Will Champion
| Will Champion | |
|---|---|
 Will Champion performing Viva la Vida with Coldplay |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 31 July 1978 Southampton, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Occupations | Drummer, percussionist, musician |
| Instruments | drums, vocals, percussion, timpani, glockenspiel, vibraphone, gong, bells, chimes, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, resonator guitar, banjo, violin, piano, keyboards, recorder |
| Years active | 1995-present |
| Labels | Parlophone, Capitol |
| Associated acts | Coldplay |
| Notable instruments | |
| Drums | |
William "Will" Champion (born 31 July 1978) is an English musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer and backing vocalist of the Alternative rock band Coldplay.
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Early life[edit]
William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, on 31 July 1978 and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology. As a youth, his musical influences included Tom Waits, Nick Cave and traditional Irish folk music. He learned to play piano and violin when he was 8 and he learned to play the guitar when he was 12. He also had experience on the bass, and tin whistle. Before Will joined Coldplay, he performed in a band called Fat Hamster. He went to primary school at Portswood Primary School, his secondary school was Cantell Maths and Computing College and he went to college at Peter Symonds College. He went to church at Highfield church, Highfield, Southampton.
Coldplay[edit]
Champion was the last of the four band members to join the ensemble on 31 July 1997. He took up the position as drummer with no prior experience, but quickly adjusted to fill the role.[1]
In 1999, lead singer Chris Martin sacked Champion, but the band asked him to return soon after.[2]
In Coldplay, he is often regarded as the rationality of the group. They say of him "Will does have a very sensible head on his shoulders and when it comes to making band decisions he's really good at putting valid points across and keeping everyone focused. He frequently has the casting vote and his decision can sometimes override the consensus!"[3] As Chris Martin has said in multiple interviews, "We [Coldplay] are all just working for Will Champion."
During the Viva la Vida Tour Champion sang and performed an acoustic version of the song "Death Will Never Conquer". A version of the song was included on Coldplay's live album LeftRightLeftRightLeft. He has also performed lead vocals on a live version of "Til Kingdom Come" and the Life in Technicolor II b-side "The Goldrush".
Other projects[edit]
In Autumn 2004, Champion and Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman guested on A-ha keyboardist, Magne Furuholmen's first solo album, Past Perfect Future Tense.
The musician made a cameo appearance in HBO's series "Game of Thrones" in the episode "The Rains of Castamere."
Personal life[edit]
Champion's mother, Sara, a Doctor of Prehistoric Archaeology, died from cancer in 2000. The album Parachutes was dedicated to her.[4]
Champion was the first Coldplay member to marry: He married Marianne Dark, a teacher, in 2003. Their first child, a girl named Ava, was born on 28 April 2006. On 7 May 2008, Marianne gave birth to fraternal twins Juno and Rex.[5]
Champion is also a lifelong fan of Premier League Football Team Southampton FC and has had a season ticket for many years.
Equipment[edit]
Champion currently uses a Yamaha drum kit[6] with Zildjian cymbals.[7] In the music video for "Christmas Lights", he uses a Slingerland drumkit and Ludwig Supraphonic Snare 14x6.5 inches. For sticks, Champion looks to Pro-Mark's American Hickory 5A stick with a wooden tip. He is known to use 4 or 5 pairs of these per show.[citation needed]
Notes[edit]
- Roach, Martin (2003). Coldplay: The Scientist. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9810-8.
References[edit]
- ^ Weiss, David (March 2003). "Will Champion: Just Right For Coldplay". DRUM! Magazine (March 2003). Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ Monday, 14 September 2009, 16:04 BST (14 September 2009). "Showbiz - News - Martin: 'I punish myself with vodka'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ^ Slender Fungus (20 November 2008). "Oracle question". Coldplay.com. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
- ^ Champion patron of CANCERactive, CANCERactive. Retrieved 8-15-11.
- ^ McLean, Craig (1 June 2008). "'We're about to be fed to the lions'". The Guardian (guardian.co.uk). Retrieved 2009-03-18. "Will Champion (father of a two-year-old and three-week-old twins)."
- ^ Yamaha Drum Artists, retrieved 2009-07-22
- ^ Zildjian.com - en-US, retrieved 2009-07-22[dead link]
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