Chris Martin
Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHR : Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born March 2, 1977) is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and pianist of the band Coldplay. He has a baritone voice and is known for his frequent use of falsetto.
He was born in Devon, England. He attended Sherborne public school, followed by University College London (UCL), where he gained a first in Ancient World Studies. His mother was a teacher and his father was an accountant. He married actress Gwyneth Paltrow on December 5, 2003. Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born on May 14, 2004. The couple's second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born in New York City on April 8, 2006.
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", for her 2006 album, Loose. The two were once rumoured to be a couple, after they both performed at Glastonbury in 2001. Furtado joked about the situation, saying that "Yeah, he's my boyfriend — he just doesn't know it yet". ChartAttack.com staff (2001). ["Compilation Brings Nelly Furtado and Chris Martin Together Forever"] ChartAttack.com (accessed April 25, 2006) Martin is also expected to work on a solo collaboration with Kanye West, with whom he shared an impromptu jam session during a 2006 concert at Abbey Road Studios.NME staff author (2006). ["Chris Martin to release solo collaboration"] NME magazine (accessed April 26, 2006)
Martin and Coldplay guitarist Jon Buckland made cameo appearances in the film Shaun of the Dead as supporters of the fictional charity ZombAid.
Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues of fair trade. He has done a great deal of campaigning for the charity Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. He personally travelled to Ghana and Haiti to study the effects of unfair trade practices. When performing, he usually has variations of "Make Trade Fair", "MTF" or an equal sign written on his left hand.
Martin has been somewhat active in politics. He was a vocal critic of President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Martin was a strong supporter of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, most notably during his acceptance speech for the 2004 Grammy Awards Record of the Year, accepting for "Clocks".
On April 1, 2006, The Guardian reportedOlaf Priol (2006). ["Their wives met at yoga. Now Chris Martin plans to rock the vote for Cameron's Tories"] The Guardian (accessed April 25, 2006) the unlikely news 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".Guardian staff (2006). ["Talk to David"] The Guardian (accessed April 26, 2006) This was later revealed to be an April Fool's joke.
Martin was voted as one of PETA's two 2005 "World's Sexiest Vegetarians".(2005). ["Chris Martin's Coldplay Voted World's Sexiest Vegetarian"] PETA (accessed April 25, 2006)
Martin is a big fan of Radiohead, and has often described his band as a Radiohead-derivative (once saying they were "eager dogs yapping at their [Radiohead's] heels"). The most notable influence on the band is his use of falsetto, a characteristic popularised among British alternative rock groups by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.
Equipment list
- Standard
- Two Telecaster Deluxe guitars
- Two Hot Rod DeVille combo amps
- Two Fender 'Hotrod' DeVille combo ampsDebs Wind (2003). ["Equipment List"] official Coldplay Ezine (accessed April 25, 2006)
- Kawai MP9000 amp
Trivia
William Willett, the inventor of daylight saving time, is Martin's great-great-grandfather.Cross, Alan (2006). "The Ongoing History of New Music - Coldplay: Part 1". Retrieved 2006-07-04.References
External links
- [Coldplay]
- [Chris Martin] for Make Trade Fair
| Coldplay |
| Chris Martin | Jonny Buckland | Guy Berryman | Will Champion |
| Coldplay discography |
|---|
| Albums and extended plays: A Rush of Blood to the Head | Brothers & Sisters EP | Live 2003 | Parachutes | Safety EP | The Blue Room EP | Trouble Live EP | X&Y |
| Singles: "Ode to Deodorant" | "Brothers & Sisters" | "Shiver" | "Yellow" | "Trouble" | "Don't Panic" | "In My Place" | "The Scientist" | "Clocks" | "God Put a Smile upon Your Face" | "Speed of Sound" | "Fix You" | "Talk" | "The Hardest Part" |
| Tours |
| A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour | Twisted Logic Tour |
| Related articles |
| Britpop | Parlophone | Ken Nelson | Make Trade Fair |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.