Jonny Buckland
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Mark "Jonny" Buckland (born 11 September 1977) is an English guitarist and musician, best known as the lead guitarist
of the band Coldplay
.
, London
, and lived happily there until the age of four, when his family moved to Pantymwyn
, North Wales
. He started playing the guitar at the age of eleven, after being spurred on by The Stone Roses
, Ride
, George Harrison
and My Bloody Valentine, while being encouraged by his elder brother Tim. He was a student at Ysgol y Waun and Alun School
, the latter located in the Welsh town of Mold
; moving on to study astronomy
and mathematics
at University College London
, where he also met his future band mates—Chris Martin
, Guy Berryman
and Will Champion
—and formed Coldplay. While at University College London
, Buckland, along with Martin, worked as a school janitor.
Buckland is noted for his sparse arrangements and use of slide. His stylistic chiming and ringing sound have led to some comparisons with the playing of U2
's The Edge
.
solo album Slideling
and made a cameo appearance with band mate Chris Martin
in the film Shaun of the Dead
.
. He is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Buckland's brother, Tim and his band The Domino State, supported Coldplay at the O2 Arena in December 2008.
Buckland is married to Chloe Lee-Evans. They have a daughter Violet, who was born 3 November 2007, and a son named Jonah, born in 2011 They reside in London. On 14 November 2009, Buckland and Lee-Evans married at the luxury venue, One Marylebone in London.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
of the band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
.
Early life
Buckland was born in IslingtonLondon Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and lived happily there until the age of four, when his family moved to Pantymwyn
Pantymwyn
Pantymwyn is a small village just outside Mold in North Wales in the county of Flintshire.The village is located within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lying on the east side of the Clwydian Range. Pantymwyn is 4 miles west of Mold in Flintshire, North Wales...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. He started playing the guitar at the age of eleven, after being spurred on by The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
and My Bloody Valentine, while being encouraged by his elder brother Tim. He was a student at Ysgol y Waun and Alun School
Alun School
The Alun School is a large secondary school serving the community of Mold, Flintshire, North Wales, and its surrounding villages. It is part of the Flintshire LEA...
, the latter located in the Welsh town of Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
; moving on to study astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he also met his future band mates—Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
, Guy Berryman
Guy Berryman
Guy Rupert Berryman is a Scottish musician known as the bassist for the groups Coldplay and Apparatjik. Berryman is left-handed but chooses to play the bass right-handed.-Coldplay:...
and Will Champion
Will Champion
William "Will" Champion is an English musician and the drummer of rock band Coldplay.-Early life:William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology...
—and formed Coldplay. While at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Buckland, along with Martin, worked as a school janitor.
Buckland is noted for his sparse arrangements and use of slide. His stylistic chiming and ringing sound have led to some comparisons with the playing of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
.
Solo work
Buckland has guested on Ian McCulloch'sIan McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
solo album Slideling
Slideling
Slideling is the third solo album by British singer Ian McCulloch and was released in 2003. The album features guest appearances by Coldplay singer Chris Martin, who provides backing vocals and piano on "Sliding" as well as piano on "Arthur"; Coldplay lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, who plays guitar...
and made a cameo appearance with band mate Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
in the film Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
.
Personal life
Chris Martin often refers to him as "Jonny Boy" during live concerts, particularly if Buckland is about to do a solo or a long riff. Martin has said, "There would be no Coldplay music without Jonny Buckland." The affection between Martin and Buckland is often evident during live concerts and interviews. Buckland is godfather to Martin's daughter, Apple, along with Simon PeggSimon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
. He is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Buckland's brother, Tim and his band The Domino State, supported Coldplay at the O2 Arena in December 2008.
Buckland is married to Chloe Lee-Evans. They have a daughter Violet, who was born 3 November 2007, and a son named Jonah, born in 2011 They reside in London. On 14 November 2009, Buckland and Lee-Evans married at the luxury venue, One Marylebone in London.