Chrissie Hynde (born
Christine Ellen Hynde, 7 September 1951,
Akron, OhioAkron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. In 2008, its population was estimated to be 207,510. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south, approximately 60 miles west of...
) is an
American rockAmerican rock is rock music from the United States. Rock and roll originated in the United States from the synthesis of blues, country and other styles of music from both white and black Americans. American rock music has had great success over the second half of the 20th century, with its success...
musician, best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band
The PretendersThe Pretenders are a British rock band. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
. She is a singer,
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
, and
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.
As the rare, successful female bandleader and style-setter in the early days of 1970s
punkPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and
new waveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
, Hynde had a major impact on the music scene. Hynde has a
contraltoIn music, a contralto is a type of classical female singing voice with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice. The typical contralto range lies between the F below middle C to two Fs above middle C...
vocal range.
Early life and career
Hynde is the daughter of a part-time secretary and a Yellow Pages Manager. She graduated from
Firestone High SchoolHarvey S. Firestone High School is a public high school located on the northwest side of Akron, Ohio. It is one of seven high schools in the Akron Public Schools district. The high school currently offers programs such as the Visual and Performing Arts, International Baccalaureate Program, and...
in Akron, Ohio. She stated that "I was never too interested in high school. I mean, I never went to a dance, I never went out on a date, I never went steady. It became pretty awful for me. Except, of course, I could go see bands, and that was the kick. I used to go to Cleveland just to see any band. So I was in love a lot of the time, but mostly with guys in bands that I had never met. For me, knowing that
Brian JonesLewis Brian Hopkin Jones was an English musician and one of the founding members of the rock group The Rolling Stones. Jones was known for his use of multiple instruments, his flamboyant attire and his recreational drug excesses.- Early life :Jones was born in the Park Nursing Home in Cheltenham,...
was out there, and later that
Iggy PopIggy Pop is a songwriter, and occasional actor. Although he has had only limited mainstream commercial success, Iggy Pop is considered an influential innovator of punk rock, hard rock, and other related styles...
was out there, made it kind of hard for me to get too interested in the guys that were around me. I had, uh, bigger things in mind."
Hynde experimented with
hippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district...
countercultureCounterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition...
, eastern mysticism, and
vegetarianismVegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, or products of animal slaughter such as...
. While attending
Kent State UniversityKent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, USA. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
's Art School for three years, Hynde joined a band called Sat. Sun. Mat. (which included
Mark MothersbaughMark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He was a member of the new wave band Devo for many years. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games.- Career :...
from
DevoDevo , often spelled DEVO or DEV-O, is an American New Wave band formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973. They are best known for their 1980 hit "Whip It", which made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
). Hynde was on the campus during the infamous
Kent State shootingsThe Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre or Kent-State massacre, occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
, in which National Guards fired on protesters. She knew
Jeffrey MillerJeffrey Glenn Miller was a student at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio when he was shot and killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings....
, one of the fatalities.
Hynde also developed an interest in the UK music magazine
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition. The magazine's commercial heyday was during the 1970s when it...
. She eventually saved enough money to move from Ohio to
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in 1973. With her art background, Hynde landed a job in an architectural firm but left after eight months. It was then that Hynde met rock journalist
Nick KentNick Kent is a British rock critic and musician.Along with such writers as Paul Morley, Charles Shaar Murray and Danny Baker, Nick Kent was seen as one of the most important and influential UK music journalists of the 1970s...
(with whom she became involved) and landed a writing position at
NME. However, this proved not to last and Hynde later found herself working at
Malcolm McLarenMalcolm McLaren is a performer, impresario, self-publicist and most famously, former manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls.-Early years:...
and
Vivienne WestwoodDame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
's then-little-known clothing store,
SEXSEX was a boutique run by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood at 430 King's Road, London in the 1970’s, whose fashion clothes heavily influenced the punk movement aesthetics.-Early history:...
. Hynde then attempted to start a band in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
before her return to Cleveland in 1975.
Hynde went back to France in 1976 to try to form a band, but it did not work out. She found her way back to London in the midst of the early
punkPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
movement. In late 1976, Hynde responded to an advertisement in
Melody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s-1960s:Originally the Melody...
for band members and attended an audition for the band that would become
999999 are an English rock band who formed in London in 1977. They are often cited as one of the first punk rock bands. Between 1978 and 1981, they had five Top 75 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and one Top 40 single. After extensive touring across the Atlantic Ocean, the band's third and fourth...
.
Jon MossJon Moss is the former drummer for the bands Culture Club, London, The Nipple Erectors and The Damned.-Biography:...
(who would later be in
Culture ClubCulture Club were a British pop group that formed in the early 1980s. The band consisted of Boy George , Andy Woodard , Roy Hay , and Jon Moss...
) and
Tony JamesTony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...
of
Generation XGeneration X were an English punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-Career:...
also auditioned. Later, Hynde tried to start a group with
Mick JonesMichael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist and a vocalist for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983...
from
The ClashThe Clash were an English rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk, they experimented with reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap and rockabilly...
.
After the band failed to take flight, Malcolm McLaren placed her as a guitarist in
Masters of the BacksideMasters of the Backside was an early British punk rock group. They never released a recording or performed beyond practice sessions, but the group's members went on to greater success: Chrissie Hynde later fronted The Pretenders, and Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies all became...
, but she was asked to leave the group just as the band became The Damned. After a brief spell in the
Johnny MopedJohnny Moped were a late 1970s English punk rock group from south London, notable for once having Chrissie Hynde and Captain Sensible within their ranks.-Biography:...
band, Mick Jones had invited Hynde to join his band on their initial tour of Britain. Hynde's recollection of that period: "It was great, but my heart was breaking. I wanted to be in a band so bad. And to go to all the gigs, to see it so close up, to be living in it and not to have a band was devastating to me. When I left, I said, 'Thanks a lot for lettin' me come along,' and I went back and went weeping on the underground throughout London. All the people I knew in town, they were all in bands. And there I was, like the real loser, you know? Really the loser."
Hynde also spent a short time with
The Moors MurderersThe Moors Murderers were a short-lived punk band who caused controversy by naming themselves after The Moors Murders. The band was founded in 1977 by Steve Strange , later to be in Visage, and comprised Chrissie Hynde , later in The Pretenders, Tex , Topper Headon , who was then borrowed from The...
in 1978. Named after two child-killers, the band consisted of future Visage front man
Steve StrangeSteve Strange is a Welsh pop singer, best known as the lead singer and frontman of the 1980s pop group Visage...
on vocals, Vince Ely on drums, and Mark Ryan (aka The Kid) and Hynde on guitar. The band's name alone was enough to start controversy and she soon distanced herself from the group, as noted in the
NME. Hynde said "I'm not in the group, I only rehearsed with them". She stated that "Steve Strange and
Soo CatwomanSoo Lucas, better known as Soo Catwoman , was an icon of the London punk subculture that sprang up around the mid-1970s.-History:...
had the idea for the group, and asked me to help them out on guitar, which I did, even though I was getting my own group together and still am."
Late 1970s
In 1978, Hynde made a demo tape and gave it to Dave Hill, owner of the label Real Records. Hill stepped in to manage her career, and began by paying off the back rent owed on her rehearsal room in
Covent GardenCovent Garden is a district in London, England, located in the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwestern corner of the London Borough of Camden...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. Hill also advised Hynde to take her time and get a band together. In the spring of 1978, Hynde met
Pete FarndonPete Farndon was an English bassist and founding member of the rock band The Pretenders. Farndon attended Hereford Cathedral School in his home town of Hereford, before embarking on his musical legacy with The Pretenders...
(
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
/
vocalsA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
), and they selected a band consisting of
James Honeyman-ScottJames Honeyman Scott , commonly referred to as "Jimmy", was an English rock guitarist, songwriter and founding member of the band The Pretenders....
(
guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
/
vocalsA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
/
keyboardsA keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), and
Martin ChambersMartin Chambers is the drummer in the rock band, The Pretenders. In addition to playing the drums with the group Chambers sings backing vocals and plays percussion...
(
drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
/
vocalsA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
/
percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration...
), put the name
The PretendersThe Pretenders are a British rock band. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
on the group, inspired by the song "The Great Pretender" by
The PlattersThe Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre...
.
They recorded a demo tape (including "Precious", "The Wait" and a Kinks cover, "Stop Your Sobbing"), handed it to Hynde's friend
Nick LoweNick Lowe is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
, produced a single ("Stop Your Sobbing/The Wait") and performed their first gigs in a club in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The single was released in January 1979 and hit the Top Thirty in UK. The band's early success was followed by their first gigs in Britain where they earned wide critical acclaim. Later that spring (1979), The Pretenders recorded their
eponymous first albumPretenders is an album by The Pretenders, released on 19 January 1980 on Real Records . A combination of "hard rock", punk, and New Wave music, Pretenders made the band famous...
and hit the charts in UK and US with the song "
Brass in Pocket"Brass in Pocket" is a single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.-Release:...
". The band traded on the success of this first album (for
Sire RecordsSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer. Its early releases as a record label were issued in 1968, distributed by London...
) for some time, as it wasn't released around the world until well into 1979 (some charts consider it the best album of 1980, for example).
As the rare, successful female bandleader and style-setter in the early days of
punkPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and
new waveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
, Hynde had a major impact on the music scene. Her edginess, punk sensibilities and truthfulness in interviews earned the respect of fans, musicians and critics alike, inspiring multitudes of young women to follow. Among many collaborations, Hynde's recordings with
UB40UB40 are a British reggae fusion band formed in 1978 in Birmingham, UK. The band has placed more than 50 singles on the UK charts, and has also achieved considerable international success...
(a
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "
I Got You Babe"I Got You Babe" is a 1965 number-one hit single by American pop music duo Sonny & Cher.-History:Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the song for himself and his wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Noted session drummer Hal Blaine performed the drums for...
") and
Cheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1974. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
("Walk Away") have also registered popular success. Her guitar of choice is a
Fender TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender. Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
.
1980s-1990s
The band released an
EPAn extended play is a vinyl record, CD, or music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as an LP. Usually, a CD single has around 10–28 minutes of music, an EP has up to 36 minutes, and an album generally has 30–80 minutes. Mini-LPs generally contain 20–30...
album in early 1981 while contractual issues were resolved, then
Pretenders IIPretenders II is the second album by the rock band The Pretenders.-History:The success of the Pretenders' debut album in 1980 created a great demand for more material from the fledgling band; however, a lack of songs precluded the quick release of a followup album...
later in the summer. These albums were not well received by critics (though hits such as "Talk of the Town" and "Message of Love" were on both). By the summer of 1982, drug use within the band was creating serious problems for Hynde. The Pretenders lineup would change repeatedly over the next decade as a result of drug related deaths and internal conflict. Honeyman-Scott died of heart failure in June 1982, just days after Farndon had been fired from the band. Martin Chambers left the band in the mid 1980s. Amidst the ever changing lineup, the controversial Hynde endured as the sole original Pretender until Chambers' return in the mid 1990s.
Throughout the mid-1980s and early 1990s, Hynde employed a string of session and professional musicians within the band, always keeping the name Pretenders. With many of the albums through this period, the only constant presence is her own, and the album art often reflects this (using her picture alone in some cases). A new album has just been recorded with James Walbourne stepping in as guitarist in place of Adam Seymour. A sample song from the album,
Boots of Chinese Plastic, is available for listening on Hynde's Myspace page.
Other musical projects
Hynde, along with
Curved AirCurved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970.-History:The group evolved out of the band Sisyphus, and was named after the piece "A Rainbow in Curved Air" by contemporary composer Terry Riley...
's Sonja Kristina, sang backing vocals on
Mick FarrenMichael Anthony 'Mick' Farren is an English journalist, author and singer associated with the UK Underground and counterculture scene.-Music:...
's
Vampires Stole My Lunch MoneyVampires Stole My Lunch Money is a 1978 album by the UK underground artist Mick Farren.Farren had left music performance after his 1970 album Mona – The Carnivorous Circus to concentrate on journalism and writing. However, in 1976 he had the opportunity whilst in New York to record the single "Play...
1978 album. She also sang backing on a track, Nite Klub, on
The SpecialsThe Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combined a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
eponymous album
http://www.thespecials.com/music/view/4. Hynde sang a duet with
INXS----INXS achieved international success with a series of hit recordings through the 1980s and 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, X and Welcome to Wherever You Are and the singles "Original Sin", "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside" and "New Sensation".Hutchence died in 1997 and...
on their album
Full Moon, Dirty HeartsFull Moon, Dirty Hearts is an album released by Australian band INXS in 1993, through Warner Music Australia. This album was followed by the Dirty Honeymoon world tour of 1993-1994....
in 1993. Hynde appears on the title track of the album. Hynde sang the vocals on the track "
State of Independence"State of Independence" is a song originally recorded by Jon & Vangelis for their 1981 album The Friends of Mr. Cairo.- Jon & Vangelis version :Jon & Vangelis released "State of Independence" as a single in 1981, with "Beside" as the B-Side...
Part II" on a
MoodswingsMoodswings is a musical duo, Grant Showbiz and James F.T. Hood. Grant Showbiz was a onetime roadie and guitar tech who later produced albums by The Smiths, Billy Bragg, Silverfish and Gong. James Hood was a former drummer for the Pretenders, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Jeff Beck and The Smiths...
album named
Moodfood-Track listing:All tracks by J.F.T. Hood and Showbiz except were noted# "Throw off the Shackles" – 6:19# "Moodswings Overture" – 5:56# "Problem Solved" – 8:11# "Skinthieves" – 6:08# "Rainsong" – 6:29...
, which was played during the closing credits on the soundtrack of
Single White FemaleSingle White Female is a 1992 thriller based on John Lutz's novel SWF Seeks Same. The movie stars Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh & Steven Weber and is directed by Barbet Schroeder, who also directed Reversal of Fortune.- Plot :...
. Hynde also recorded a cover of
MorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer-songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths...
's "Everyday is Like Sunday",
http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/covers-rec.htmwhich is available on The Pretenders album "Pirate Radio" as well as providing backing vocals on Morrissey's single "My Love Life"
http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/disc/moz-d14mll.htmin 1991 and again on b-side "Shame Is The Name" in 2009.
Hynde recorded a duet with
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the...
on Sinatra's 1994 album
Duets IIDuets II is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1994.It follows the same formula as the previous year's Duets, with Phil Ramone again producing and guest artists from various genres again contributing their duet parts to Sinatra's already recorded vocals...
. They performed the song "Luck Be a Lady". In 1995, Hynde made an acting appearance (and performed "Angel of the Morning" on acoustic guitar) on the US television comedy
FriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1994. The series revolved around a group of friends in the area of Manhattan, New York City, who occasionally live together and share living expenses. The series was produced by...
. Also, in 1995, Hynde sang a cover of "
Love Can Build a Bridge"Love Can Build a Bridge" is a hit single from American country music mother-daughter duo The Judds from their 1990 album of the same name. The Judds' rendition was a Top 5 country hit in mid-1990....
" with
CherCher is an American pop singer-songwriter, actor, director and record producer. She has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards and a People's Choice Award for her work in film, music and television.Cher began her career at the age of seventeen and came to...
and
Neneh CherryNeneh Mariann Karlsson and known as Neneh Cherry is a two-time Grammy Award-nominated and MTV Europe Music Award-winning singer-songwriter and rapper. Cherry is also an occasional DJ and broadcaster...
.
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
appeared on the track, supplying the lead guitar solo that is featured in the song's instrumental bridge. In 1997, Hynde battled
Rush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio host and conservative political commentator. Limbaugh rose to prominence during the 1990s as host of a nationally-syndicated talk-radio show, The Rush Limbaugh Show...
over his use of her song "
My City Was Gone"My City Was Gone" is a song by the rock group The Pretenders. The song originally appeared in October 1982 as the B-side to the single release of "Back on the Chain Gang"; the two-sided single was the comeback release for the band following the death of founding bandmember James Honeyman-Scott...
", coming to an accommodation in 1999.
Later that year, Hynde played guitar and sang vocals with
Sheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Her music blends rock, country and pop into one mainstream sound, and she has won nine Grammy Awards...
on the song "
If It Makes You Happy"If It Makes You Happy" is the lead single from Sheryl Crow's 1996 eponymous album. The song hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #10. The track won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards. The song ties with her other hit "My Favorite Mistake" as her third most...
" during a concert in
Central ParkCentral Park is a large public, urban park that occupies over a square mile in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. It is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year...
. Hynde is mentioned prominently in the lyrics of the Terence Trent D'Arby song "Penelope Please." Hynde also recorded a song called "Cry (If You Don't Mind)" with the Spanish band
Jarabe de PaloJarabe de Palo is a Latin rock group from Spain led by Pau Donés , singer, songwriter, and guitarist.- History :Pau Donés, born in Montanuy Huesca, Aragon and raised in Barcelona, worked for various groups before being able to take on his current project, Jarabe de Palo. He began at age 15 with his...
for their album
Un metro cuadrado - 1m². She supplied the voice for the clouded leopard in the movie
Rugrats Go Wild (2003) in which she sang a duet with
Bruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor and producer. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard...
.
In 2004, Hynde moved to
São PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city in Brazil. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
for a couple of months in order to play with Brazilian musician
Moreno VelosoMoreno Veloso is a Brazilian musician and singer. He is one of the sons of the Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso and his first wife Andréa Gadelha Veloso. Brazilian singer Gal Costa is Moreno Veloso's godmother.Veloso studied physics at a university but turned instead to music and singing...
in an informal tour that lasted until December 2004. She bought a flat in the Copan Building in
São PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city in Brazil. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in...
city. She was also the vocalist on
Tube & BergerTube & Berger is the alias of Dance/Electronica producers Arndt Rörig and Marco Vidovic from Germany. The duo is best known in the United States for their 2004 #1 Billboard Hot Dance Airplay hit "Straight Ahead", featuring Chrissie Hynde on vocals....
's 2004 #1
Hot Dance AirplayHot Dance Airplay is a monitored dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it.-History:The chart made its debut...
track "
Straight AheadStraight Ahead is name of a 2004 Electronica/Dance/Synth-Pop single from the German Electronica duo Tube & Berger, featuring vocals by American singer/songwriter Chrissie Hynde...
". The track gave Hynde her first US #1 track on the Billboard charts. Likewise in 2005, Hynde duetted with
Ringo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE , better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the rock group The Beatles. When The Beatles formed in 1960, Starr belonged to another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes....
on a song entitled "Don't Hang Up" which can be heard on Starr's album
Choose LoveChoose Love is the thirteenth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 2005. Recorded throughout 2004 into 2005, the album received strong reviews upon its release and preceded another promotional tour with Starr and his studio band, called "The Roundheads".Using the same team that created Vertical...
. Also in 2005, Hynde collaborated with
IncubusIncubus is an American Grammy Award-nominated rock band, from Calabasas, California. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school. The band expanded to include bassist Alex Katunich , and Gavin Koppell...
on a song called "Neither Of Us Can See." The song is on the soundtrack album for
Stealth.
In 2009 Hynde collaborated with
MorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer-songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths...
to provide backing vocals to the B-side 'Shame Is The Name'. On October 17, 2008, she was an opening act for fellow Akron-area musicians
DevoDevo , often spelled DEVO or DEV-O, is an American New Wave band formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973. They are best known for their 1980 hit "Whip It", which made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
at a special benefit concert at the Akron Civic Theater for the then-presidential candidate
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
.
The Black KeysThe Black Keys are an American blues-rock music duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. They were formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001...
, another Akron-based band, and the then up-and-coming solo artist, Rachel Roberts, performed prior to her.
Personal life
Hynde had a daughter, Natalie Rae Hynde, in 1983 with
Ray DaviesRay Davies CBE is an English rock musician, best known as lead singer and songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
of
The KinksThe Kinks are an English rock group categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the British Invasion era....
. A
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Davies song "Stop Your Sobbing" had been an early hit for the Pretenders, although Hynde met Davies several years later—a meeting which bloomed into a long-term relationship (although Davies and Hynde never wed). She then married musician
Jim KerrJames "Jim" Kerr is a Scottish musician and singer-songwriter, famous for his work with the band Simple Minds. They achieved five UK number one albums and a number one single "Belfast Child".-Biography:...
of the band
Simple MindsSimple Minds are a rock band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the south side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s, and later went on to produce some politically inspired and...
in 1984, and had a daughter, Yasmin, with him in 1985. They divorced in 1990. She married artist Lucho Brieva in 1997, and lived with him in London until they separated in 2002.
Hynde now lives in London, England, and also has an apartment in the Highland Square neighborhood in her hometown of Akron.
Hynde has been in the news in recent years as a high-profile
animal rightsAnimal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of humans...
activist. She is a supporter of
PETAPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. With two million members and supporters worldwide, it claims the status of the largest animal rights group in the world...
She is a confirmed vegetarian, and has also spoken out in favour of music file-sharing as a way for new artists to be heard.
Hynde is an avid supporter of the animal rights group
Viva!
Restaurant venture
Hynde opened a vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio, in 2007 called
The VegiTerranean. The restaurant, which opened in November, 2007, serves fusion Italian-vegetarian food. The restaurant's head chef is James Scot Jones, who is good friends with Hynde. Prior to the restaurant's opening, on 15 September 2007, she performed three songs at the restaurant with an acoustic guitarist,
Adam SeymourAdam Seymour is a guitarist and songwriter who began his recording career with the Katydids, a South London quintet that recorded two albums before disbanding. Seymour met Katydids singer Susie Hug in 1987 when both were playing on sessions for Big Bam Boo...
, the lead guitarist of The Pretenders.
External links