There'd be no Coldplay without Jonny Buckland; TOP 30 NORTH WALIANS - PART 11: Chris Martin's view on guitarist Lead singer C on your greatest N.Walian list who's next o.
Byline: MARTIN WILLIAMS
VOTES for Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland came in at the speed of sound when the Daily Post began searching for our top North Walian.
Born in London, Buckland moved to Pantymwyn, outside Mold, when he was four years old, and with his bandmates has gone on to global superstardom.
Songs including Yellow, Clocks, Viva La Vida and In My Place have earned Buckland, best pal Chris Martin, Guy Berryman and Will Champion both critical and commercial success.
But before this he was a pupil of Ysgol y Waun, Gwernaffield, and Mold Alun High.
Former Mold Alun music teacher Margaret Parr, who retired in 2002, said he was always destined for big things.
"I had immense pleasure teaching him. He was always extremely interested in music and had immense talent for the guitar. When he studied A-level music his strength was in his composition and I always felt that he would do well," she said.
"There was great interest in the school when Coldplay started to become successful and I'm sure he will be an inspiration to the music students who are there now."
Buckland started playing guitar as a young boy, inspired by the Stone Roses, Ride, George Harrison and My Bloody Valentine, while being encouraged by elder brother Tim.
The Tottenham Hotspur fan met his fellow Coldplay members at University in London in the mid-nineties, though he and Martin later went on to scrape a living as domestic cleaners, hence the line in recent hit Vida la Vida - "... sweep the streets I used to own."
They were the first members of the band, having met one another during their orientation week.
The pair spent the rest of the college year planning a band, with their efforts culminating in a group called Pectoralz.
Later Guy Berryman, a classmate of the two, joined.
By 1997, the group, who had changed their name to Starfish, performed gigs for local Camden Jonny in his younger days promoters at small clubs.
The band's line-up was complete when Will Champion joined the band to take up percussion duties. np In 1998, they released 500 copies o the Safety EP. f Most of the discs were given to record companies and friends only 50 copies remained for sale to the public. os; ooe In December, Coldplay signed to the independent label Fierce Panda.
Their first release was the three-track Brothers and Sisters EP, which they had quickly recor ded over four days in February 1999. ss hrn After completing g their final examinations, Coldplay signed to Parlophone for a five-album contract in the spring of 1999, and success soon followed.
Since then Buckland has become one of the UK's top guitarists, and is noted for his sparse arrangements and use of slide.
His stylistic chiming and ringing sound have led to some comparisons with The Edge, from U2.
Away from performing with Coldplay, Jon, referred to on stage by fellow band member Chris Martin as Jonny Boy, has also made a cameo appearance in the British comedy horror film Shaun of the Dead He has guested on former Bunnyman Ian McCulloch's solo album Slideling, but his greatest fan will always be Martin, who said: "There would be no Coldplay music without Jonny Buckland."
And mum Joy, who still lives near Mold, said her son plans to be with the band for many years to come, despite rumours they had planned to disband in 2010.
The news was music to the ears of the many fans who contacted the Daily Post to vote for Buckland, including Dave Pryce of Colwyn Heights.
He said: "I've never met him personally but from the interviews I've read and seen on TV he seems such a humble fella.
"You wouldn't know he was one quarter of the biggest and most successful band on the planet, winning Grammy Awards and producing some of the best music of this generation."
Ginni Symes of Ruthin was in agreement.
"He's gorgeous, I saw him once in a pub near Liverpool and he was with Chris Martin.
"They were so friendly and down to earth and were happy to sign autographs and chat with people," said Ginni, 24.
"It was a breath of fresh air as so many musicians are complete idiots!" Kevin Hughes, from Mold, added: "There's been a buzz around this area for many years since Coldplay hit the big time.
"Everyone either remembers Jonny or knows somebody who knows him.
"He's a local celebrity but has never been a big head.
"When he comes home everyone says he's just like any other bloke on the street, but he's a worldwide star and has helped put North Wales back on the musical map."
CAPTION(S):
Jonny Buckland (far left) with Coldplay and a photo taken by his parents (above)