Christopher Anthony John Martin was born in Devon, England on March 2nd 1977. His father was a teacher and his mother was an accountant. He is the oldest of their five children and was playing music from a very young age. He studied Ancient World Studies at University College London and briefly worked as a sign painter before forming the group Coldpay with friends Will Champion, Guy Berrymen and Jonny Buckland.

Coldplay were hugely successful almost immediately with their first album Parachutes being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2000. Their second album A Rush of Blood to the Head was even more popular with audiences and critics alike. It firmly established Chris, Will, Guy and Jonny as one of the biggest bands in the world.

Coldplay's latest album X&Y has built upon the success of their previous work and is currently selling by the truck load all over the world.

Chris is equally well known for his marriage to American actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The celebrity couple had their first child, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, on May 14th 2004.