Coldplay: Not Your Everyday '60 Minutes' Story

If you haven't yet seen Coldplay's '60 Minutes' slot that aired just before the weekend's Grammy Awards, you can see via YouTube in two parts at the Coldplay forum here. Meanwhile, below is another review of the programme, courtesy of the MinnPost:

I admit to watching an unusual "60 Minutes" story that immediately followed the riveting interview Sunday with the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson River. I couldn’t believe that the hard-hitting news show was running something on a rock band with the worldwide popularity of Coldplay. Then I remembered it was Grammy Awards night and CBS hosts the Grammys, and that CBS anchorwoman Katie Couric had an hourlong special on Grammy nominees last week. The things they make reporters do these days — then again Couric landed the exclusive with the pilot.

But right after her segment, here’s "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Croft interviewing Chris Martin of Coldplay, which won a Grammy later in the evening for best rock album for "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends."

Martin is actually quite charming, witty and humble, and maybe those are among the reasons he and his band are so popular and worth a behind-the-scenes look on "60 Minutes."

"I can't dance like Usher. I can't sing like Beyonce. I can't write songs like Elton John," Martin tells Kroft. "But, we can do the best we can with what we've got. .... And so that's what we do. We just go for it. We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically and people will like it more."

He also isn’t keen on being described as a rock star. "Well, I don't like the word 'rock star,' the two words, 'rock star.' Not even 'soft rock star,' " Martin said. "Not even limestone star. I don't like those words." Why? "Because I don't wear the right pants for that. You gotta wear the right trousers if you're gonna be a rock star."

One more tidbit revealed on "60 Minutes" that made me sit up straight in my cozy chair: Martin is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Where have I been? Obviously I haven’t been keeping up.