Born as Christopher Anthony John Martin on March 2, 1977, in Exeter, Devon, England, Chris Martin is the eldest of five children – to an accountant father and a Zimbabwean mother who was a music teacher.
Chris attended the pre-preparatory Hylton School, followed by Exeter Cathedral School for his preparatory education. It was during his time here that he discovered his passion for music.
The school’s roster of ‘notable former pupils’ includes numerous composers, organists, musicians, singers, and even members of the English National Opera. Given this environment, it’s unsurprising that Chris Martin’s musical journey began here.
Chris’ love for music grew while studying in the choir at Exeter Cathedral School. He later attended Sherborne School, where he boarded with Phil Harvey, who would later manage Coldplay. Chris then achieved a first-class degree in Ancient World Studies from University College London, where he also met his future bandmates Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion.
Rise to fame
Martin co-founded the band with Buckland, whom he met during UCL’s orientation week in 1996. They spent the rest of that year planning and began writing their first songs together in early 1997, practising every night.
Berryman joined them a few months later, and they recorded many demos without a drummer. By November, the trio was known as Big Fat Noises. In 1998, they hastily renamed themselves Starfish when Champion scheduled their debut live performance at The Laurel Tree just days after joining. A few weeks later, they settled on the name Coldplay, suggested by UCL friend Tim Crompton, who had originally considered it for his band after coming across Philip Horky’s 1997 Child’s Reflections, Cold Play.
Since their debut album ‘Parachutes’ was released in 2000, the band has gained international fame and success. The song ‘Yellow’ from ‘Parachutes’ reached Number 4 on the charts, marking the beginning of their enduring popularity. To date, they have produced nine studio albums, including ‘Parachutes’, ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’, ‘X&Y’, ‘Viva la Vida’or ‘Death and All His Friends’, ‘Mylo Xyloto’, ‘Ghost Stories’, ‘A Head Full of Dreams’, ‘Everyday Life’, and ‘Music of the Spheres’. They have also issued several EPs, such as ‘Safety’ and ‘The Blue Room’.
Martin has penned songs for various artists, including Embrace (‘Gravity’) and Jamelia (‘See It in a Boy’s Eyes,’ co-written with Coldplay producer Rik Simpson). Additionally, he has collaborated with Ron Sexsmith, Faultline, the Streets, and Ian McCulloch. He also contributed vocals to the Band Aid 20 single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ in late 2004. In 2005, Martin partnered with Nelly Furtado on ‘All Good Things (Come to an End)’ for her 2006 album, ‘Loose’.
Political affiliations and activism
Remarkably, Chris is a distant relative of Winston Churchill, who served as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister on two occasions.
His paternal aunt, Elisabeth Jane, married the Honourable Julian George Winston Sandys. Julian is the son of Conservative politician Duncan Sandys and his wife, Diana Churchill, who was Winston Churchill’s daughter.
The Conservative political lineage extends to another family member, Chris’ paternal uncle, David Martin, who is also a Conservative politician.
He was an outspoken critic of US President George W. Bush and the Iraq war. On 24 March 2003, during the Teenage Cancer Trust concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, he encouraged the audience to ‘sing against war.’
He was a dedicated supporter of John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, especially evident during his acceptance speech for the 2004 Grammy Awards Record of the Year for ‘Clocks.’ In 2008, he backed Obama for president, giving a shout-out at the end of a ‘Yellow’ performance on the 25 October 2008 episode of Saturday Night Live.
On 1 April 2006, a report from the Guardian announced that Martin was supporting British Conservative Party leader David Cameron and had written a new theme song for the party called ‘Talk to David.’
Martin also appeared in a video endorsing the ‘Robin Hood Tax’ campaign, which advocates for a tax on stock trades in the U.S. to create financial equity between the 1% and the 99%. In June 2016, he supported the Vote Remain campaign in the UK European Union membership referendum.
Charity
On 12 December 2012, Martin took the stage to perform three songs, including ‘Losing My Religion’ with Michael Stipe, during the ’12 12 12 Concert,’ a benefit event for Hurricane Sandy relief.
On 15 November 2014, Martin participated in Band-Aid 30, joining British and Irish pop stars to perform the updated version of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London. This effort was to raise funds for the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Western Africa, marking Martin’s second contribution to a Band-Aid project after his involvement in the 2004 recording. In 2015, Martin became the creative director of the newly formed Global Citizen Festival, a role he intends to hold for 15 years.
He is deeply passionate about environmental conservation. Chris Martin actively endorses environmental initiatives and is dedicated to advancing sustainability and combating climate change. He adheres to a vegetarian lifestyle for ethical reasons and is a strong proponent of animal rights.
Relationships
Around 2000, there were rumours that Chris Martin had a brief relationship with Australian-British singer Natalie Imbruglia, with speculation suggesting that Coldplay’s song ‘Shiver’ was inspired by her. The relationship reportedly ended on friendly terms.
In 2002, Martin met actress Gwyneth Paltrow backstage at a concert. They married in December 2003 in a private ceremony with close friends and family. They had two children: daughter Apple Blythe Alison Martin, born in May 2004 in London, and son Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, born in 2006. The couple separated in March 2014.
In anticipation of their daughter Apple’s birth, Martin and Coldplay released a song titled ‘I Am Your Baby’s Daddy’ under the name ‘The Nappies.’ Additionally, the song ‘Speed of Sound’ from the ‘X&Y’ album was inspired by Martin’s experiences and feelings about becoming a father.
Martin previously had a relationship with live events producer Lily Sobhani around the time of the ‘Parachutes’ album release.
In 2015, Chris Martin began a relationship with British actress Annabelle Wallis after his separation from Gwyneth Paltrow. They were first seen together in August 2015, sharing a cosy moment during a beachfront stroll in New York. Their relationship was less publicized compared to previous ones, and they were together for approximately two years before ending things quietly in 2017.
Chris Martin started dating actress Dakota Johnson in October 2017. Their relationship was initially kept low-key, leading to considerable media speculation. They were first seen together at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles, and throughout their time together, they maintained a relatively private life, frequently spotted on dinner dates or casual city walks.
Tour
On 18 March 2022, the Chris-martin-led Coldplay band, embarked on their seventh worldwide tour, the ‘Music of the Spheres Tour,’ to support their album ‘Music of the Spheres’, released on 15 October 2021. The album, featuring 12 tracks each linked to a cosmic entity within the fictional ‘spheres’ planetary system, includes collaborations with notable artists like BTS, Selena Gomez, Jacob Collier, and We Are King.
Since its release, ‘Music of the Spheres’ has achieved significant success both in the UK and internationally. It debuted at number one on the UK album chart, selling over 100,000 copies within its first week, marking the band’s ninth consecutive album to top the British charts.
The tour is currently ongoing in Germany, with Chris Martin and Coldplay scheduled to deliver another electrifying performance at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf on 23 July. He will then take to the stage in Munich and fans can buy Coldplay Munich tickets through trusted resellers like Seatsnet.com. Following this, the tour will continue with stops in Finland, Austria, and Ireland, marking the conclusion of the first leg of the ‘Music of the Spheres Tour’.
The second leg of the tour will take place later this year in Australia and New Zealand. The seven-time Grammy award-winning band is set to perform at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Accor Stadium in Sydney, and Eden Park in Auckland, where the tour will conclude.
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