Christine “Chrissie” Hynde, lead singer with The Pretenders, got her musical foundation at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio
Hynde is the daughter of Bud, who worked for Ohio Bell, and Delores (Dee), who worked as a secretary. She graduated from Firestone High School where she was a member of choral groups and briefly attended Kent State University where she majored in Art.
But Hynde wanted to be a rock star and she didn’t think she needed a college degree to do it. She also didn’t think she could reach her goal in Akron so she moved to London, vowing not to return until she made it big.
In London she went through a series of jobs – including a brief stint as a critic for a music magazine, New Musical Express – and a number of different bands. By 1979 everything clicked musically; her band, The Pretenders, hit it big with a recording that went on to be nominated for three Grammy awards. Hynde wrote many of the songs. Billboardsaw her as a talent. “Hynde writes literate, sharp, biting lyrics and demonstrates a flair for melodies that ring with elements of rack classicism.” The New York Times saw her as the key to the Pretenders’ success. “Miss Hynde’s songs and singing and her tough, rock-and-roll-woman persona are what makes the Pretenders really special….”
Hynde is still with the Pretenders and still recording, although with a different label. She and the Pretenders are no longer with Sire/Warner Brothers and now records on the smaller Artemis label.
Hynde has long been one of the more controversial characters in popular music. As an animal rights activist, she implied that McDonald’s should be bombed because it encouraged meat consumption and she was arrested for protesting the department store Gap’s use of leather.
The Pretenders still tour. In 2002, they opened for the Rolling Stones on their American tour. Hynde returns to Akron to perform to visit her family who still live there.
Photo courtesy of the Beacon Journal.
–Kathleen L. Endres