History of Chris Martin in Timeline
Chris Martin is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, primarily known as the lead vocalist, pianist, and co-founder of the globally successful rock band Coldplay. He is a prominent figure in contemporary music, having achieved widespread recognition and commercial success with Coldplay's numerous albums and singles. Beyond his role in Coldplay, Martin has also engaged in solo work and collaborations with other artists, solidifying his influence in the music industry.
1929: Martin's of Exeter Founded
In 1929, Chris Martin's grandfather, John Besley Martin, founded Martin's of Exeter, the family's caravan and motorhome sales business.
March 1977: Christopher Anthony John Martin Born
In March 1977, Christopher Anthony John Martin was born in Exeter, Devon, England, the eldest of five children to Anthony John Martin and Alison Martin.
March 1977: Chris Martin Born
In March 1977, Christopher Anthony John Martin was born, marking the beginning of his life.
1996: Martin and Buckland Co-Founded Band
In 1996, Chris Martin co-founded the band with Jonny Buckland after meeting at University College London's orientation week.
1997: Martin and Buckland Start Writing Songs
In early 1997, Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland began writing their first songs together and rehearsing nightly.
1998: Band Name Changes
In 1998, the band was known as Big Fat Noises by November. They briefly became Starfish before settling on the name Coldplay, suggested by Tim Crompton.
1999: Coldplay signs with Parlophone
In 1999, Coldplay signed with Parlophone, marking a significant step in their early career.
2000: Coldplay finds global fame with 'Parachutes'
In 2000, Coldplay achieved global fame with their debut album, 'Parachutes', marking a major turning point in their career.
2000: Release of 'Parachutes' and Breakthrough with 'Yellow'
In 2000, Coldplay released their debut album, 'Parachutes', achieving international recognition. The song 'Yellow' became the group's breakthrough hit, charting at number four.
2002: Glastonbury Performance and Rumors
In 2002, Chris Martin and Nelly Furtado performed together at Glastonbury Festival, leading to rumors of a romantic relationship.
March 2003: Anti-War Stance at Royal Albert Hall
In March 2003, at London's Royal Albert Hall, Chris Martin voiced his criticism of the war in Iraq, encouraging the crowd to 'sing against war'.
December 2003: Marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow
On December 5, 2003, Chris Martin married Gwyneth Paltrow.
2004: Sings on Band Aid 20 Single
In 2004, Chris Martin sang on the Band Aid 20 single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?', contributing to the charity effort.
2004: Support for John Kerry
In 2004, Chris Martin supported Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, notably during his acceptance speech for the Grammy Awards Record of the Year.
2005: Admiration for a-ha
In 2005, Chris Martin expressed his admiration for Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, noting their incredible songwriting.
2005: Collaboration with Nelly Furtado
In 2005, Chris Martin worked with Nelly Furtado on 'All Good Things (Come to an End)' for her album Loose.
2005: Performance of R.E.M.'s Nightswimming
In 2005, Coldplay performed R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" with Michael Stipe during their Austin City Limits performance as part of the Twisted Logic Tour. Martin later called "Nightswimming" "the greatest song ever written".
2005: Named World's Sexiest Vegetarian
In 2005, PETA named Chris Martin the World's Sexiest Vegetarian, though he later began eating meat again.
April 2006: Birth of Son Moses
In April 2006, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's second child, Moses, was born in New York City. His name was inspired by a song of the same name.
April 2006: April Fool's Joke about supporting David Cameron
In April 2006, The Guardian reported that Chris Martin was backing David Cameron and had written a theme song for the Conservative Party titled "Talk to David", which was revealed to be an April Fool's joke.
September 2006: Performance of 'Beach Chair' with Jay-Z
On September 27, 2006, Chris Martin and Jay-Z performed 'Beach Chair' at Royal Albert Hall.
2006: Cameo in Extras
In 2006, Chris Martin had a cameo role in series two, episode four, of the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant comedy 'Extras'.
2006: Nelly Furtado's Album Release
In 2006, Nelly Furtado released her album 'Loose' which featured Chris Martin.
2007: Recording Chorus for Kanye West's 'Homecoming'
In 2007, Chris Martin recorded the chorus for Kanye West's 'Homecoming' on the album Graduation, following an impromptu jam session at Abbey Road Studios.
October 2008: Support for Barack Obama on SNL
On the October 25, 2008 episode of Saturday Night Live, Chris Martin showed his support for Barack Obama for president, giving a shout-out at the end of a performance of 'Yellow'.
2008: Release of Alternate Music Video for Viva la Vida
In 2008, Coldplay released an alternate music video for "Viva la Vida", directed by Anton Corbijn as a tribute to the music video for Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence".
2009: Appearance in Brüno Closing Credits
In 2009, Chris Martin appeared singing in the closing credits of the Sacha Baron Cohen film 'Brüno', alongside other artists.
November 2011: Played a-ha songs
In November 2011, Chris Martin mentioned that Coldplay used to play a-ha songs when they didn't have any hits of their own.
2011: Favourite Acts
During an interview in 2011, Chris Martin cited The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Marley as among his favorite acts.
December 2012: Performs at 12/12/12 Concert for Sandy Relief
In December 2012, Chris Martin performed three songs for the 12/12/12: The Concert for Sandy Relief, which aided Hurricane Sandy victims.
2012: Reveals Tinnitus Condition
In 2012, Chris Martin revealed that he had been suffering from tinnitus since his early adult years and uses filtered earplugs or customized in-ear monitors during performances.
March 2014: Announce Separation
In March 2014, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow announced their separation as a 'conscious uncoupling' after ten years of marriage.
2014: Inducts Peter Gabriel into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 2014, Chris Martin inducted Peter Gabriel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career.
March 2015: Attends Tidal Launch
In March 2015, Chris Martin attended the televised launch of the music streaming service Tidal via video link as a shareholder.
April 2015: Paltrow Files for Divorce
In April 2015, Gwyneth Paltrow filed for divorce from Chris Martin.
June 2015: Performs at Beau Biden's Funeral
In June 2015, Chris Martin performed 'Til Kingdom Come' at the funeral Mass of Beau Biden, son of then United States Vice President Joe Biden.
August 2015: Relationship with Annabelle Wallis
From August 2015, Chris Martin was in an on-and-off relationship with actress Annabelle Wallis.
September 2015: Creative Director of Global Citizen Festival
In September 2015, Chris Martin became the creative director of the Global Citizen Festival.
2015: Collaboration with Avicii
In 2015, Chris Martin collaborated with Avicii during sessions for Avicii's album, Stories. They wrote 'Heaven' together, and Martin sang on 'True Believer'.
June 2016: Support for Vote Remain
In June 2016, Chris Martin publicly supported Vote Remain in the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
July 2016: Divorce Finalized
On July 14, 2016, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's divorce was finalized.
August 2017: Tribute to Chester Bennington
In August 2017, Chris Martin performed a solo piano rendition of 'Crawling' by Linkin Park as a tribute to the band's singer Chester Bennington, who had recently passed away.
August 2017: Relationship with Annabelle Wallis ends
In August 2017, Chris Martin's on-and-off relationship with actress Annabelle Wallis ended.
2017: Brit Awards Tribute and Songwriting for Dua Lipa
In 2017, Chris Martin performed 'A Different Corner' at the Brit Awards in tribute to George Michael. He also co-wrote 'Homesick' for Dua Lipa's self-titled debut album.
2018: Avicii's Death
In 2018, Avicii, with whom Chris Martin had collaborated, passed away. This occurred prior to the release of their song 'Heaven' on Avicii's posthumous album.
2019: Featured on Avicii's Posthumous Album
In 2019, Chris Martin was featured on Avicii's posthumous album, Tim. The song 'Heaven' features vocals by Martin.
February 2020: Discovery and Auction of 'Electric Thunder' Cassette
In February 2020, a cassette tape containing a three-minute instrumental piece titled 'Electric Thunder', composed by Chris Martin at age 12, was discovered and auctioned, fetching £840.
May 2023: Estimated Net Worth
According to The Times in May 2023, Chris Martin had an estimated net worth of £160 million.
November 2023: Support for Palestine
In November 2023, Chris Martin expressed his support for Palestine during the Gaza war.
2024: Performance with Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury
In 2024, Coldplay invited and performed alongside Michael J. Fox at the Glastonbury Festival.
2024: Engagement to Dakota Johnson
In 2024, it was revealed that Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson had been engaged for several years.
June 2025: Split with Dakota Johnson
In June 2025, it was reported that Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson split up after eight years of dating.
2025: Martin House Launched in Exeter
In 2025, InFocus launched Exeter's Martin House, named after Chris Martin, to serve as a residential care facility for young people with vision impairment and complex needs.
Mentioned in this timeline
Jay-Z born Shawn Corey Carter is a highly influential American...
Dua Lipa is a highly successful English singer and songwriter...
Barack Obama the th U S President - was the...
California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...
Saturday Night Live SNL is a late-night live sketch comedy...
Joe Biden a member of the Democratic Party served as...
Trending
23 minutes ago Sarkisian, Kiffin coaching rumor approaches differ; Desmond Howard mentioned in Nemo's notes.
23 minutes ago Emily Finn, 18, Sayville Teen, Killed by Ex-Boyfriend in Tragic Shooting Incident
1 hour ago Pope Leo Visits Mosque, Lebanon, and Turkey Seeking to Bridge Christian Divide.
1 hour ago Chase Rice Announces Touring Break After 13 Years for a Major Career Move.
1 hour ago JO1 Makes History as First Japanese Group at Jingle Ball and New TVCM
1 hour ago Advent Calendar Craze: Adults Seek Food-Focused Delights and Score Black Friday Deals.
Popular
Aftyn Alyssa Behn is an American politician currently serving as...
William Franklin Graham III commonly known as Franklin Graham is...
Candace Owens is an American conservative political commentator and author...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Marjorie Taylor Greene known as MTG is a U S...
Richard Branson is a prominent English business magnate best known...