Chris Martin (born March 2, 1977) is the lead singer of the group Coldplay.

He was born in Devon, England, and attended Sherborne public school, followed by University College London (UCL), where he took a First in "Ancient World Studies". His mother was a teacher and his father was an accountant. He married actress Gwyneth Paltrow on December 5, 2003. Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born on May 14, 2004.

As a solo artist, Martin has written songs for a variety of acts including "Gravity" (Embrace), "Dry Your Eyes" (The Streets), and "See It In A Boy's Eyes" (Jamelia). Martin has also collaborated with artists like Ron Sexsmith, Faultline , and Ian McCulloch.

Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues of Fair Trade. He has done a great deal of campaigning for the charity Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. He personally travelled to the Ghana and Haiti to study the effects of unfair trade practices. When performing, he usually has the words 'make trade fair.com' or an equal sign written on his left hand.

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 vocal supporter of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, most notably during his acceptance speech for the 2004 Grammy Awards Record of the Year, Coldplay's Clocks.

Equipment list

On the A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour[1]:

Amps

• 2 x Fender 'Hotrod' DeVille Combos

Guitars

• Martin Acoustics
• Fender Telecaster Deluxe x 2
• Rickenbacker 360 12 String
• Gibson 335

Pedals

• Boss DDL
• Boss TU2

Pianos

• Yamaha GT20 Piano
• Kawai MP9000

External links

• Official site
• Chris Martin @ Make Trade Fair