Guy Berryman | |
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![]() Berryman performing with Coldplay in 2017 | |
Born | Guy Rupert Berryman[1] 12 April 1978 |
Education | Edinburgh Academy Kent College |
Alma mater | University College London (dropped out) |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1997–present |
Spouse(s) | Joanna Briston
(m. 2004; div. 2007) |
Partner(s) | Keshia Gerrits (2012–present) |
Children | 3 |
Awards | Full list |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments |
|
Labels | |
Member of | |
Website | coldplay |
Signature | |
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Guy Rupert Berryman (born 12 April 1978) is a Scottish musician, songwriter and producer, best known as the bassist of rock band Coldplay and electronic supergroup Apparatjik. Raised in Kirkcaldy, he started to play bass from an early age, drawing influence from acts such as James Brown, Kool & the Gang and The Funk Brothers. In December 2020, he launched an utilitarian-inspired fashion label named Applied Art Forms, working as its creative director and designer.
Berryman joined Coldplay with Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion at University College London, where he enrolled on a mechanical engineering degree but dropped out. The group signed with Parlophone in 1999, finding global fame after the release of Parachutes (2000) and subsequent records. He won seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards as part of Coldplay. The band have sold over 100 million albums worldwide as of 2021,[a] making them the most successful group of the 21st century.[4]
Early life
Guy Rupert Berryman was born on 12 April 1978 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland,[1] being the youngest son of engineer Rupert Berryman and his wife Elizabeth, whose family were merchants and factory owners in the city.[5] Raised close to the Beveridge Park area, he described his childhood as one with "a huge sense of freedom", since he spent most of his time "getting up to no good" with friends and exploring the Raith Estate, ending up "lost for days on end".[5] He stated that listening to Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" for the first time was one of the reasons why he became fond of soul music, funk and Motown, which would later influence his instrument preferences: "I can remember being maybe six years old, having this experience. I had obviously heard music in the background, in the house and stuff, but that was the first moment that I ever connected with music on a personal level".[5]
Berryman's family left Kirkcaldy when he was around 12 years old, the same period in which he began to play bass.[6] He studied at Edinburgh Academy, playing drums and trumpet for the school band.[7] During lessons, he eventually observed he was "a leftie who plays right-handed" and formed a group called Time Out, as "everyone was into bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses, but I wanted to find a music that I could call my own. That was my form of rebellion".[8] His education was then continued at Kent College, Canterbury,[9] where he spent his teenage years listening to artists such as James Brown, Kool & the Gang and Pink Floyd.[8] After graduating from high school, Berryman enrolled on a mechanical engineering degree at University College London, where he met Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion, ultimately forming Coldplay.[10] As opposed to his bandmates, he did not finished the graduation.[11]
Career
Coldplay
Berryman was the third member to join the band in 1997.[12] Their college friend Kris Foof described him as "a quiet young man who had been put in 'Paris Block', the less populated block of rooms in Ramsay Hall. The rest of the band had been placed in 'New York Block', but not Guy, he was the outsider that the insiders all knew about, namely from his stockpile of musical instruments in his room".[8] Martin noted having a wrong impression of Berryman when they first met: "He's not as scary as he looks – he's a lot nicer. Guy's the dark member of the band. Everyone thinks he's moody, soft-spoken is better".[8] During the following months the group recorded demos without a drummer and replaced the name Pectoralz with Big Fat Noises.[12] He also dropped out his mechanical engineering degree and enrolled in a seven-year architecture program at The Bartlett, which was abandoned one year later to focus on playing bass.[13] While his bandmates continued their degrees, he paid his rent by working as a bartender in a local London pub.[8]
In the Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018) documentary, Berryman commented the promotion cycle for X&Y (2005) was a very turbulent period for the band, as they had frequent arguments, particularly between him and Martin: "I was probably much more opinionated back then, which was a huge pain in the ass for everyone, I don't know if I was trying to get away from myself or if I wasn't comfortable with myself, but I definitely had a drinking problem".[14] When asked about Coldplay's creative process in an interview for The Howard Stern Show, they noted while Buckland is usually more optimistic when either disapproving or giving his input on Martin's initial song ideas, Berryman is more critical, concluding that if he dislikes a track, "there's no point in ever playing it again".[15] On the other hand, he was responsible for starting songs like "Magic" on his own, which was released as the lead single for their sixth album Ghost Stories (2014).[16]
Apparatjik
In 2008, Berryman formed a supergroup called Apparatjik with Magne Furuholmen from A-ha, Jonas Bjerre of Mew and producer Martin Terefe.[17] Their first song, "Ferreting", was released as part of Songs for Survival, a charity album for Survival International.[17] It also served as the musical theme for BBC Two series Amazon (2008).[17] The band's debut live performance was held at the 11th CTM Festival, in Berlin, Germany.[18] On 1 February 2010, their debut album We Are Here was released for digital download through their official website.[19] In the next year, the group released Apparatjik World, an iPad application which contained songs the fans could help them produce.[20] After 10 editions of the project, a final version titled Square Peg in a Round Hole (2012) was made available, being their second album and first physical release.[21] On 20 March 2020, the band released a single called "Julia" on YouTube.[22] However, it remains unknown whether or not Berryman contributed to the track, given he has not performed live with other members since 2011.[23]
Business ventures
Along with two friends and car specialists, he created The Road Rat in 2019, a collectable quarterly magazine which celebrates classic automobiles.[24] They do not intend to cover on-diary stories as "each issue is meant to be timeless".[25] Berryman runs the project from his garage, being its creative director as well.[26] In October 2020, he launched Applied Art Forms, a fashion label inspired by utilitarian, workwear, and military clothing.[27] During an interview for British GQ, he stated "form and function are everything and, in designing the core pieces for this collection, I was driven by the need to create clothes that were the consummate expression of great design and perfect fabrics",[28] further adding his main focus is on longevity, creating "styles that are relatively timeless, made from materials that will last and age beautifully",[29] which makes up for an "ever-evolving" collection with occasional updates, instead of following the seasonal fashion calendar.[27] In the same year, he co-founded Bodyhero, a plant-based products start-up.[30]
Other projects
Berryman guested on Magne Furuholmen's debut album Past Perfect Future Tense (2004) along with Champion,[31] playing bass on the subsequent A Dot of Black in the Blue of Your Bliss (2008) as well.[32] He wrote a song called "Guy Romance Theme" for the soundtrack of The Longest Night in Shanghai, which was released in 2007.[33] His most notable hobby throughout the years has been photography, taking candid pictures of his bandmates with disposable cameras on the Twisted Logic Tour and throwing them to the audience later.[34] In 2009, he was responsible for providing the photos from the booklet of A-ha's ninth album Foot of the Mountain.[35] During the Music of the Spheres World Tour, he shared exclusive pictures from each show they performed with fans.[36] Accompanied by Rik Simpson as The Darktones, Berryman produced Love You More (2010) and You&I (2011) for The Pierces,[37] playing instruments such as guitar, omnichord, keyboards and percussion on the latter.[38] He also contributed to James Levy & The Blood Red Rose's debut album Pray To Be Free (2012),[39] while in the next year he produced DayBreak (2013) for New York-based rock band Hudson Hank.[40]
Bass style
Having a style described as slick and relaxed,[41] Berryman is usually seen using different models of a Fender Precision Bass, including editions such as Squier, Mustang, Jazz and Jaguar.[42] The latter was used during the recording sessions for Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008).[43] He mentioned the first "proper" bass used after joining Coldplay was a Rickenbacker 4001, which can be seen on the music video for "Shiver".[43] His equipment also includes two Ampeg SVT amplifiers, two 15" cabinets, one 8"x10" cabinet and a Tone Bender pedal for distortion.[44] In 2012, it was reported he bought a custom-made Hiwatt bass rig.[45] The 200-watt amp head was hand-built in the United Kingdom and paired with a 4x12 cabinet, loaded with Fane speakers.[45] When asked about his musical taste, Berryman stated that while it was "hard to condense it down", he "could not live without The Beatles or Motown".[46] Additionally, he is known to be inspired by artists such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Kool & the Gang and The Funk Brothers.[47]
Personal life
According to The Times, Berryman has an estimated wealth of £113 million as of May 2022.[48] He is a known supporter of Raith Rovers,[6] showing interest on photography, fashion and electronic gadgets as well.[34] After six years of relationship, he married interior designer Joanna Briston in 2004.[49] The couple filed for divorce three years later, but remained "very much in each other's lives" while raising their daughter.[49] In 2014, he became engaged to Dutch model Keshia Gerrits after dating her for two years.[50] They have two children and currently live in the Cotswolds, where Berryman owns a workshop to restore rare cars he collected in the last 15 years.[51]
Before refurbishing automobiles, he took flying lessons and wanted to repair a Spitfire and a Tiger Moth, but eventually got bored of the idea.[52] He is also a collector of synthesizers, cameras and watches: "I'm a completist when it comes to collecting, so I have to restrain myself [...] At least with cars you have to have space to keep them all in. But you can get a lot of watches into a drawer".[53] In 2020, Berryman founded Dawghaus, an online catalogue aimed at curating "the best in design", promoting already well-acclaimed creations along with the ones he thinks that "deserve more attention".[53] He is the only Coldplay member to have a separate social media account.[54]
Discography
With Coldplay
With Apparatjik
|
Solo credits
|
See also
- List of people associated with University College London
- List of British Grammy winners and nominees
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of highest-grossing concert tours
- List of artists who reached number-one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-ones by British artists
Notes
- ^ The term "records" is for album and single sales combined.[2] Coldplay, however, sold 100 million copies in albums alone, while Parlophone have not disclosed the amount of records.[3]
References
- ^ a b Births Index of Scotland & Ireland, 1553–2009.
- ^ "What's The Difference Between A Record And An Album? 5 Things To Know". The Sound of Vinyl. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "Coldplay Re-ups With Warner Music Group for Long-term Deal Via Parlophone". Variety. 6 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "In Defense of Coldplay: Why The Band's New Album Should Stop The Hate". New York Post. 22 November 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Coldplay's Guy Berryman Says Hearing Stevie Wonder In His Fife Bedroom Was Key To Entire Life And Career". The Courier. 24 January 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Exclusive: "I started out playing Genesis covers, now I'm in Coldplay", says Guy Berryman". Daily Record. 9 December 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ "Notable Alumni". The Edinburgh Academy. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Wild, Debs; Croft, Malcolm (2018). Life In Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay. ECW Press. pp. 65–69. ISBN 9781787391093.
- ^ "Kent College's Greatest Graduates". Holland Park. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "Coldplay's Guy Berryman – Classic Cars Generate A Smile". Classic Car Curation. 2 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "Coldplay Recall UCL". UCL News. 29 June 2005. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ a b Wild, Debs; Croft, Malcolm (2018). Life In Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay. ECW Press. p. 13. ISBN 9781787391093.
- ^ Roach, Martin (2003). Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy. Omnibus Press. p. 18. ISBN 9780711998100.
- ^ "Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams". YouTube. Minutes 1:15:57 to 1:16:22. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Chris Martin's Bandmates Didn't Love These Two Coldplay Songs When He First Wrote Them". YouTube. Minutes 3:17 to 3:57. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Chris Martin. Zane Lowe. The Full Interview". YouTube. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Coldplay Team Up With a-Ha and Mew". NME. 18 September 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ "Apparatjik at CTM.10". CTM. 21 December 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Coldplay Side-project Apparatjik Announce Debut Album Release Date". NME. 29 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Square Peg In A Round Hole Album Release Details". Apparatjik Official Website. 22 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Apparatjik – Square Peg in a Round Hole, Audio CD". Amazon. 4 March 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Apparatjik – Julia". YouTube. 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Apparatjik Performance Cancelled". A-ha Live. 16 August 2015. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ "Driving Bass: Guy Berryman". The Rake. 1 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "The Road Rat Magazine | A Thing For Cars". The Road Rat. 29 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Check Out Coldplay Star Guy Berryman's Garage". Motorius. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Coldplay Bassist Guy Berryman on Launching a Label". Irish Examiner. 29 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Inside Guy Berryman's Applied Art Forms". British GQ. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "The Man Behind The Brand: Mr Guy Berryman On Applied Art Forms". Mr Porter. 26 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "About Bodyhero – The Leading Plant-based Protein Products". Bodyhero. 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- "Bodyhero Set To Launch Ready-to-Drink Plant-Based Protein Shake". Sustain Health. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Coldplay Contribute To A-ha Member's Solo Album". Listen To Norway. 7 May 2004. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Snelgrove, Kevin (2013). 101 Interesting Facts on Coldplay. Apex Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781909949935.
- ^ "Travel With Music – Umi No Shanghai Soundtrack". CD Japan. 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Coldplay's Quiet Storm". Rolling Stone. 25 August 2005. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Foot of the Mountain Personnel". A-ha Official Website. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Check Out Our Exclusive Photo Diary From Coldplay's Massive World Tour". NME. 5 April 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Interview: The Pierces". Coldplay Timeline. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- "The Pierces – You & I". Pop Catastrophe. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Guy and Dolls – Coldplay's Guy Berryman To Play Twice at This Year's T in the Park". Daily Record. 23 June 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "James Levy & The Blood Red Rose – Pray To Be Free". DIY. 1 February 2012. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Stream Hudson Hank's Debut Album Produced by Coldplay's Guy Berryman". American Songwriter. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Coldplay are at their Happiest and Clappiest on Music of the Spheres". Financial Times. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- "Every Single Coldplay Song Ranked In Order of Greatness". NME. 10 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Guy Berryman". Equipboard. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Coldplay End of Decade Clearout Sale – Charity Auction Catalogue" (PDF). Coldplay Official Website. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Equipment List" (PDF). Coldplay E-Zine. January 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ a b "In Pictures: Coldplay's Custom-made Hiwatt Bass Rig". Music Radar. 2 July 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Guy Berryman – The Style Council". Mr Porter. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Spivack, Gary (2004). Coldplay: Look at the Stars. Pocket Books. p. 23. ISBN 9780743491969.
- ^ "Scottish Billionaires Had Less Fortunate Year Than Rest of UK, Rich List Shows". The Times. 22 May 2022. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ a b "When Red Met Jo Berryman". Red. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Coldplay Bassist Guy Berryman Engaged To Dutch Model Keshia Gerrits". Daily Record. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Coldplay's Guy Berryman On Keeping Up With Chris Martin". The Times. 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "My Three Watch Wardrobe: Mr Guy Berryman". Mr Porter. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Collecting Stories: Coldplay's Guy Berryman". Christies. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Guy Berryman é o primeiro membro do Coldplay a criar conta no Instagram" [Guy Berryman is the first Coldplay member to create Instagram account]. Viva Coldplay (in Portuguese). 19 January 2019. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
Further reading
- Wild, Debs; Croft, Malcolm (2018). Life In Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay. ECW Press. ISBN 9781787391093.
- Roach, Martin (2011). Viva Coldplay: A Biography. Music Sales. ISBN 9780857125941.
- Spivack, Gary (2004). Coldplay: Look at the Stars. Pocket Books. ISBN 9780743491969.
- Roach, Martin (2003). Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780711998100.