Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Who is Christopher Anthony John Martin?

Who is Christopher Anthony John Martin? The entertainment and music world knows Chris Martin  as an English singer-songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Early life

Chris Martin was born 2 March 1977 in Exeter, Devon, England and is the eldest of five children. His father, Anthony Martin, is a retired accountant, and his mother, Alison Martin, is a music teacher.[1][2] Martin started his education at the preparatory Exeter Cathedral School.[3] It was at the prep school that Martin formed his first band, The Rocking Honkies, with Nick Repton & Iwan Gronow. Their debut performance was met with boos from the crowd.[4] After Exeter Cathedral, Martin boarded at Sherborne School, a boys' independent school in Dorset. He also met future Coldplay manager Phil Harvey at the school.[5] Martin continued his studies at University College London, staying at Ramsay Hall where he read Ancient World Studies and graduated with First Class honours in Greek and Latin.[2][6] It is here he met future Coldplay bandmates Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman [7]

Recording career

Coldplay

While studying at University College London, Martin met Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman. In January 1998, they formed the rock band Coldplay. The band has had internationally recognised fame and success since their debut album, Parachutes, in 2000. Since then, they have released several further albums/EP's including: A Rush of Blood to the Head, Live 2003, X&Y, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, and Prospekt's March.

Solo work


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). Martin has also collaborated with Ron Sexsmith, Faultline, The Streets, and Ian McCulloch. He also sang a part of the vocals for the Band Aid 20 single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the end of 2004. In 2005, Martin collaborated with Nelly Furtado on the track "All Good Things (Come to an End)", for her 2006 album, Loose. The two were once rumoured to be a couple, after they both performed at Glastonbury in 2002. Furtado joked about the situation, saying that "Yeah, he's my boyfriend — he just doesn't know it yet".[8]
Martin's fascination with hip hop was shown in the summer of 2006 when he collaborated with rapper Jay-Z for the rapper's comeback album Kingdom Come after the two met earlier in the year. 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 (contrary to popular knowledge it was Coldplay producer Rik Simpson and not Dre who conceived and performed the drum beats). The song was performed on 27 September 2006 by the two during Jay-Z's European tour at Royal Albert Hall. In 2007, Martin appeared on a track titled "Part of the Plan" for Swizz Beatz' debut solo album One Man Band Man. 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.[9] He performed the chorus of "Homecoming", from West's album Graduation.

Influences

Martin's primary influence is the British rock band Radiohead. In a 2008 Rolling Stone interview Martin stated: "Sometimes I feel like they [Radiohead] cleared a path with a machete, and we came afterward and put up a strip mall. I would still give my left [testicle] to write anything as good as OK Computer." 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."[10] Martin has also performed live together with Magne Furuholmen of a-ha.
U2 has been an important influence on Martin both musically and politically,[11] in which he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time",[12] 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 catalog 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." 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".[11]
He is known to be a fan of artists such as Manchester rock band Oasis, Irish pop group Westlife,[13] British pop groups Girls Aloud[14][15] and Take That,[16] and Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. Solo artists Martin likes include Leona Lewis,[17] Noel Gallagher, and Kylie Minogue.[18]

Other endeavours

Martin and Coldplay guitarist Jon Buckland made cameo appearances in the film Shaun of the Dead as supporters of the fictional charity ZombAid.[19] Martin has a second cameo in this film as a Zombie.[19] In 2006 Martin had a cameo role in the second series episode four of the Ricky Gervais- and Stephen Merchant-created comedy Extras. He also appears singing in the closing credits of the 2009 film Brüno alongside Bono, Sting, Slash, Snoop Dogg, and Elton John.[20] Martin also played one gig with the "Sid James Experience".
Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues of fair trade and has campaigned for the charity Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. He traveled to Ghana and Haiti to meet farmers and view the effects of unfair trade practices.[21] 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.
He was a vocal critic of President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. 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". Martin also supported the Democratic Party candidate for President in 2008, giving a shout-out to Barack Obama at the end of a performance of "Yellow" on 25 October 2008 episode of Saturday Night Live.[22]
On 1 April 2006, The Guardian reported that Martin was backing the British Conservative Party leader David Cameron and had written a new theme song for the party titled "Talk to David".[23][24] This was later revealed to be an April Fool's joke. Whilst touring Australia in March 2009, Martin and the rest of Coldplay were the opening act at the Sound Relief benefit concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, for the bushfires and floods in Victoria and Queensland. Whilst performing the final song "Fix You", Martin leapt off the stage and proceeded to run through the crowd with thousands of fans chasing him. The song had finished well before he made it back on stage but he managed to sing the final refrain under exhaustion. He was so tired that he let the crowd sing it for him as well. At the end of the performance he was quoted to saying 'I hope no-one got hurt'. He reportedly had to lie down for half an hour back stage and was suffering from heat exhaustion. The band then played a sold-out gig in Sydney that night.

Personal life

Martin met American actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 2002 backstage at a Coldplay gig after the death of the actress's father, Bruce Paltrow. The couple married a year later on 5 December 2003.[25] Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born on 14 May 2004 in London.[26] Their second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born on 8 April 2006 in New York City.[27] Simon Pegg and Martin's bandmate Jonny Buckland are Apple's godfathers.[28][29] Martin is a longtime friend of Pegg, having met him in 2001, and appears in Shaun of the Dead,[19] one of Pegg's movies.
Martin does not smoke or drink alcohol.[30]
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?"[31] In the same interview he spoke of going through a period of spiritual confusion, stating "I went through a weird patch, starting when I was about sixteen to twenty-two, of getting God, religion, superstition, judgement all confused".[31]

Filmography

Television

Year↓ Title↓ Role↓ Notes↓
2006 Extras Himself "Chris Martin" (Season 2: Episode 4)
2010 The Simpsons Himself "Million Dollar Maybe" (Season 21: Episode 11)

Films

Year↓ Title↓ Role↓ Notes↓
2004 Shaun of the Dead Himself Cameo appearance
With Jon Buckland
2009 Brüno Himself Cameo appearance

Solo discography

See Coldplay discography for his work with said group.
Year Song(s) Artist Album Role
2002 "Where Is My Boy?"
"Your Love Means Everything, Pt. 2"
Faultline Your Love Means Everything Featured vocals
"Gold in Them Hills" Ron Sexsmith Cobblestone Runway Featured vocals
2003 "Sliding", "Arthur" Ian McCulloch Slideling Piano, backing vocals
"See It in a Boy's Eyes" Jamelia Thank You Co-writer, backing vocals
2004 "Everybody's Happy Nowadays" Ash Orpheus Backing vocals
"Gravity" Embrace Out of Nothing Writer
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid 20 Featured vocals
2006 "All Good Things (Come to an End)" Nelly Furtado Loose Co-writer, background vocals
"Beach Chair" Jay-Z Kingdom Come Producer, featured vocals
2007 "Homecoming" Kanye West Graduation Co-writer, featured vocals, piano
2009 "Lukas", "Fun", "Want" Natalie Imbruglia Come to Life Co-writer
2009 "Dove of Peace" Brüno Brüno Featured vocals
2010 "Most Kingz" Jay-Z Featured vocals
2010 "Me and Tennessee" Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw Country Strong Writer

 













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Who is Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe?

Who is Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe?  The entertainment and acting world knows Jonathan Rhys Meyers as an Irish actor and model.
Meyers is best known for his roles in the films Velvet Goldmine, Bend It Like Beckham, Match Point and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor, and as King Henry VIII in the historical drama The Tudors.[1][2] He has been the face of several advertising campaigns for Hugo Boss fragrances.[3]

Early life

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was born 27 July 1977  in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Mary Geraldine Myers and musician John O'Keeffe.[4][5] His stage name is derived from his mother's maiden name, Meyers. He was raised Roman Catholic by his family.[6] Born in Dublin, he moved to Cork at one year old and was raised there with his three younger brothers named Jamie, Alan and Paul, who are all professional musicians.[7] When he was three, his parents separated.[citation needed] His mother raised Rhys Meyers and his brother Alan while his other two brothers went to live at their grandmother's house with their father. Rhys Meyers attended North Monastery School.

 Career

Rhys Meyers was expelled from the North Monastery Secondary School at age 16 for truancy and spent much of his time hanging out in pool halls. Casting agents looking for Irish boys to appear in War of the Buttons spotted Rhys Meyers at a Cork pool hall, the Victoria Sporting Club, and invited him to audition. Although he was passed over for War of the Buttons, the casting agents encouraged him to pursue a career in acting. His first film role came soon afterward, in A Man of No Importance (1994). In 1996, he appeared in Michael Collins, as the title character's assassin. In 1999, he appeared in Ride with the Devil as psychopathic guerrilla fighter Pitt Mackeson.
Rhys Meyers has starred in television series including Gormenghast (2000) and in the CBS 4-hour mini-series Elvis (2005) as Elvis Presley alongside Randy Quaid as Colonel Tom Parker and Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret. Meyers did not sing for his role in the miniseries.[8] The latter earned him an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win.[9] He has starred in the CBC/Showtime co-production The Tudors (2007) as Henry VIII. He was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama in 2007 for the role.[10]
His film roles range from a David Bowie-inspired glam rock star in Velvet Goldmine (1998) to a dedicated girls' football coach in Bend It Like Beckham (2002). He appeared in Vanity Fair (2004) opposite Reese Witherspoon. He co-starred opposite Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie in Oliver Stone's epic Alexander (2004). In 2005, Rhys Meyers starred in Woody Allen's film Match Point, for which he received a Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, he appeared in Mission: Impossible III. Subsequent projects included August Rush (2007) and The Children of Huang Shi (2008), Shelter, co-starring Julianne Moore, and From Paris with Love (film) (2010), co-starring John Travolta.[11]
Rhys Meyers, a self-taught singer and guitarist, has appeared in a number of musical roles. His first such role was that of rock star Brian Slade in Velvet Goldmine; two of the songs he sang ("Baby's On Fire" and "Tumbling Down") are on the film's soundtrack. He sang briefly in the TV miniseries version of The Magnificent Ambersons, performed in studio scenes of the miniseries Elvis and played the flute in Gormenghast. In the 2007 music drama August Rush, Rhys Meyers performed on-screen as singer-songwriter Louis Connelly and is credited for four songs on the soundtrack – "Break", "Moondance", "Something Inside" and "This Time". Of the four, "This Time" and "Break" were considered in the Best Original Song category of the 80th Academy Awards.[12] "This Time" was not released as a single but peaked at #84 of the Canadian Hot 100.[13]
Rhys Meyers was chosen as the face for the Versace men's collection of Autumn/Winter 2006 and Spring 2007, and he has also been the face of the Hugo Boss men's fragrance range since 2005.He is signed to Independent Models in London.

In February 2008, he became a celebrity ambassador for the Cork-based charitable organization The Hope Foundation.[14]
On 5 October 2008, Rhys Meyers received an Honourary Patronage from the Trinity College Philosophical Society in Dublin, Ireland.

Personal life

In May 2005, Rhys Meyers checked into rehab facility Promises in California seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. On 24 April 2007, the Associated Press reported that Rhys Meyers returned to treatment. The actor's representative Meredith O'Sullivan confirmed the news to People magazine citing his need to take a break from his busy schedule in order to maintain sobriety.[15][16]
On 27 February 2009, the actor checked into rehab a third time, seeking help for alcohol addiction. He checked out on 15 March 2009.[17]
In May 2010, it was reported that Rhys Meyers was banned for life from flying on United Airlines due to "belligerent" and "disruptive" behaviour in an incident involving alcohol[18][19] at John F. Kennedy airport.[20]
On the evening of Tuesday 28 June 2011, Rhys Meyers was rushed to hospital. The actor overdosed on pills while in his central London home, and refused treatment from paramedics. [21]

Filmography

Feature films
Year↓ Film↓ Role↓ Notes
1996 The Killer Tongue Rudolph
1996 The Disappearance of Finbar Finbar Flynn
1996 Michael Collins Collins' assassin
1996 Samson and Delilah Young Samson TNT TV movie
1997 The Maker Josh Minnell
1997 Telling Lies in America Kevin Boyle
1998 Velvet Goldmine Brian Slade Nominated—London Critics Circle Film Award for British Newcomer of the Year
1998 The Governess Henry Cavendish
1998 B. Monkey Bruno
1998 The Tribe Adam
1999 The Loss of Sexual Innocence Nic
1999 Ride with the Devil Pitt Mackeson
1999 Titus Chiron
2001 Prozac Nation Noah
2001 Tangled Alan Hammond Straight to DVD
2001 Happy Now Mark Wraith
2002 Bend It Like Beckham Joe
2003 The Tesseract Sean Straight to DVD
2003 Octane The Father Straight to DVD
2003 I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Davey Graham
2003 The Emperor's Wife Chamberlain
2003 The Lion in Winter King Philip II Showtime TV movie
2004 Vanity Fair Captain George Osborne
2004 Alexander Cassander
2005 Match Point Chris Wilton
2005 Elvis Elvis Presley Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
2006 Mission: Impossible III Declan
2007 August Rush Louis Connelly
2008 The Children of Huang Shi George Hogg
2008 A Film with Me in It Pierce Cameo
2010 Shelter Adam
2010 From Paris with Love James Reese
2011 Albert Nobbs
Filming
Television
Year↓ title↓ Role↓ Notes
2000 Gormenghast Steerpike BBC miniseries
2002 The Magnificent Ambersons George Amberson Minafer A&E miniseries
2007-10 The Tudors King Henry VIII 2007–2010 (38 episodes)
Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television (2008)
Nominated—Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television (2009)
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama (2008, 2009)
Awards


















 

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