Chris Martin At 45: His Life In Pictures

By JC Villamere. 2 Mar 2022 2:13 PM

Singer, songwriter, frontman, philanthropist, conscious uncoupler: Coldplay’s Chris Martin has worn many hats in his 45 years and here are pictures of some of them. (Full disclosure: That’s not just an expression — he is actually wearing a hat in only one of these photos. Can you tell which one?)

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Look At The Stars, Look How They Shine For You

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The Act You've Known For All These Years

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He Came Along, He Wrote A Song For You
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Born in Exeter, Devon, on March 2, 1977, Chris Martin, with his long list of accolades and accomplishments, has arrived to make all other 45-year-olds look shabby in comparison. Here he is rocking the mainstage of the legendary Glastonbury Festival at the tail end of the before times, in June 2019.
Look At The Stars, Look How They Shine For You
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Let us deconstruct this constellation for you. From left to right, that’s Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Beck, and Chris Martin. They’re at the KROQ Acoustic Xmas Night at Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California, back in 2002. This is just after the release of Coldplay’s second album, ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’, in August of that year. The record sold 15 million copies and earned the band three Grammys.
He Would Like His MTV, Please
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Here’s Martin arriving at the 2003 MTV VMAs alongside Justin Timberlake and Black Eyed Peas. Coldplay performed “The Scientist” for the broadcast, the video for which won the band three awards: Best Group Video, Breakthrough Video and Best Direction in a Video.
Ages and Stages
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We all go through stages. Not all of us go through Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival stages, though. Martin does. Here he is performing with Coldplay on the main stage on Day 1 of the festival in 2005.
The Act You've Known For All These Years
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Here's Coldplay in their grungy Sgt. Pepper's phase at the 51st Grammy Awards on February 8, 2009. Jay-Z joined the group for a performance of "Lost!" and "Viva La Vida" for the show. Coldplay took home the trophies for Song of the Year ("Viva la Vida"), Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Viva la Vida") and Best Rock Album ('Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends').
The Couple
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Martin wed Oscar-winning actor Gwyneth Paltrow in 2003. The lovely couple welcomed two children before announcing their “conscious uncoupling” two months after being snapped at this Hollywood Stands Up To Cancer event on January 28, 2014.
The Amazing Frontman
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Remember way back when Spider-Man movies were a big thing? In May 2014, Peter Parker performer Andrew Garfield hosted “SNL” with musical guest Coldplay. Garfield’s “Amazing Spider-Man 2” co-star/then-girlfriend Emma Stone crashed his monologue and this "Spider-Man Kiss" sketch, which also featured Martin.
One Man Band
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This shot is giving us total "Mary Poppins" Bert vibes. But this is not Herbert Alfred on Sundays (Bert’s full name!). This is Chris Martin in Australia. He was no less whimsical as he filmed a clip in Sydney on June 17, 2014.
Is There Anything He Can't Do?
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Here’s Martin posing onstage with Ed Sheeran during the 2015 Global Citizen Festival to end extreme poverty by 2030 in Central Park on September 26, 2015, in New York City. Are they trying and failing to make heart shapes with their hands? Can you make a heart shape with your hands? You can?! Well then, it’s Martin: 0, You: 1. Look at you go!
Hooray For Bey
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It was the Super Bowl's 50th birthday, so they had to pull out all the stops. Beyonce, Martin, and Bruno Mars performed onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl L Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, California. Sure, Martin played the halftime show with Bey, but remember that heart hands thing? You got him on that.
Coach
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In March 2016, Chris Martin became head coach of the Loras College Dunhawks basketball team. Oh, wait. That’s a different Chris Martin. This Martin is just a basketball fan. So is his son Moses. Here they are at the Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets game on December 22, 2016.
Music Of The Spheres
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Here’s Martin and J-Hope, Jin, V, Jungkook, Jimin, Suga, and RM of BTS onstage during the 2021 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 21, 2021, in Los Angeles, California performing their hit “My Universe”. The collab was featured on Coldplay’s September 2021 album ‘Music Of The Spheres’.

Sure, Martin’s the frontman of the most successful band of the 21st century, he has seven Grammys, three Junos, four appearances on “SNL”, 100 million albums sold worldwide, movie star girlfriends, courtside seats, and he’s friends with BTS. But remember that one time in that picture with Ed Sheeran where they’re both failing to make really good heart shapes with their hands? Poor guy. We hope he can still somehow manage to enjoy his birthday.

Chris Martin At 45: His Life In Pictures

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