50 facts about Chris Martin, the lead vocalist and co-founder of the band Coldplay

50 things about Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin.

1. Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, and is the lead vocalist and co-founder of the band Coldplay.

2. Chris Martin was born in Whitestone, Exeter, Devon, England, and is the eldest of five children.

3. His father, Anthony Martin, is a retired accountant, and his mother, Alison Martin, is a music teacher.

4. His family's business was Martins of Exeter until sold by his father in 1999.

5. Chris Martin was educated at the pre-preparatory Hylton School and the preparatory Exeter Cathedral School where he found his passion for music.

6. After Exeter Cathedral School, Martin boarded at Sherborne School in Dorset and where he met future Coldplay manager Phil Harvey.

7. Chris Martin continued his studies at University College London (UCL), staying at Ramsay Hall, where he read Ancient World Studies and graduated with first-class honours degree in Greek and Latin.

8. At UCL, he met future Coldplay bandmates Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman.

9. While studying at University College London, Martin met Jonny Buckland with whom he decided to form a band - Martin on lead vocals and Buckland as lead guitarist.

10. They were joined by Guy Berryman as their bass player and Will Champion, who learnt how to play drums in order to serve as the drummer for the band.

11. In 1996, they formed the rock band Coldplay, originally known as Pectoralz, later changed to Starfish temporarily until finally they were offered the name Coldplay by another band who did not want it anymore.

12. Since the release of their first album Parachutes in 2000 the band has had internationally recognized fame and success.

13. To date, they have released six studio albums in total along with several EP's, including A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay Live 2003, X&Y, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Prospekt's March, LeftRightLeftRightLeft, Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay Live 2012, and Ghost Stories.

14. As a solo artist, Martin has written songs for a variety of acts including Embrace ("Gravity") and Jamelia ("See It in a Boy's Eyes", co-written with Coldplay producer Rik Simpson).

15. Chris Martin has also collaborated with Ron Sexsmith, Faultline when he sang on two haunting Faultline tracks: 'Where is My Boy?' and 'Your Love Means Everything Part2.', The Streets, and Ian McCulloch.

16. Chris Martin also sang a part of the vocals for the Band Aid 20 single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the end of 2004.

17. In 2005, Martin collaborated with Nelly Furtado on the track "All Good Things (Come to an End)", for her 2006 album, Loose.

18. Martin's fascination with hip hop was shown in mid-2006 when he collaborated with rapper Jay-Z for the rapper's comeback album Kingdom Come after the two met earlier in the year.

19. Chris Martin put some chords together for a song known as "Beach Chair" and sent them to Jay-Z who enlisted the help of hip hop producer Dr. Dre to mix it.

20. In 2007, Martin appeared on a track titled "Part of the Plan" for Swizz Beatz' debut solo album One Man Band Man.

21. Chris Martin has also worked on a solo collaboration with Kanye West, with whom he shared an impromptu jam session during a 2006 concert at Abbey Road Studios.

22. Chris Martin performed the chorus of "Homecoming", from Kanye West's album Graduation.

23. In 2015, Chris hooked up with producer and DJ Avicii to work on two new tracks for his upcoming album "Stories". Their first collaboration is officially named "Heaven".

24. Chris Martin wrote the lyrics, Avicii did the production and Simon Aldred of Cherry Ghost sings.

25. Martin's and Coldplay's main influence is the Scottish rock band Travis, with Martin crediting the band for the creation of his own group.

26. U2 has been another important influence on Martin both musically and politically, on whom he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", in the section on U2, saying: "I don't buy weekend tickets to Ireland and hang out in front of their gates, but U2 are the only band whose entire catalogue I know by heart. The first song on The Unforgettable Fire, "A Sort of Homecoming", I know backward and forward - it's so rousing, brilliant, and beautiful. It's one of the first songs I played to my unborn baby."

27. Chris Martin also comments on Bono's effect on his own charity and political involvement he is even known to joke with friends referring to himself as "Crono".

28. Chris Martin and Coldplay were greatly influenced by Radiohead.

29. Chris Martin is very vocal about his love for Norwegian new wave/Synthpop band a-ha. In 2005 he stated the following in an interview: "I found myself in Amsterdam the other day and I put a-ha's first record on. I just remembered how much I loved it. It's incredible songwriting. Everyone asks what inspired us, what we've been trying to steal from and what we listened to as we were growing up - the first band I ever loved was a-ha."

30. Chris Martin has also performed live together with Magne Furuholmen of a-ha, introducing him as "the best keyboard player in the world".

31. In November 2011, he stated that "back when we didn't have any hits of our own we used to play a-ha songs."

32. Chris Martin is known to be a fan of Oasis and Muse, Irish pop group Westlife, British pop groups Girls Aloud and Take That, and Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire.

33. In 2014, Martin inducted Peter Gabriel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career, and performed live with the former Genesis frontman.

34. Coldplay performed R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" with Michael Stipe during their Austin City Limits performance in 2005, as a part of the Twisted Logic Tour.

35. Chris Martin went on to call "Nightswimming" "the greatest song ever written".

36. Chris Martin has called Richard Ashcroft, formerly of The Verve, "the best singer in the world".

37. Chris Martin and Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland made cameo appearances in the film Shaun of the Dead as supporters of the fictional charity ZombAid.

38. In 2006 Martin had a cameo role in the second series episode four of the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant created comedy Extras.

39. Chris Martin also appears singing in the closing credits of the 2009 film Brüno alongside Bono, Sting, Slash, Snoop Dogg, and Elton John.

40. Chris Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues of fair trade and has campaigned for Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. He travelled to Ghana and Haiti to meet farmers and view the effects of unfair trade practices.

41. When performing he usually has variations of "Make Trade Fair", "MTF" or an equal sign written on the back of his left hand and the letters "MTF" can be seen emblazoned on his piano.

42. Chris Martin was a vocal critic of President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.

43. Chris Martin was a strong supporter of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, most notably during his acceptance speech for the 2004 Grammy Awards Record of the Year, accepting for "Clocks".

44. Chris Martin was married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow for 10 years.

45. The couple met at a Coldplay concert in 2002, while the band was touring their second album A Rush of Blood to the Head, after tabloids had started rumouring a relationship between the two.

46. Chris Martin was a help to Paltrow while she was dealing with her father's death, writing the song "Fix You" in the process.

47. The couple announced Paltrow's pregnancy and proceeded to get married on 5 December 2003, a quiet ceremony in the absence of all their friends and family.

48. Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born in May 2004 in London.

49. Martin and the band released a song "I am your baby's daddy" under the name "The Nappies" in anticipation of the birth of Apple. Their second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born in April 2006 in New York City. Moses's name was inspired by a song, "Moses", that Martin wrote for Paltrow.

50. In a 2005 Rolling Stone magazine interview, Martin said of his religious views: "I definitely believe in God. How can you look at anything and not be overwhelmed by the miraculousness of it?"

Source: Wikipedia.org