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The Pretenders are a British-American rock band from Hereford. Formed in 1978, the group originally consisted of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Chrissie Hynde, lead guitarist and keyboardist James Honeyman-Scott, bassist Pete Farndon, and drummer Martin Chambers. The band's current lineup includes Hynde and Chambers alongside bassist Nick Wilkinson (since 2005), lead guitarist James Walbourne, pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood (both since 2008) and keyboardist Carwyn Ellis (since 2017).
History
The Pretenders were formed in the spring of 1978 by Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon and Martin Chambers.[1] After the release of Pretenders in 1980 and Pretenders II in 1981, Farndon was fired from the band on 14 June 1982 due to increasing problems with drug abuse, which had led to Honeyman-Scott claiming he would leave if the bassist was not dismissed.[2] Only two days later, however, Honeyman-Scott died as a result of heart failure brought on by a cocaine overdose. Farndon himself would die by drowning in his bathtub after overdosing on heroin a year later.[3] On 20 July, Hynde and Chambers began recording the single "Back on the Chain Gang", written in tribute to Honeyman-Scott, with session musicians Billy Bremner (lead guitar), Robbie McIntosh (rhythm guitar) and Tony Butler (bass).[4] The single was released in October,[5] and later featured on the 1984 album Learning to Crawl.[6]
In February 1983, the Pretenders returned with McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster.[7] Learning to Crawl was released in 1984, after which the band remained largely inactive for a year (save for an appearance at Live Aid) as Hynde married Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr and gave birth to daughter Yasmin.[8] The group returned in early 1986 to record Get Close, but shortly after sessions began Chambers was fired by Hynde due to a deterioration in his drumming ability, which also led to Foster leaving.[9] Chambers and Foster were replaced by Blair Cunningham and T. M. Stevens, respectively, who completed the album's recording and remained for its 1987 tour (keyboardist Bernie Worrell also joined at the same time).[10] Shortly after beginning the tour, however, Hynde dismissed Stevens and Worrell and brought back Rupert Black (who had toured since Learning to Crawl) and Foster, who remained for the rest of the year.[11] Johnny Marr replaced McIntosh in late 1987,[12] before the band went on hiatus.[10]
Hynde returned in 1990 with Packed!, which was credited to the Pretenders only to fulfil a contractual obligation – Hynde was the only credited band member on the album, although Cunningham performed drums on all eleven tracks.[13] In 1993 the band contributed a Jimi Hendrix cover of Bold As Love for the Hendrix tribute album Stone Free. A new full lineup of the band was formed in 1993 when Hynde enlisted guitarist Adam Seymour and, later, bassist Andy Hobson and returning drummer Chambers for Last of the Independents, released in 1994.[10] Zeben Jameson was added as touring keyboardist, and this lineup of the Pretenders remained constant for more than ten years.[14] Hobson was replaced by Nick Wilkinson in 2005,[15] and in 2008 Seymour was replaced by James Walbourne and pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood, both of whom first featured on Break Up the Concrete.[16]
Members
Current
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrissie Hynde | 1978–present |
|
all The Pretenders releases | |
| Martin Chambers |
|
|
all the Pretenders releases except Packed! (1990), Break Up the Concrete (2008), Alone (2016), and Relentless (2023) | |
| Nick Wilkinson | 2005–present |
|
all releases from Break Up the Concrete (2008) onwards, except Relentless (2023) | |
| Eric Heywood | 2008–present |
| ||
| James Walbourne |
|
all releases from Break Up the Concrete (2008) onwards | ||
| Carwyn Ellis | 2022–present (touring 2012, 2017–2021) |
|
Relentless (2023) |
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Former
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Honeyman-Scott | 1978–1982 (until his death) |
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| Pete Farndon | 1978–1982 (died 1983) |
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| Robbie McIntosh | 1983–1987 |
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| Malcolm Foster |
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| Blair Cunningham | 1986–1993 |
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| T. M. Stevens | 1986–1987 (died 2024) | bass | Get Close (1986) | |
| Johnny Marr | 1987 | lead guitar | "The Windows of the World" (1988) | |
| Adam Seymour | 1993–2008 |
|
all the Pretenders releases from Last of the Independents (1994) to Loose in L.A. (2003) | |
| Andy Hobson | 1993–2005 |
|
Touring
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Thomas | 1983 | keyboards | After producing the band's debut album, Thomas played keyboards at both 1983 Pretenders shows.[17] | |
| Rupert Black |
|
Black took over from Thomas after the release of Learning to Crawl from 1984, remaining until 1986.[18] | ||
| Bernie Worrell | 1987 (died 2016) | Worrell performed on Get Close and became a part of the Pretenders touring lineup for subsequent shows.[10] | ||
| Zeben Jameson | 1994–2006 |
|
Jameson was the Pretenders' touring keyboardist from their reformation in 1994 to his departure in 2006.[14] |
Session
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geoff Bryant |
|
French horn |
| |
| Henry Lowther | trumpet | |||
| Jim Wilson | ||||
| Chris Mercer | saxophone | |||
| Fred Berk | 1978–1979 | bass guitar | Pretenders (1979) | |
| Gerry Mackelduff | drums | |||
| Nigel Pegrum | ||||
| Billy Bremner |
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| Tony Butler | 1982–1983 | bass guitar | Learning to Crawl (1984) | |
| Paul Carrack |
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| Andrew Bodnar |
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| John McKenzie |
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| Chucho Merchán | 1986 | bass | Get Close (1986) | |
| Bruce Thomas | ||||
| Malcolm Foster | ||||
| Carlos Alomar | percussion | |||
| Bruce Brody | organ | |||
| Mel Gaynor | drums | |||
| Simon Phillips | ||||
| Steve Jordan |
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| Tommy Mandel | synthesizer | |||
| Patrick Seymour | ||||
| Paul Wickens |
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| L. Shankar | violin | |||
| Tchad Blake | 1990 | guitar | Packed! (1990) | |
| David Rhodes | ||||
| Mitchell Froom | keyboards | |||
| Dominic Miller |
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| Will MacGregor |
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| Tony "Gad" Robinson | ||||
| Duane Delano Verh | bass guitar | |||
| Tim Finn | backing vocals | |||
| Mark Hart | ||||
| Teo Miller | ||||
| Adey Wilson | ||||
| Tom Kelly |
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| Ian Stanley | 1994 |
|
Last of the Independents (1994) | |
| J.F.T. Hood |
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| Jim Copley | drums | |||
| Andy Rourke | bass guitar | |||
| David Paton | ||||
| London Gospel Choir | choir | |||
| David Lord | string arrangement | |||
| Jeff Beck | 1999 | guitar | ¡Viva El Amor! (1999) | |
| David Johansen | vocals | |||
| Andy Duncan |
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| Stephen Hague |
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| Chuck Norman |
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| Lindsay Edwards | keyboards | |||
| Preston Heyman | percussion | |||
| Jules Shear | backing vocals | |||
| John Metcalfe |
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| Louisa Fuller | violin | |||
| Richard Koster | violin | |||
| Ivan McCready | cello | |||
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