Chrissie Hynde

Chrissie Hynde Bio

Christine Ellen Hynde (September 7, 1951), better known as Chrissie Hynde, is an American rock musician known as the lead vocalist for the rock band The Pretenders. Chrissie has been making music with The Pretenders since its conception in 1978. Hynde began her music career in the U.S. in her birthplace Akron, Ohio performing with many small local bands and eventually moved to London in 1973. She came across Nick Kent, a rock journalist who helped her get a writing job with NME. Whilst working at NME, Hynde met James Honeyman-Scott (guitarist), Pete Fardon (bassist) and Martin Chambers (drummer) and formed The Pretenders. Their first single ‘Stop You Sobbing/The Wait’ landed on the U.K. Top 30, attracting attention to the new band on the scene. The band followed the single up with their self titled album in 1978, featuring their hit single ‘Brass in Pocket’ which increased their newfound popularity. Releasing 11 albums with The Pretenders, Hynde also pursued a solo career by collaborating with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Eric Clapton and her most famous being with UB40 with her cover of Sonny and Cher’s ‘I Got You Babe’. Hynde also released two solo albums titled ‘Stockholm’ in 2014 which landed at number 22 in the UK on it’s debut and ‘Valva Bone Woe’ in 2019 which landed at number 1 on the UK Jazz/Blues Chart. Hynde is currently 68 years old and is a mother of two children. Her successful career led to her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 as the lead singer of The Pretenders.