Guy Berryman

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Berryman's musical awakening occurred at age six when he heard Stevie Wonder's 'My Cherie Amour', a moment he described as his first personal connection to music. Raised near Beveridge Park in Scotland with a 'huge sense of freedom', he explored the Raith Estate woods and secretly examined his father's watch collection. At Edinburgh Academy, he played drums and trumpet, realizing he was a lefty playing right-handed before founding the band Pectoralz alongside Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland, which later evolved into Starfish. During university, he lived in Paris Block at Ramsay Hall while his future bandmates were in New York Block; bandmate Chris Martin initially found him 'scary' and 'moody', though Berryman's quiet demeanor belied a strong opinionated nature during recording sessions for X&Y (2005). He admitted to a drinking problem during that tumultuous era, noting he was 'much more opinionated back then'. Despite abandoning his Architecture programme at The Bartlett, his design background influenced his approach to gear and aesthetics, leading him to use custom Hiwatt rigs and specific Fender models like the Precision Bass.

In Their Own Story

In November 1997, the band recorded their first demo as 'Big Fat Noises' without a drummer. Will Champion joined in 1998, completing the lineup that would sign with Parlophone in 1999. Berryman worked as a bartender to pay rent while navigating early fame. The release of Parachutes (2000) launched them globally, eventually selling over 160 million records worldwide and earning seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards. A defining creative moment came when Berryman started the track 'Magic' on his own for the Ghost Stories album (2014), which became a lead single. In Apparatjik, formed in 2008 with Magne Furuholmen and Jonas Bjerre, he explored electronic textures, releasing albums like We Are Here (2010) and Square Peg in a Round Hole (2012). His artistic scope widened further when he founded The Road Rat magazine in 2019 to celebrate timeless car stories and launched the Amsterdam-based fashion brand Applied Art Forms in 2020, designing utilitarian wear inspired by Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela.

Reader's Guide

Berryman serves as Coldplay's bassist, primarily utilizing Fender Precision Bass models (including Squier, Mustang, Jazz, and Jaguar) and occasionally a Rickenbacker 4001. His gear has evolved from Ampeg SVT amplifiers in 2003 to a custom 200-watt Hiwatt rig by 2012. Beyond music, he is a prolific photographer, having documented the Twisted Logic Tour (2005–2007) with disposable cameras and contributing images to a-ha's Foot of the Mountain (2009). He co-founded the production duo The Darktones with Rik Simpson, working on albums by the Pierces. His personal life includes a marriage to interior designer Joanna Briston in 2004, followed by a divorce three years later; he shares a daughter with her. In 2014, he became engaged to Dutch model Keshia Gerrits, relocating with her to Amsterdam in early 2024 where they have two children. A passionate car enthusiast and former pilot, Berryman maintains a workshop in the Cotswolds for restoration projects and supports Raith Rovers.

Did You Know?

• Berryman was the only band member living in Paris Block at University College London, while his future bandmates were placed in New York Block.
• He once worked as a bartender to pay rent after leaving his Architecture studies at The Bartlett to focus on Coldplay.
• While Guy Berryman contributed significantly to Coldplay's song 'Magic', the track is primarily credited to Chris Martin with full-band collaboration, rather than being written by Berryman alone.
• Before joining Coldplay, he played in two key pre-fame bands: Pectoralz (with Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland) and Starfish.
• He took flying lessons and aspired to be a pilot before dedicating himself fully to restoring his collection of automobiles.