Chris Martin

Christopher Anthony Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and philanthropist. He is best known as the co-founder and lead singer of the British rock band Coldplay. Born in Whitestone, near Exeter in Devon, Martin went to University College London where he formed a rock band with fellow musician Jonny Buckland in 1996 called Starfish, which was eventually renamed Coldplay in 1998. Martin, along with the other Coldplay members, achieved worldwide fame with the release of the band's single "Yellow" in 2000, a song that also earned the band their first Grammy Award nomination in the Best Rock Song category. The band also garnered critical acclaim and several accolades for their subsequent albums including A Rush of Blood to the Head and Viva la Vida, winning a Grammy Award for both and a Brit Award for the former. Coldplay have sold more than 90 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. One of the highest profile musicians in British popular culture, Martin appeared on Debrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK.