Matt Bellamy

His father, George Bellamy, was the rhythm guitarist of the 1960s pop group the Tornados, whose 1962 single "Telstar" was the first US number one by an English band.

[4] At Teignmouth Community School, Devon, Bellamy played in a number of bands, including Carnage Mayhem and Gothic Plague with drummer Dominic Howard.

When members of Gothic Plague left because of other interests, Bellamy and Howard asked bassist Chris Wolstenholme to join.

[6] Muse released their debut album, Showbiz, in 1999, showcasing Bellamy's falsetto and a melancholic alternative rock style.

Their second album, Origin of Symmetry (2001), expanded their sound, incorporating wider instrumentation and romantic classical influences, and earned them a reputation for energetic live performances.

The Resistance (2009) and The 2nd Law (2012) explored themes of government oppression and civil uprising and cemented Muse as one of the world's major stadium acts.

In 2012, the band received the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

[10] Many Muse songs are recognisable by Bellamy's use of vibrato, falsetto, and melismatic phrasing, influenced by the American songwriter Jeff Buckley.

[11] Bellamy said he did not believe his high-pitched singing would be suitable for rock music until he heard Buckley's 1994 album Grace.

[14] As a guitarist, Bellamy often uses the arpeggiator and pitch-shift effects to create a more "electronic" sound, citing Hendrix and Tom Morello as influences.

His compositions often suggest or quote late classical and romantic era composers such as Sergei Rachmaninov (in "Space Dementia" and "Butterflies and Hurricanes"), Camille Saint-Saëns (in "I Belong to You (Mon Coeur S'ouvre À Ta Voix)"), Johann Sebastian Bach (Prelude No.

Books that have influenced lyrical themes in his songs include Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell,[23] Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins,[24] Hyperspace by Michio Kaku,[25] The 12th Planet by Zecharia Sitchin[26] and Trance Formation of America by Cathy O'Brien.

Bellamy appears as a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero 5, along with the Muse song "Plug In Baby".

[33] With the British composer Ilan Eshkeri, Bellamy wrote the score for a 2024 audiobook adaptation of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four for Audible.

[40] In the January 2010 edition of Total Guitar, Bellamy was named "Guitarist of the Decade" and was proclaimed to be "the Hendrix of his generation".

[45] In 2022, Bellamy used the term "meta-centrism" to describe his political views, calling it "an oscillation between liberal, libertarian values for individuals ... but then more socialist on things like land ownership, nature and energy distribution".

When you hear their ideas and their vision for the future, it does give you genuine hope that a lot of the biggest issues we're facing could be solved.

[45] He disowned conspiracy theories in later years, saying they had been "hijacked" by rightwing politics, and that he had "become far more rational and empirical and I've managed to focus on slightly more realistic, tangible things".

[47] Bellamy expressed discomfort when the lyrics of Muse's 2009 album The Resistance were adopted by the rightwing Fox News anchor Glenn Beck, and when their song "Uprising" was used in YouTube videos advocating for conspiracy theories.

[51] In February 2017, Bellamy bought the former home of the tennis player Pete Sampras, a 6,900-square-foot (640 m2) estate in Brentwood, Los Angeles, for $6.9 million.

[57] As of 2022, Bellamy was living in Los Angeles during school periods to be close to his son and spending the holidays in London.

[45] That year, Bellamy said he was considering applying for an Irish passport to regain his European Union citizenship following Brexit, as he qualified through his Belfast-born mother.

[59] Muse The Jaded Hearts Club Solo Guest appearances Touring members: Morgan Nicholls (2004, 2006–2022), Daniel Newell (2006–2008), Alessandro Cortini (2009), Dan Lancaster (2022–present)

Bellamy performing in 2001
Bellamy performing in 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall
Bellamy with the Jaded Hearts Club in 2018