James Righton: Keira Knightley’s Husband and the Klaxons Musician Behind the Music

Keira Knightley is back in the West End spotlight, starring as Christa-Maria Sieland in Robert Icke’s stage adaptation of The Lives of Others at London’s Adelphi Theatre. The production began previews on 14 October 2026, opened on 29 October 2026 and runs until 9 January 2027, and its opening reviews have driven a fresh wave of searches about Knightley’s life off stage. The person at the centre of much of that curiosity is not Knightley herself, but her husband of more than a decade, the musician James Righton.

Righton built his name in British music long before his marriage became public knowledge. He was the keyboard player and co-lead vocalist of Klaxons, the London band whose debut album won the Mercury Prize in 2007, and he has since worked as a solo musician and a composer for film and television.

James Righton — Quick Reference Profile

A Schoolboy Musician Encouraged by His Father

Righton attended Stratford-upon-Avon High School, where music was already a large part of his life. His father was also a musician, and he encouraged Righton to play in bands that performed regularly while he was still at school. That early, practical experience in live bands shaped the performer he later became, rather than a formal route through a famous music school.

The details of his earliest years are less firmly documented than his later career. Published biographies disagree on whether he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon or in Leamington Spa, so this article does not present either town as a settled fact. What is consistent across sources is the Stratford schooling and the influence of a musical household.

Klaxons Keyboards and a Mercury Prize Win

Righton rose to prominence as a member of Klaxons, the London-based band formed in the mid-2000s with Jamie Reynolds and Simon Taylor-Davis. He played keyboards and shared lead vocals, and the band became one of the defining acts of the UK’s new rave wave. Their debut album, Myths of the Near Future, won the Mercury Prize in 2007 and put the band at the centre of that era’s indie scene.

Klaxons disbanded in 2015, closing the chapter that had made Righton’s name. His work from that period also reached beyond the band itself. He co-wrote The Chemical Brothers’ track All Rights Reversed, which appeared on their 2007 album We Are the Night. That credit shows a songwriter whose reach extended past his own band’s records.

Solo Records and Screen Composing After Klaxons

After Klaxons ended, Righton continued as a solo musician, releasing work under his own name and under the moniker Shock Machine. His debut solo studio album, The Performer, was released in March 2020, and he followed it with Jim, I’m Still Here in 2022. The two records marked a quieter, more reflective phase than the high-energy sound of his band years.

He has also built a second career composing for the screen. His composing credits include the television show Daddy Issues and the films I’ll Be Right There and Benjamin. That move into film and television music fits a musician who has always worked across genres, from indie rock to electronic and soundtrack work.

A Private Marriage That Began at a Dinner Party

Righton and Knightley met in 2011, introduced by mutual friends at a dinner party. They began dating in February 2011 and became engaged in 2012, before marrying in a small ceremony in Mazan, in the south of France, on 4 May 2013. The wedding was deliberately low-key, with close friends and family rather than a large public celebration.

The couple have two daughters, and they have kept their family life largely out of public view. Unlike many celebrity couples, they rarely discuss their children in interviews, and this article does not name their daughters. Their marriage has now lasted more than thirteen years, a notably long run by the standards of public life in music and film.

Why Knightley’s Stage Return Has Put Righton Back in Searches

Knightley’s return to the London stage after a 15-year absence from the West End is the reason her name is trending again. Reviewers have praised her performance as the actress Christa-Maria Sieland, a woman caught between art, love and state surveillance in East Germany in 1984. The production, adapted and directed by Robert Icke from the Oscar-winning 2006 film, co-stars Luke Thompson and Stephen Dillane.

Search interest in a famous actor’s partner often follows a major stage or screen return, and Righton is no exception. Readers looking up Knightley’s theatre work frequently look next for the person she shares her life with, and for whether he is still making music. The answer, on the verified record, is that his band years are behind him, while his solo and composing work has continued.

What Is Known, and What Is Not, About His Fortune and Public Life

No reliable, primary source gives a verified figure for Righton’s personal net worth, so this article does not repeat the unverified estimates that circulate on celebrity-finance websites. Any figure presented elsewhere as his fortune should be treated with caution, especially where it appears to mix his own earnings with Knightley’s far larger acting income. The two are separate careers, and no verified source combines them into a single household total.

His height and his social media handles are likewise not publicly verified, and no handle is quoted here. Righton keeps a low public profile, and much of what is written about him online is either old band coverage or speculation built around his marriage. The verified record is narrower: a Mercury Prize-winning band member, a solo musician, a screen composer, and a husband and father who values privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is James Righton? James Righton is an English musician and composer, best known as the former keyboardist and co-lead vocalist of Klaxons. He is married to actress Keira Knightley.

Is James Righton still in Klaxons? No. Klaxons disbanded in 2015, and Righton has since released solo music and composed for film and television.

When did James Righton marry Keira Knightley? The couple married on 4 May 2013 in Mazan, France, after meeting in 2011 and becoming engaged in 2012.

What music has James Righton released as a solo artist? His solo studio albums are The Performer, released in March 2020, and Jim, I’m Still Here, released in 2022. He has also released music under the name Shock Machine.

What is James Righton’s net worth? Not publicly verified. No reliable primary source gives a confirmed figure, so no estimate is stated in this article.

Myth-busting: is James Righton an actor who appears in Knightley’s films? No. Righton is a musician and composer, not a screen actor in Knightley’s films, and his credits should not be confused with hers. Likewise, figures quoted online for his wealth are unverified estimates, not confirmed earnings.