by Keith Covington

Created on: April 27, 2008

When Chrissie Hynde decided that college wasn't going the way she wanted; she didn't gripe.

She got up and packed up and went to England. After joining a few bands and becoming a music critic (of all things) she eventually met Pete Farndon, a bass player who had just got back from Australia doing music with a band name "The Bushwhackers". Farndon and Hynde would be the first two ingredients to form the massive Pretenders. Farndon would be the Key to meeting James Honey-Man Scott, who at the time was selling guitars on a farm, instantly Hynde knew she was on to something. "As soon as I heard Jimmy Scott I knew I was getting close." recalls Hynde. With the drumming coming from a one Gerry Mackleduff the Pretenders recorded their first single "Stop Your Sobbing" (originally a Kinks song); but, Mackelduff couldn't commit. It was then that Farndon and Honey-man Scott recalled a drummer they knew in their home of Hereford. Martin Chambers would be found less than ten blocks away working as a driving instructor; he was brought in and the band recorded the demo for "Precious". "We got together and ran through 'Precious', and as soon as he started to play I had to turn my face to the wall I was laughing so hard, because I knew this was it. I'd found my band" says Hynde.

With the Pretenders fully formed they cut their first album named "Pretenders" their singles "Stop Your Sobbing" and "Kid" burned up the charts; but, it was "Brass in Pocket" that propelled them to #1 status. The Pretenders would keep up with their success with an album that was undeniable as well as having success through others; Grace Jones would cover their Reggae track "Private Life" with much success.

Pretenders II would enjoy similar success; even though it wasn't as greatly received as Pretenders(though die hard fans will tell you Pretenders II is the masterpiece)filled with less upbeat songs like "The Adultress" and "Bad Boys Get Spanked"; Pretenders II would get its success from "Message of Love" and "Talk of the Town". On June 14th, 1982 Pete Farndon would be dismissed from the band for an ever growing heroine addiction and two days later James Honey-Man Scott would die two days later in a freak accident involving an overdose. Months later Farndon would die from an overdose resulting in him drowning in his bathtub.

The Pretenders would continue on recruiting Malcolm Foster on bass and Robbie Macintosh on lead guitar to record their third album "Learning to crawl". with the success of the single

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