History of Chris Martin in Timeline
Chris Martin is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, most famously known as the lead vocalist, pianist, and co-founder of the globally renowned rock band Coldplay. He is a prominent figure in the music industry, recognized for his vocal abilities and contributions to popular music.
1929: Family business founded
In 1929, Chris Martin's grandfather, John Besley Martin, founded the family's caravan and motorhome sales business, Martin's of Exeter.
1968: Grandfather as Mayor of Exeter
In 1968, Chris Martin's grandfather, John Besley Martin, served as Mayor of Exeter.
March 1977: Christopher Martin's birth
Christopher Anthony John Martin was born in March 1977. He is known as the vocalist, pianist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay.
1990: Depeche Mode's video
In 1990, Anton Corbijn directed a video for Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence".
1996: Co-founding of the band
In 1996, Chris Martin co-founded the band with Jonny Buckland after they met during UCL's orientation week, marking the beginning of their musical partnership.
1997: Early songwriting and practice
In early 1997, Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland began writing their first songs and practicing every night, setting the foundation for their future musical endeavors.
1998: Name settled on Coldplay
In 1998, the band settled on the name Coldplay, derived from a suggestion by UCL friend Tim Crompton, marking a key step in their identity formation.
1999: Coldplay signed with Parlophone
In 1999, Coldplay, formed by Chris Martin and others, signed with Parlophone, marking a significant step in their career.
2000: Global fame with Parachutes
In 2000, Coldplay achieved global fame with the release of their album, Parachutes, marking the beginning of their international success.
2000: Release of Parachutes and success of Yellow
In 2000, Coldplay released their debut album, Parachutes, which brought them international fame. Their song "Yellow" entered the charts at number four, starting their enduring popularity.
2002: Performance at Glastonbury
In 2002, Chris Martin and Nelly Furtado both performed at Glastonbury, leading to rumors about them being a couple.
March 2003: Encouragement to "sing against war"
In March 2003, during the Teenage Cancer Trust show at London's Royal Albert Hall, Chris Martin encouraged the audience to "sing against war" in protest of the Iraq war.
December 2003: Marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow
On 5 December 2003, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow got married, marking a significant event in their personal lives.
May 2004: Birth of daughter Apple
In May 2004, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple, was born in London, inspiring the song "Speed of Sound".
2004: Band Aid 20 single
At the end of 2004, Chris Martin sang part of the vocals for the Band Aid 20 single "Do They Know It's Christmas?".
2004: Grammy Awards Acceptance Speech
During the 2004 Grammy Awards, Chris Martin accepted the Record of the Year award for "Clocks", using his acceptance speech to show support for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
2004: Contributed to Band Aid 20
In 2004, Chris Martin contributed to the Band Aid 20 recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?".
2005: Collaboration with Nelly Furtado
In 2005, Chris Martin collaborated with Nelly Furtado on the track "All Good Things (Come to an End)" for her 2006 album, Loose.
2005: Love for Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha
In 2005, Chris Martin stated in an interview his love for Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, stating that the first band he ever loved was a-ha.
2005: Performed 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.
2005: Named World's Sexiest Vegetarian
In 2005, PETA named Chris Martin the World's Sexiest Vegetarian. However, he began eating meat again after his separation from Gwyneth Paltrow.
April 2006: Birth of son Moses
In April 2006, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's second child, Moses, was born in New York City, with his name inspired by a song of the same name.
April 2006: April Fool's Joke with The Guardian
On April 1, 2006, The Guardian reported that Chris Martin was backing British Conservative Party leader David Cameron and had written a theme song titled "Talk to David", which was revealed to be an April Fool's joke.
September 2006: Performance with Jay-Z
On 27 September 2006, Chris Martin performed "Beach Chair" with Jay-Z during Jay-Z's European tour at Royal Albert Hall.
2006: Cameo in Extras
In 2006, Chris Martin had a cameo role in the second series, episode four, of the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant comedy Extras.
2006: Collaboration with Nelly Furtado album released
In 2006, Nelly Furtado's album "Loose" was released, featuring the track "All Good Things (Come to an End)", a collaboration with Chris Martin.
October 2008: Support for Barack Obama on Saturday Night Live
On October 25, 2008, Chris Martin voiced support for Barack Obama's presidential campaign with a shout-out at the end of a performance of "Yellow" on Saturday Night Live.
2008: Released Viva la Vida alternate music video
In 2008, Coldplay released an alternate music video for Viva la Vida, directed by Anton Corbijn as a tribute to Corbijn's 1990 video for Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence".
2009: Appearance in Brüno
In 2009, Chris Martin appeared singing in the closing credits of the Sacha Baron Cohen film Brüno, along with other artists.
November 2011: Playing a-ha songs
In November 2011, Chris Martin stated that "back when we didn't have any hits of our own we used to play a-ha songs."
December 2012: Performance at 12/12/12 Concert
On 12 December 2012, Chris Martin performed three songs, including "Losing My Religion" with Michael Stipe, at the "12/12/12 Concert" to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief.
2012: Revealed tinnitus diagnosis
In 2012, Chris Martin revealed that he had been suffering from tinnitus since his early adult years and encourages his bandmates and children to wear hearing protection.
March 2014: Separation announcement
In March 2014, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow announced their separation as a "conscious uncoupling" after ten years of marriage.
November 2014: Joined Band Aid 30
On 15 November 2014, Chris Martin joined the charity group Band Aid 30, performing on the latest version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to raise money for the 2014 Ebola crisis.
2014: Inducted 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, and performed live with him.
March 2015: Shareholder in Tidal
In March 2015, Chris Martin attended the televised launch of music streaming service Tidal via video link, revealing himself as a shareholder in the company.
April 2015: Divorce filing
In April 2015, Gwyneth Paltrow filed for divorce from Chris Martin, marking a formal step in their separation.
June 2015: Performed at Beau Biden's funeral
In June 2015, Chris Martin performed "Til Kingdom Come" at the funeral Mass of Beau Biden, after learning that Beau Biden was a fan of his.
August 2015: Relationship with Annabelle Wallis begins
From August 2015, Chris Martin was in an on-and-off relationship with actress Annabelle Wallis, beginning a new chapter in his personal life.
2015: Creative Director of Global Citizen Festival
In 2015, Chris Martin became the creative director of the newly established Global Citizen Festival.
2015: Collaboration with Avicii
In 2015, Chris Martin collaborated with DJ Avicii on two new tracks for Avicii's album Stories, including "Heaven" for which Martin wrote the lyrics.
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 14 July 2016, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's divorce was finalized, officially ending their marriage.
February 2017: Brit Awards Tribute to George Michael
In February 2017, Chris Martin performed "A Different Corner" at the Brit Awards as a tribute to George Michael.
June 2017: Release of Dua Lipa's self-titled album
In June 2017, Dua Lipa's self-titled debut album was released, featuring the song "Homesick" co-written by Chris Martin.
August 2017: Relationship with Annabelle Wallis ends
In August 2017, Chris Martin ended his on-and-off relationship with actress Annabelle Wallis.
August 2017: Tribute to Chester Bennington
In August 2017, Chris Martin performed a live solo piano rendition of "Crawling" by Linkin Park as a tribute to Chester Bennington.
2019: Featured on Avicii's posthumous album Tim
In 2019, Chris Martin was featured on Avicii's posthumous album Tim. The song "Heaven" features vocals by Martin.
February 2020: Cassette tape discovered
In February 2020, a cassette tape was discovered containing a three-minute instrumental piece titled "Electric Thunder", composed by Chris Martin at age 12.
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 support for Palestine during the Gaza war.
2024: Performance with Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Festival
In 2024, Coldplay invited and performed alongside Michael J. Fox at the Glastonbury Festival.
2024: Engagement to Dakota Johnson
In 2024, it was revealed Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson had been engaged for several years.
June 2025: Reported Split from Dakota Johnson
In June 2025, People reported that Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson split up after eight years of dating.
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