Inside Chris Martin’s friendship with Michael J. Fox
Coldplay clinched the prize for most memorable moment of Glastonbury 2024, when they performed a surprise duet with Hollywood legend Michael J. Fox during their Saturday night headline slot.
Michael played the guitar from his wheelchair, amid his battle with Parkinson’s,alongside the band for Humankind and Fix You to a thrilled 100,000-strong crowd.
And it was a full circle moment for the band’s frontman Chris Martin, 47, who revealed how his global chart-topping band wouldn’t exist without the Back To The Future star, 63.
Chris poignantly told the emotional crowd: ‘The main reason why we’re in a band is because of watching Back to the Future,’
Glastonbury fans were left in tears when Michael J. Fox (L) made a surprise appearance on stage with Coldplay on Saturday (pictured with frontman Chris Martin)
It was a full circle moment for the band’s frontman Chris Martin , 47, who revealed how his global chart-topping band wouldn’t exist without the Back To The Future star, 63
‘So thank you to our hero forever and one of the most amazing people on Earth, Mr Michael J. Fox. Thank you so much, Michael’.
It’s not the first time the band, made up of Chris, Will Champion, Johnny Buckland and Guy Berryman, have dueted with Michael.
Chris previously spoke about how seeing Michael playing Johnny B. Goode in one iconic scene from 1985’s Back To The Future was his inspiration to become a musician and to form his band at University College London in 1996.
‘That’s what made me want to be in a band, you know? That scene, yeah’, he told Kelly Clarkson on her chat show in 2022
Michael previously appeared with the band during their 2016 concert in New York and played songs from his hit movie.
The 2016 appearance was a request from Chris’ then ten-year-old son Moses, with a video message being played to the audience before the surprise appearance.
In it Moses, whose mum is actress Gwyneth Paltrow, addressed his dad, telling him: ‘I was just wondering if you could play a song from both of our favourite movies, Back To The Future. I love you so much.’
‘Well, if your son asks you to do something…,’ Chris said, before starting Earth Angel, one of the songs Fox’s character Marty McFly performed in Back To The Future’s Enchantment Under the Sea dance, before the actor appeared on stage.
Michael played the guitar from his wheelchair, amid his battle with Parkinson’s , alongside the band for Humankind and Fix You to a thrilled 100,000-strong crowd
Michael previously appeared with the band during their 2016 concert in New York and played songs from Back To The Future (pictured)
The 2016 appearance was a request from Chris’ then ten-year-old son Moses, with a video request being played to the audience before the surprise appearance (pictured)
Moses (pictured far right) was spotted watching his dad’s Glastonbury slot on Saturday along with older sister Apple (left) and friends
After the 2016 performance Chris called dueting with Michael ‘our dream come true’
The band and actor then launched into a rendition of Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode.
‘Our hero!’ Chris yelled as the song came to a close, before adding that it was ‘our dream come true’.
In another full circle moment, Moses, now 18, was spotted watching his dad’s Glastonbury slot on Saturday along with older sister Apple, 20, and friends.
Three years before Moses’ request for the 2016 gig, Coldplay and Michael performed together at a New York City benefit show for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Chris previously spoke about how seeing Michael on guitar playing Johnny B. Goode in one iconic scene from 1985’s Back To The Future (pictured) was his inspiration to become a musician.
Michael created The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2008, years after going public with his Parkinson’s disease.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Michael echoed Chris’ gushing compliments over the years as he admitted the experience was ‘f**king mind blowing.’
‘Glastonbury all the love and thanks to the @coldplay team who took such great care of us. And many thanks to Chris, Will, Johnny, Guy and Phil.’
‘Oh yeah in case you were wondering…it was f****** mind blowing. There is a time for every band and a band for every time. This is @coldplay’s time.’
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Michael echoed Chris’ gushing compliments over the year as he admitted the experience was ‘f**king mind blowing’
In case you were wondering…it was f****** mind blowing. There is a time for every band and a band for every time. This is @coldplay’s time,’ he wrote as he shared photos from the weekend
