by Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith Will they or won't they? Celeb watchers have been following the romance of Oscar-winning Tinseltown princess Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, lead singer of the hot group Coldplay, since it blossomed a year ago. We've learned that Gwynnie packs lunches for Chris -- including soy milk and vitamins -- in a little Tupperware box.

We've learned they've had shouting matches.

They've been to dinner with Gwyneth's mum, Blythe Danner, at the English country home of Sting and Trudie Styler.

Gwyneth is said to like life on the road with Chris, as part of Coldplay's traveling group, which, like other bands and their support teams on tour, bonds together and becomes its own family of sorts.

She has made it clear she loathes the feeding frenzy attentions of the carnivorous British tabloids and paparazzi, once crying out after being met by a phalanx of photographers at her and Martin's London digs, "I can't go on like this!"

Chris is said to have helped heal her heartbreak over the death of her beloved dad, director Bruce Paltrow.

Then came reports they'd marry -- complete with Steven Speilberg giving the bride away -- followed by Chris' denial.

Then came reports they were near splitting up.

Now comes word that she'll take a year off work to have Chris's baby. Hm.

One thing's for sure: the pair has captured attention in two worlds, and we don't mean England and The States.

Gwyneth and Chris are among the newest pairs in what's become a modern show business tradition -- the Hollywood lovely and the music god.

Same goes for Cameron Diaz and her super-talented pop star boy toy, Justin Timberlake.

And then there's Cameron's "Charlie's Angels" cohort, Drew Barrymore, who has been dating rocker Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes.

And who can ignore the recent rumblings that rocker Lenny Kravitz and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman will soon step out in the public eye as a genuine item. Some reports have them yachting around the South of France together.

Then there is Renee Zellweger, who is involved with White Stripes singer guitarist Jack White.

Kate Hudson's married to Chris Robinson, former lead singer of the Black Crowes.

Carmen Electra is engaged to Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro.

Certainly Heather Locklear and her big ol' ax-man hubby, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, qualify. They got together after Locklear divorced her previous rocker husband of seven years, the highly-tattooed Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, which in turn freed up Lee to begin his highly dramatic relationship with Pamela Anderson -- who had previously been with Bret Michaels of Poison, and went from Tommy to Kid Rock, until they reportedly broke up, leaving Pam free to resume relations with ex-con Tommy.

A regular rock 'n' roll marry-go-round.

Tracing the Richie branch of this union, we find former Hollywood darling Ally Sheedy was a girlfriend, and so was the pop legend-and-movie star all-in-one, Cher.

Fans snapped to attention when rock guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen wed America's sweetheart, Valerie Bertinelli, in 1981. Tales of Valerie not getting along with Eddie's band, and getting Eddie sober, having Eddie's son and dealing with being a rock wife while continuing her TV career, held public interest until their split after a two-decade-plus marriage.

It was the height of cosmopolitan chic when avant-garde rocker David Bowie wed glamorous supermodel cum actress Iman.

Wynona Ryder's gone through the looking glass into the rock world via ex-boyfriends Dave Pirner, Beck and Pete Yorn.

For actresses, the music world offers an exciting change of pace. And the men who've made success in it have their own status and their own fans -- so they don't feel threatened by an actress' fame and achievements.

In fact, for many rockers, the movie or TV star or supermodel girlfriend is the ultimate "trophy wife."

We say that in the nicest way.

And it's not always actresses getting involved with rockers. Of course you recall that Madonna was married to Sean Penn.

Courtney Love dated Edward Burns, and reportedly had a dalliance with Russell Crowe.

Oddly, while the walk-on-the-wild-side music life clearly has its dangerous appeal, often -- surprisingly often -- acting/music star couples portray themselves as anything but wild.

"We're homebodies, actually," David Bowie told us the other day, speaking of Iman and their daughter, Alexandria, three. "Life goes on as it should on a day-to-day basis."

"We always make sure the families can be together during a tour," Richie Sambora stressed in our recent interview. "So we schedule breaks, and make sure that there are places where the families can come settle for awhile. If you don't, well, a lot of bands have broken up over family stress."

Who knows, maybe one day Chris Martin will be talking like that.