On This Day, September 7, 1951…
Christine Ellen Hynde, better known as future Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, was born in Akron, Ohio.
Hynde formed the Pretenders in March of 1978 alongside James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon and Martin Chambers and released their self-titled debut in 1979. They had their first real hit, “Brass in Pocket,” in 1980, with the track hitting #1 in the U.K and #14 in the U.S.
Others hit singles include “Back on the Chain Gang,” which went to #5 and “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” which hit #10.
Over the years, the band has gone through several lineup changes, with Honeyman-Scott and Farndon passing away in 1982 and 1983, respectively. Hynde has been the only consistent member of the group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hynde is both a U.S. and U.K. citizen. She is a vegetarian and a vocal animal rights activist. She’s been married twice, to Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr, father of her daughter Yasmin, from 1984 to 1990, and to Columbian artist Lucho Brieva from 1997 to 2002.
Pretenders are set to release their 12th studio album, Relentless, on September 15.
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