About Will Champion
William Champion (born 31 July 1978) is an English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer and percussionist of the rock band Coldplay. Raised in Southampton, he learned to play numerous instruments during his youth, being influenced by Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and traditional Irish folk music. His energetic drumming style is largely focused on the essential elements of the songs and he occasionally takes lead vocal duties on live performances. Champion has a 2:1 degree in anthropology from University College London, where he completed Coldplay's line-up with Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Guy Berryman. The band signed with Parlophone in 1999 and found global success with Parachutes (2000) and subsequent albums. He has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Brit Awards and an honorary degree as Doctor of Music for contributing to Coldplay. Having sold over 160 million records worldwide, they are the most successful group of the 21st century. == Early life == William Champion was born on 31 July 1978 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, being the second child of archaeology lecturers Timothy and Sara Champion. He was raised in the Highfield suburb of the town, close to the University of Southampton, where his parents worked.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.