Why He's No. 33

Chris Martin is the lead singer of the internationally successful Coldplay, and is an outspoken political and social activist. He’s also married to famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Back Stage

Christopher Anthony John Martin (born March 2, 1977) is the lead singer, pianist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the popular rock band Coldplay. He has a baritenor voice and is known for his frequent use of falsetto. Martin is the husband of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Martin was born as the oldest of five children of Anthony and Alison Martin, an accountant and teacher respectively, in Exeter, Devon, England. He was educated at Sherborne School, a famous boys' independent school in Sherborne, Dorset, in England, and later at University College London where he read Ancient World Studies. Martin played the family piano from a young age, and would later learn how to play the guitar. 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 September 27, 2006 by the two during Jay-Z's European tour at Royal Albert Hall. "Beach Chair" is featured on the album Kingdom Come and is rumored to be the third single off the album. 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. He performs the chorus on a song called "Homecoming" on Kanye West's newly released album, Graduation. One of the bands that Martin credits with the heaviest influence on him as a musician is Norwegian pop-band A-ha. One song in particular has stayed in Martin's mind, as the following quote says: "As a 12 year old, Hunting High and Low was always in my head, and A-ha still continues to be an important band to me." In 2005 Martin said "I was in Amsterdam the other day and I put on the album Hunting High and Low. I remembered right there and then how much I loved that album. It's just unbelievable songwriting." He has also been known to copy the style of A-ha vocalist Morten Harket: "It was the way Morten Harket used to have different things on his wrists. I do it myself, still. He is the most disarming and beautiful man you'll ever meet." U2 has been another important influence on Martin both musically and politically,he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time 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 impact on his own charity and political efforts. Martin has also cited Oasis, Bob Dylan, The Police, Sting, James, Travis, Embrace and Keane as influences. 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 study the effects of unfair trade practices. 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. 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 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". This was later revealed to be an April Fool's joke. Martin married actress Gwyneth Paltrow on December 5, 2003. Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born on May 14, 2004 in London. The couple's second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born in New York City on April 8, 2006. Simon Pegg (who happens to be a close friend of Martin) is one of Apple Martin's godfathers (the other is bandmate Jonny Buckland), resultant of a friendship between Paltrow and Pegg, prior to Martin's appearance in Shaun of the Dead. Martin is ambidextrous, he writes with his left hand, plays the guitar the orthodox way and draws with his right hand.

Forcaste

In April 1999, while Martin studied for his finals, his group was signed to the British label Parlophone. Coldplay's first two EPs, Shiver and Yellow, were applauded by critics for their dreamy riffs and bittersweet lyrics; Martin's warm, comforting voice on the song "Yellow," a moving declaration of love, provided listeners with an alternative to the barrage of aggressive rap-metal acts in 2000.