Editing Damon Albarn (section)

==Personal life==
Albarn had a long-standing and publicized relationship with [[Elastica]] frontwoman [[Justine Frischmann]] from 1991 to 1998.<ref name="Strong">Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate; {{ISBN|1-84195-335-0}}, pp. 635–636</ref> This relationship profoundly influenced his songwriting, notably on the ''[[Blur (Blur album)|Blur]]'' album (1997) on the track "Beetlebum" – said to be about their experiences with heroin<ref name="observer">{{cite web|date=10 March 2002|author=Andrew Smith|title=Interview: Justine Frischmann: Elastica limits|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/mar/10/life1.lifemagazine4|work=[[The Observer]]|quote=Then, in early 1997, Blur had a hit with a single called 'Beetlebum', which, after being pressed in these very pages, Albarn reluctantly admitted to be about heroin.|access-date=14 December 2016|archive-date=30 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130114455/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/mar/10/life1.lifemagazine4|url-status=live}}</ref> – and a number of tracks on ''[[13 (Blur album)|13]]'' (1999), such as "[[Tender (song)|Tender]]" and "[[No Distance Left to Run]]", said to be about their break-up in 1998.

Albarn began a relationship with artist [[Suzi Winstanley]] in 1998. Winstanley gave birth to their daughter, Missy, named after rapper [[Missy Elliott]], on 2 October 1999.<ref name=Esquire>{{cite journal|title=Damon Albarn|journal=Esquire|date=January 2000}}</ref> Albarn described becoming a father as "witnessing a life force"<ref name=Esquire/> and saying:<blockquote>It massively changes you. It slowly sort of shaves off the unpleasant thorny bits and hopefully creates a nicely rounded... I don't know, having a kid, you just become far more, inevitably you look to the future far more and, you know, it's desperate sometimes when you have a particularly bad few weeks of the newspaper just reminding you about this is wrong, this is wrong. We've got ten more years everyone.<ref name="Kennard">{{cite journal|last=Kennard |first=Matt |title=An interview: Damon Albarn on the Gorillaz, fatherhood, the war in Iraq, and going out |journal=The Comment Factory |date=24 November 2008 |url=http://www.thecommentfactory.com/an-interview-damon-albarn-on-the-gorillaz-fatherhood-the-war-in-iraq-and-going-out-734 |access-date=24 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117071847/http://www.thecommentfactory.com/an-interview-damon-albarn-on-the-gorillaz-fatherhood-the-war-in-iraq-and-going-out-734/ |archive-date=17 November 2012}}</ref></blockquote>
Albarn and Winstanley are speculated to have separated in 2023, with reviewers noting allusions to a breakup in the lyrics of Blur's ninth studio album ''[[The Ballad of Darren]]'' (2023). Albarn has declined to specify if these lyrics are related to his relationship status with Winstanley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2230152/blur-the-ballad-of-darren/reviews/premature-evaluation/|title="Premature Evaluation: Blur The Ballad Of Darren"|website=[[Stereogum]]|date=19 July 2023|access-date=25 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724225428/https://www.stereogum.com/2230152/blur-the-ballad-of-darren/reviews/premature-evaluation/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in an interview with [[Paris Match]], he stated that he had had a difficult breakup within the last few months, without mentioning anyone by name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parismatch.com/culture/musique/damon-albarn-blur-ne-sest-pas-ecroule-227512|title="Damon Albarn: "Blur didn't collapse"" – Paris Match|date=21 July 2023|access-date=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721165223/https://www.parismatch.com/culture/musique/damon-albarn-blur-ne-sest-pas-ecroule-227512|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2006, Albarn was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from the [[University of East London]], saying it was "great to receive [the] award from an institution where my dad used to work and which I, as a child, used to think of as that big building with lots of interesting people in".<ref name="Albarn Awarded Honorary MA at UEL">{{cite web|url=http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/latest_news/stories/damon.htm|title=Albarn Awarded Honorary MA at UEL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216021617/http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/latest_news/stories/damon.htm |archive-date=16 February 2007 |access-date=23 August 2014}}</ref>

In 2015, Albarn was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's New Year Honours list of December 31, which recognises British citizens for their achievements in public life and service to the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/blurs-damon-albarn-awarded-obe-years-honors-173719676.html/|title=Blur's Damon Albarn Awarded OBE in New Year's Honors|work=Yahoo News|date=31 December 2015|access-date=21 October 2020|archive-date=3 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003042141/https://news.yahoo.com/blurs-damon-albarn-awarded-obe-years-honors-173719676.html/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, Albarn, a long-time advocate of the [[Music of Mali|music]] of [[Mali]], titling his 2002 album ''[[Mali Music (album)|Mali Music]]'', has been given the title "Local King", and has had a school of music and dance named after him south of [[Bamako]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2016/02/damon-albarn-now-a-local-king-in-mali/|title=Damon Albarn named Local King of Mali|last=Unterberger|first=Andrew|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=21 February 2016|access-date=21 February 2016|archive-date=22 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222092347/http://www.spin.com/2016/02/damon-albarn-now-a-local-king-in-mali/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, Albarn was granted Icelandic citizenship. He visited the country in the mid-90s for recording, as well as on holiday, and subsequently bought a house in [[Reykjavík]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=|first1=|title=30 New Citizens, Including Three Familiar Names|url=https://www.ruv.is/frett/2021/01/29/30-new-citizens-including-three-familiar-names|website=RÚV|date=29 January 2021|publisher=RÚV (Ríkisútvarpið)- The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service|access-date=2 February 2021|archive-date=29 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129125613/https://www.ruv.is/frett/2021/01/29/30-new-citizens-including-three-familiar-names|url-status=live}}</ref>

Albarn is known to have homes in the [[Notting Hill]] neighbourhood of London, and [[Devon]].<ref name=":1" /> Albarn is a fan of [[Chelsea F.C.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2013/12/20/cobham-plays-host-to-singer-albarn|title=Cobham plays host to singer Albarn|website=Chelsea F.C.|date=20 December 2013|access-date=3 April 2021|archive-date=16 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416062031/https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2013/12/20/cobham-plays-host-to-singer-albarn|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Philanthropy===
Albarn has been an active supporter of various charities and philanthropic efforts throughout his career as a musician and has been involved in various charity albums and singles. DRC Music, a collective formed by Albarn, released their debut album ''[[Kinshasa One Two]]'' as a charity album in which all of the money earned is given to [[Oxfam]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ferguson|first1=Bob|title=DRC Music brings the sound of the Congo to benefit Oxfam|url=http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/2011/08/drc-music-brings-the-sound-of-the-congo-to-benefit-oxfam/|website=Oxfam America|date=31 August 2011 |access-date=18 May 2015|archive-date=20 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520071657/http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/2011/08/drc-music-brings-the-sound-of-the-congo-to-benefit-oxfam/|url-status=live}}</ref> Albarn has also formed a collective with [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] bassist [[Flea (musician)|Flea]], [[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]] guitarist [[Nick Zinner]], and [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]] frontman [[Alex Kapranos]] to make a charity single with the money earned from that single also donated to Oxfam.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Coplan|first1=Chris|title=Damon Albarn, Flea, Nick Zinner, and more come together for charity single|url=http://consequence.net/2013/07/damon-albarn-flea-nick-zinner-and-more-come-together-for-charity-single/|website=Consequence of Sound|date=5 July 2013|access-date=18 May 2015|archive-date=12 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612211212/https://consequence.net/2013/07/damon-albarn-flea-nick-zinner-and-more-come-together-for-charity-single/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013 Albarn, alongside fellow Blur bandmate Graham Coxon, performed live with former rival [[Noel Gallagher]] of Oasis and [[Paul Weller]] of [[the Jam]] to play Blur's 1999 single "Tender" in support of [[Teenage Cancer Trust]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher Unite For Charity|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/damon-albarn-and-noel-gallagher-unite-for-charity-20130324|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=24 March 2013|access-date=18 May 2015|archive-date=20 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520030136/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/damon-albarn-and-noel-gallagher-unite-for-charity-20130324|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Britpop rivals Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn perform together for cancer charity|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/britpop-rivals-noel-gallagher-and-damon-albarn-perform-together-for-cancer-charity-8547317.html|work=The Independent|access-date=18 May 2015|archive-date=20 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520003916/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/britpop-rivals-noel-gallagher-and-damon-albarn-perform-together-for-cancer-charity-8547317.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Brandle|first1=Lars|title=Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn Bury Hatchet for 'Tender' Performance|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1554402/noel-gallagher-damon-albarn-bury-hatchet-for-tender-performance|magazine=Billboard|date=25 March 2013|access-date=18 May 2015|archive-date=7 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907050622/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1554402/noel-gallagher-damon-albarn-bury-hatchet-for-tender-performance|url-status=live}}</ref>