Chris Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Martin
Martin performing with Coldplay in 2023
Born	Christopher Anthony John Martin (1977-03-02) 2 March 1977 (age 48) Exeter, Devon, England
Alma mater	University College London
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician producer
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Gwyneth Paltrow ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2016)​
Partner(s)	Dakota Johnson (2017–2025)
Children	2, including Apple
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	London, England
Genres	Alternative rock pop rock post-Britpop pop
Instruments	Vocals piano keyboards guitar harmonica
Labels	Fierce Panda Parlophone Nettwerk Capitol Atlantic
Signature

Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He is most famous as the lead singer, pianist, and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay.

Born in Exeter, England, Chris Martin attended University College London. There, he met Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion, and together they formed Coldplay. The band signed with Parlophone in 1999. They became globally famous with their first album, Parachutes (2000), and continued their success with many more albums. As part of Coldplay, he has won seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards. Coldplay has sold over 160 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful groups of the 21st century. Chris Martin is seen as one of the most influential people in the United Kingdom and one of the best male singers of the 21st century.

Early Life and Music Passion

Christopher Anthony John Martin was born on 2 March 1977 in Exeter, Devon, England. He is the oldest of five children. His mother, Alison Martin, is a music teacher. His family's business, Martin's of Exeter, was started by his grandfather in 1929. His great-great-grandfather, William Willett, helped make daylight saving time a common practice.

Chris Martin lived in Zimbabwe for a year when he was 10. He later went to Hylton and Exeter Cathedral schools, where he discovered his love for music. He attended Sherborne School for his high school education, where he met Coldplay's manager, Phil Harvey. Before college, he worked at Shed Studios, creating short songs for plays. He then went to University College London (UCL), where he studied Greek and Latin. It was at UCL that he met his future bandmates: Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion.

Music Career

Forming Coldplay

Martin performing with Coldplay in 2010 during the Viva la Vida Tour

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met during UCL's orientation week in 1996. They spent the rest of that year planning a band and started writing their first songs in early 1997. Guy Berryman joined them a few months later. They recorded many demo songs without a drummer. By November 1997, they were known as Big Fat Noises. In 1998, they changed their name to Starfish. Just days after Will Champion joined the group, they had their first live show. Weeks later, the band decided on the name Coldplay. This name came from a friend, Tim Crompton, who had thought of it for his own band.

Since their first album, Parachutes, came out in 2000, Coldplay has become famous worldwide. Their song "Yellow" from Parachutes quickly became popular. So far, they have released ten studio albums. These include 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, Music of the Spheres, and Moon Music.

Solo Music Projects

Chris Martin has written songs for other artists, like Embrace and Jamelia. He has also worked with musicians such as Ron Sexsmith and the Streets. In 2004, he sang on the Band Aid 20 charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" In 2005, he worked with Nelly Furtado on her song "All Good Things (Come to an End)".

Martin performing at Music Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia, on 24 September 2011

In 2006, Chris Martin worked with rapper Jay-Z on the song "Beach Chair" for Jay-Z's album Kingdom Come. Martin created the chords for the song. He also sang on "Homecoming" from Kanye West's album Graduation.

In 2015, Martin worked with DJ Avicii on two songs for his album Stories. One song, "Heaven", had lyrics written by Martin. He also sang on Avicii's "True Believer". In 2017, Martin performed "A Different Corner" at the 2017 Brit Awards to honor George Michael. A song he co-wrote, "Homesick", appeared on Dua Lipa's first album in 2017. In 2019, Martin was featured on Avicii's album Tim on the song "Heaven", which they had written together before Avicii's passing.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

On 12 December 2012, Chris Martin performed at the "12/12/12 Concert". This event raised money to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy. In 2014, he joined the charity group Band Aid 30 to record a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" This was to raise money for the Ebola crisis in Western Africa. It was his second time contributing to a Band Aid song. In 2015, Martin became the creative director for the Global Citizen Festival, an event that works to end poverty.

Other Appearances

Chris Martin and Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland had small roles in the movie Shaun of the Dead. In 2006, Martin also had a cameo in the TV show Extras. He appeared singing in the credits of the 2009 film Brüno with other famous musicians.

In 2015, Martin supported the launch of the music streaming service Tidal. In June 2015, he performed "Til Kingdom Come" at the funeral of Beau Biden, the son of then-Vice President Joe Biden. In 2017, Martin performed a piano version of "Crawling" by Linkin Park. This was a tribute to Linkin Park's lead singer, Chester Bennington, who had passed away.

Musical Influences

Martin performing with Coldplay in 2017

A big influence on Chris Martin and Coldplay was the Scottish rock band Travis. Martin has said that Travis inspired him to create his own band. The Irish rock band U2 has also been very important to him, both musically and in their views. Martin wrote about U2 for Rolling Stone magazine, saying he knows all their songs by heart. He has also been influenced by Radiohead. In 2024, Coldplay invited and performed with Michael J. Fox at the Glastonbury Festival.

Martin often talks about his love for the Norwegian band a-ha. In 2005, he said that a-ha's first record reminded him how much he loved their amazing songwriting. He has performed live with Magne Furuholmen of a-ha, calling him "the best keyboard player in the world."

Chris Martin is also a fan of English rock bands Oasis and Muse. He also likes Irish pop group Westlife, English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, English pop group Take That, and Canadian band Arcade Fire. In 2014, Martin helped induct Peter Gabriel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Coldplay performed R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" with Michael Stipe in 2005. Martin called "Nightswimming" "the greatest song ever written." He also admires Richard Ashcroft and Morrissey for their singing and lyrics.

Personal Life

Chris Martin has been open about having tinnitus since he was a young adult. He noticed the symptoms as a teenager from listening to loud music. Because of this, he wears special earplugs or in-ear monitors when he performs. He also encourages his bandmates and children to wear hearing protection at concerts. Martin supports hearing loss awareness and has worked with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.

Martin supports the football club Exeter City. He is also ambidextrous, meaning he can use both hands well. In 2020, a cassette tape was found that contained a song called "Electric Thunder" composed by Martin when he was 12 years old.

Family Life

Chris Martin married American actress Gwyneth Paltrow on 5 December 2003. Their daughter, Apple, was born in May 2004 in London. Coldplay's song "Speed of Sound" was inspired by Martin becoming a father. Actor Simon Pegg and Martin's bandmate Jonny Buckland are his daughter's godfathers. His second child, Moses, was born in April 2006 in New York City. The name was inspired by a Coldplay song. In March 2014, Martin and Paltrow announced their separation. Their divorce was finalized in July 2016. Martin began dating American actress Dakota Johnson in 2017. They lived in Malibu, California. It was shared in 2024 that they had been engaged for several years. In June 2025, it was reported that they had separated after eight years together.

Views and Causes

Martin playing piano at a concert in Brazil in 2007

Chris Martin has spoken out about fair trade and has campaigned for Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. He has traveled to Ghana and Haiti to see how unfair trade practices affect farmers. When he performs, he often has "Make Trade Fair" or "MTF" written on his hand or piano.

Martin was a critic of the war in Iraq. He encouraged concert crowds to "sing against war." He also supported Barack Obama for president in 2008. In 2016, Martin supported the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union. In November 2023, Martin expressed support for Palestine.

Music Albums with Coldplay

• Parachutes (2000)
• A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
• X&Y (2005)
• Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
• Mylo Xyloto (2011)
• Ghost Stories (2014)
• A Head Full of Dreams (2015)
• Everyday Life (2019)
• Music of the Spheres (2021)
• Moon Music (2024)

Solo Music Contributions

Film and TV Appearances

Television Shows

Movies

See also

In Spanish: Chris Martin para niños

• List of people associated with University College London
• List of British Grammy winners and nominees
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of highest-grossing live music artists
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart