Johnny Buckland Biography

"There would be no Coldplay music without Jonny Buckland.”

Jonathan Mark Buckland was born in London, England on September 11th, 1977. At the age of four his family relocated to Patynmwyn, North Wales. At the age of eleven Johnny started playing the guitar. Johnny attended the Alun School in the Welsh town of Mold later attending the University College London studying mathematics and astronomy. It was at the University College London where he met Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion.

The four men would form Coldplay in 1998 where Johnny would be lead guitarist. By 2000 Coldplay would explode on worldwide charts with their single “Yellow” off the album Parachutes. Coldplay has since released two more albums, A Rush of Blood to the Head and X&Y and has sold over 30 million albums. The band is now working on their fourth album entitled Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and will be released June 17th 2008.

Coldplay and Johnny have been active supporters of various global causes and political issues. Specifically “Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair” and “Amnesty International”. They also show support by performing in many charity projects like Band Aid 20 and Live 8.

Unlike many other mainstream bands, Coldplay has turned down many multi million dollar offers from Gatorade, Diet Coke and the Gap because as Martin explains, "We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if we sold the songs' meanings like that."

Johnny credits George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix as his musical influences and he is recognized for his use of slide and sparse arrangements. He is also recognized for his chiming/ringing sound that is comparable to that of U2’s the Edge. This technique can be heard in Coldplay’s hit single “In My Place”.

Johnny is engaged to his long-term girlfriend jewelry maker Chloe Lee-Evans with whom he has a girl born in November 2007.