List of the Pretenders band members

Three line-ups of The Pretenders performing in 1981, 2007 and 2018

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Current

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| Chrissie Hynde | 1978–present  |

* lead and backing vocals
* rhythm guitar
* harmonica

| all The Pretenders releases

| Martin Chambers |

* 1978–1986
* 1993–present

* drums
* percussion
* backing and occasional lead vocals

| all the Pretenders releases except Packed! (1990), Break Up the Concrete (2008), Alone (2016), and Relentless (2023)

| Nick Wilkinson  | 2005–present  |

* bass
* backing vocals

| all releases from Break Up the Concrete (2008) onwards, except Relentless (2023)
| Eric Heywood  | 2008–present  |

* pedal steel guitar
* backing vocals

| James Walbourne |

* lead guitar
* keyboards
* backing vocals

| all releases from Break Up the Concrete (2008) onwards
| Carwyn Ellis | 2022–present (touring 2012, 2017–2021) |

* keyboards
* acoustic guitar
* backing vocals

| Relentless (2023)

### Former

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| James Honeyman-Scott | 1978–1982 (until his death) |

* lead guitar
* keyboards
* backing vocals

* Pretenders (1980)
* Extended Play (1981)
* Pretenders II (1981)

| Pete Farndon | 1978–1982 (died 1983) |

* bass
* backing vocals

| Robbie McIntosh | 1983–1987  |

* lead guitar
* backing vocals

* Learning to Crawl (1984)
* Get Close (1986)
* Last of the Independents (1994) – one track only

| Malcolm Foster  |

* 1983–1986
* 1987

* bass
* backing vocals

* Learning to Crawl (1984)
* Get Close (1986) – one track only

| Blair Cunningham | 1986–1993  |

* drums
* backing vocals
* occasional percussion

* Get Close (1986)
* Packed! (1990)

| 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  |

* lead guitar
* keyboards
* backing vocals

| all the Pretenders releases from Last of the Independents (1994) to Loose in L.A. (2003)
| Andy Hobson  | 1993–2005  |

* bass
* backing vocals

### Touring

[edit]

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  |

* 1984–1986
* 1987

| 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  |

* keyboards
* percussion
* backing vocals

| Jameson was the Pretenders' touring keyboardist from their reformation in 1994 to his departure in 2006.[14]

### Session

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| Geoff Bryant  |

* 1978–1979
* 1980–1981

| French horn  |

* Pretenders (1979)
* Pretenders II (1981)

| Henry Lowther | trumpet
| Jim Wilson
| Chris Mercer  | saxophone
| Fred Berk  | 1978–1979  | bass guitar  | Pretenders (1979)
| Gerry Mackelduff  | drums
| Nigel Pegrum

| Billy Bremner |

* 1982–1983
* 1990

* lead and rhythm guitar
* backing vocals

* Learning to Crawl (1984)
* Packed! (1990)

| Tony Butler | 1982–1983  | bass guitar  | Learning to Crawl (1984)

| Paul Carrack |

* piano
* backing vocals

| Andrew Bodnar |

* bass guitar
* backing vocals

| John McKenzie |

* 1986
* 1990

* Get Close (1986)
* Packed! (1990)

| Chucho Merchán | 1986  | bass  | Get Close (1986)
| Bruce Thomas
| Malcolm Foster

| Carlos Alomar | percussion
| Bruce Brody  | organ

| Mel Gaynor | drums

| Simon Phillips

| Steve Jordan |

* drums
* percussion

| Tommy Mandel | synthesizer
| Patrick Seymour
| Paul Wickens |

* synthesizer
* piano

| L. Shankar | violin
| Tchad Blake | 1990  | guitar  | Packed! (1990)

| David Rhodes
| Mitchell Froom | keyboards

| Dominic Miller |

* guitar
* bass guitar
* backing vocals

| Will MacGregor  |

* bass guitar
* backing vocals

| Tony "Gad" Robinson
| Duane Delano Verh  | bass guitar

| Tim Finn | backing vocals

| Mark Hart
| Teo Miller
| Adey Wilson

| Tom Kelly |

* 1994
* 1999
* 2001–2002

* bass guitar
* piano
* guitar
* backing vocals

* Last of the Independents (1994)
* ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
* Loose Screw (2002)

| Ian Stanley | 1994  |

* organ
* special effects
* keyboards

| Last of the Independents (1994)
| J.F.T. Hood  |

* drums
* special effects

| 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  |

* percussion
* programming

| Stephen Hague |

* keyboards
* accordion

| Chuck Norman  |

* keyboards
* programming
* percussion

| Lindsay Edwards  | keyboards
| Preston Heyman | percussion
| Jules Shear | backing vocals
| John Metcalfe |

* string arrangements
* viola

| Louisa Fuller  | violin
| Richard Koster  | violin
| Ivan McCready  | cello
| Kevin Bacon | 2001–2002  | bass  | Loose Screw (2002)
| Jonathan Quarmby | keyboards
| Colin Elliot  | percussion

| Mark "Wiff" Smith
| Priscilla Jones  | backing vocals
| Mark Sheridan
| The Duke Quartet  |

* strings
* brass

| Kick Horns | brass

| Jim Keltner | 2008  |

* drums
* backing vocals

| Break Up the Concrete (2008)

| Dan Auerbach | 2016  |

* guitar
* keyboards
* backing vocals

| Alone (2016)

| Duane Eddy | guitar
| Kenny Vaughan
| Russ Pahl  | pedal steel
| Dave Roe  | upright bass
| Leon Michels  | keyboards

| Richard Swift |

* drums
* guitar
* keyboards
* backing vocals

## Timeline

[edit]

## Lineups

[edit]

Period  | Members  | Releases

|
|

Spring 1978 – June 1982  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* James Honeyman-Scott – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
* Pete Farndon – bass, backing vocals
* Martin Chambers – drums, percussion, backing vocals

* Pretenders (1979)
* Extended Play (1981)
* Pretenders II (1981)

June 1982 – February 1983  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, guitar
* Martin Chambers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Billy Bremner – lead guitar (session member)
* Robbie McIntosh – rhythm guitar (session member)
* Tony Butler – bass, backing vocals (session member)

* "Back on the Chain Gang" (1982)

February 1983 – summer 1986  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Robbie McIntosh – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Malcolm Foster – bass, backing vocals
* Martin Chambers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Chris Thomas – keyboards (1983 touring member)
* Rupert Black – keyboards (1984–1986 touring member)

* Learning to Crawl (1984)
* Get Close (1986) – one track only

Summer 1986 – early 1987  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Robbie McIntosh – lead guitar, backing vocals
* T. M. Stevens – bass
* Blair Cunningham – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Bernie Worrell – keyboards (1987 touring member)

* Get Close (1987) – remaining tracks

Early – fall 1987  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Robbie McIntosh – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Malcolm Foster – bass, backing vocals
* Blair Cunningham – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Rupert Black – keyboards (touring member)

| none
Late 1987  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Johnny Marr – lead guitar
* Malcolm Foster – bass, backing vocals
* Blair Cunningham – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Rupert Black – keyboards (touring member)

Late 1987 – late 1993  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, guitar
* Blair Cunningham – drums, percussion, backing vocals

* Packed! (1990)

Late 1993 – early 2005  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Adam Seymour – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
* Andy Hobson – bass, backing vocals
* Martin Chambers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Zeben Jameson – keyboards, backing vocals (touring member)

* Last of the Independents (1994)
* The Isle of View (1995)
* ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
* Loose Screw (2002)

Early 2005 – early 2008  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Adam Seymour – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
* Nick Wilkinson – bass, backing vocals
* Martin Chambers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Zeben Jameson – keyboards, backing vocals (touring member)

| none
Early 2008 – present  |

* Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* James Walbourne – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
* Nick Wilkinson – bass, backing vocals
* Eric Heywood – pedal steel guitar, backing vocals
* Martin Chambers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Carwyn Ellis – keyboards, acoustic guitar (touring member between 2017 and 2021)

* Break Up the Concrete (2008)
* Alone (2016)
* Hate for Sale (2020)
* Relentless (2023)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Cornyn, Stan (27 August 2013). "Stay Tuned By Stan Cornyn: Chrissie's Pretenders". Rhino Entertainment. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
2. ^ Henke, James (26 April 1984). "Chrissie Hynde Without Tears". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
3. ^ "Remembering Pete Farndon of the Pretenders". Rhino Entertainment. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
4. ^ Buskin, Richard (September 2005). "Classic Tracks: The Pretenders 'Back On The Chain Gang'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
5. ^ Heatley, Michael (24 November 2014). The Boy in the Song: The Real Stories Behind 50 Classic Pop Songs. London, England: Pavilion Books. p. 17\. ISBN 978-1907554520. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
6. ^ Deming, Mark. "Learning to Crawl – Pretenders: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pretenders: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
8. ^ Gostin, Nick (13 March 2017). "Rocker Chrissie Hynde says she's a recluse and 'lone wolf' in new documentary". New York Daily News. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
9. ^ Leonard, Michael (September 1990). "Come a Long Way". Guitarist. Ely, England: Music Maker Publications. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2017.`{{cite magazine}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
10. ^ a b c d Wade, Chris (April 2010). "The Story of The Pretenders" (PDF). Hound Dawg. No. 6\. Leeds, England: Wisdom Twins Books. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
11. ^ Sobsey, Adam (11 April 2017). Chrissie Hynde: A Musical Biography. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. p. 91\. ISBN 978-1477310397. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
12. ^ Locker, Melissa (28 January 2013). "Johnny Marr on the Smiths, 'The Messenger' and Going Solo After All These Years". Time. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
13. ^ "Happy 25th: Pretenders, Packed!". Rhino Entertainment. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
14. ^ a b "Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders on Guilfest 2002". Bucks Free Press. 2 July 2002. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
15. ^ "Ipswich rock star living the dream". Ipswich Star. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
16. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (23 July 2008). "Pretenders To Roll Out New Album As MP3s". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
17. ^ "Pretenders Live Shows 1983". The Pretenders. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
18. ^ "Pretenders Live Shows 1984". The Pretenders. Retrieved 9 January 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* The Pretenders official website
* Pretenders 977 Radio

* v
* t
* e

The Pretenders

* Chrissie Hynde
* Martin Chambers
* Nick Wilkinson
* James Walbourne
* Eric Heywood
* Carwyn Ellis

* James Honeyman-Scott
* Pete Farndon
* Robbie McIntosh
* Malcolm Foster
* Blair Cunningham
* T. M. Stevens
* Johnny Marr
* Adam Seymour
* Andy Rourke

Studio albums|

* Pretenders
* Pretenders II
* Learning to Crawl
* Get Close
* Packed!
* Last of the Independents
* ¡Viva El Amor!
* Loose Screw
* Break Up the Concrete
* Alone
* Hate for Sale
* Relentless

Live albums|

* The Isle of View

Extended plays|

* Extended Play

Compilation albums|

* The Singles
* Greatest Hits
* Pirate Radio
* The Best of Pretenders

Songs|

* "Stop Your Sobbing"
* "Kid"
* "Brass in Pocket"
* "Precious"
* "Private Life"
* "Talk of the Town"
* "Message of Love"
* "I Go to Sleep"
* "Back on the Chain Gang"
* "My City Was Gone"
* "2000 Miles"
* "Middle of the Road"
* "Show Me"
* "Thin Line Between Love and Hate"
* "Don't Get Me Wrong"
* "Hymn to Her"
* "My Baby"
* "Where Has Everybody Gone?"
* "I'll Stand by You"
* "Human"

Chrissie Hynde solo|

* Stockholm
* Valve Bone Woe

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* John McKenzie

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