultline, the Streets, and Ian McCulloch.

He sang on the Band Aid 20 single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' in 2004. He worked with Nelly Furtado on 'All Good Things (Come to an End)' for her album Loose (2006). He collaborated with Jay-Z on 'Beach Chair' for Kingdom Come (2006). He recorded the chorus for Kanye West's 'Homecoming' on Graduation (2007).

In 2015, he collaborated with Avicii on songs including 'Heaven' and 'True Believer'. In 2017, he performed 'A Different Corner' at the Brit Awards in tribute to George Michael. He co-wrote 'Homesick' for Dua Lipa's debut album. In 2019, he was featured on Avicii's posthumous album Tim.

Philanthropy: In December 2012, he performed for the 12/12/12: The Concert for Sandy Relief. In 2014, he joined Band Aid 30. In September 2015, he became creative director of the Global Citizen Festival. InFocus launched and named Exeter's Martin House after him in 2025.

Other projects: Martin and Jonny Buckland made cameo appearances in Shaun of the Dead. In 2006, he had a cameo in Extras. He appears singing in the closing credits of Brüno (2009). In March 2015, he attended the launch of Tidal via video link and was introduced as a shareholder.

In June 2015, he performed 'Til Kingdom Come' at the funeral Mass of Beau Biden. In August 2017, he performed a solo piano rendition of 'Crawling' by Linkin Park as a tribute to Chester Bennington.

Early Life & Education

Christopher Anthony John Martin was born on 2 March 1977 in Exeter, Devon, England. He is the eldest of five children. His father, Anthony John Martin, is a retired chartered accountant, and his mother, Alison Martin, is a music teacher from Zimbabwe. The family's business, Martin's of Exeter, was founded in 1929 by his grandfather, John Besley Martin CBE, who served as High Sheriff and Mayor of Exeter.

His great-great-grandfather, William Willett, successfully campaigned for British Summer Time. Martin lived with his family in Zimbabwe when he was 10 years old. He attended Hylton and Exeter Cathedral primary schools in England, where he found his passion for music. He then attended Sherborne School, meeting manager Phil Harvey there.

At school, he was president of the Sting fan club and played in a blues band called the Rockin' Honkies with Harvey. Before university, he worked at Shed Studios, writing musical jingles for plays at St. George's College, Harare. He later studied at University College London, earning a first-class honours degree in Greek and Latin.

Coldplay Formation & Rise

Martin co-founded the band with Jonny Buckland after meeting during orientation week at university in 1996. They spent the rest of that year planning and began writing their first songs together in early 1997, rehearsing nightly. Guy Berryman joined in the following months, and the trio recorded numerous demos without a drummer under the name Big Fat Noises. In 1998, Will Champion joined just days before their debut live performance at the Laurel Tree.

Weeks later, they settled on the name Coldplay, suggested by friend Tim Crompton, who had found it in Philip Horky's Child's Reflections, Cold Play (1997). Their debut album, Parachutes, was released in 2000, bringing international recognition. The song 'Yellow' entered the charts at number four and became their breakthrough. The band has since sold over 160 million records worldwide, becoming the most successful group of the 21st century. Martin received seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards as part of Coldplay.

Collaborations & Solo Ventures

Martin has written for various artists, including Embrace ('Gravity') and Jamelia ('See It in a Boy's Eyes', co-written with Rik Simpson). He collaborated with Ron Sexsmith, Faultline, the Streets, and Ian McCulloch. In 2004, he sang on Band Aid 20's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'. In 2005, he worked with Nelly Furtado on 'All Good Things (Come to an End)' for her album Loose (2006); they were rumored to be a couple after performing at Glastonbury in 2002.

His interest in hip hop led to a collaboration with Jay-Z on 'Beach Chair' for Kingdom Come (2006). Martin supplied chords, Rik Simpson created the drum pattern, and Dr. Dre mixed it; they performed it at Royal Albert Hall on 27 September 2006. He recorded the chorus for Kanye West's 'Homecoming' on Graduation (2007) after a jam session at Abbey Road Studios. In 2015, he collaborated with Avicii on 'Heaven' and 'True Believer'.

In 2017, he performed 'A Different Corner' for George Michael at the Brit Awards and co-wrote 'Homesick' for Dua Lipa's debut album. In 2019, he was featured on Avicii's posthumous album Tim with 'Heaven', written prior to Avicii's death in 2018.

Philanthropy & Public Appearances

In December 2012, Martin performed three songs for the 12/12/12: The Concert for Sandy Relief. Two years later, he joined Band Aid 30 to record 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' at Notting Hill's Sarm West Studios for Ebola crisis relief in West Africa. In September 2015, he became creative director of the Global Citizen Festival. In 2025, InFocus named Exeter's Martin House after him; it is a residential care facility for young people with vision impairment and complex needs.

Martin and Jonny Buckland appeared as ZombAid supporters in Shaun of the Dead. He had a cameo in Extras (series two, episode four) in 2006 and sang in the closing credits of Brüno (2009). In March 2015, he attended the Tidal launch via video link as a shareholder. In June 2015, he performed 'Til Kingdom Come' at Beau Biden's funeral Mass after learning the Vice President's son was a fan. In August 2017, he played a solo piano rendition of Linkin Park's 'Crawling' to honor Chester Bennington.

Influences & Personal Life

Major influences include Travis, whom Martin credits for his band's creation; U2, whose entire catalogue he knows by heart; and Radiohead. He is a vocal fan of Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, stating in 2005 that they were the first band he ever loved. He has performed with Magne Furuholmen of a-ha, calling him 'the best keyboard player in the world.' Martin admires Oasis, Muse, Westlife, Girls Aloud, Take That, Arcade Fire, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Marley.

In 2014, he inducted Peter Gabriel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He called R.E.M.'s 'Nightswimming' the greatest song ever written after performing it with Michael Stipe in 2005. He admires Richard Ashcroft as 'the best singer in the world' and Morrissey's lyrics, admitting Coldplay's 'Shiver' was a rip-off of Jeff Buckley's 'Grace'. In May 2023, The Times estimated his net worth at £160 million.

He has suffered from tinnitus since his early adult years, wearing filtered earplugs during performances and encouraging others to do the same. PETA named him World's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2005, but he resumed eating meat after divorcing Gwyneth Paltrow.