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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).

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

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Members

Current

More information Image, Name ...
Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
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Chrissie Hynde 1978–present
  • lead and backing vocals
  • rhythm guitar
  • harmonica
all The Pretenders releases
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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)
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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
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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)
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Former

More information Image, Name ...
Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
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James Honeyman-Scott 1978–1982 (until his death)
  • lead guitar
  • keyboards
  • backing vocals
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Pete Farndon 1978–1982 (died 1983)
  • bass
  • backing vocals
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Robbie McIntosh 1983–1987
  • lead guitar
  • backing vocals
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)
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T. M. Stevens 1986–1987 (died 2024) bass Get Close (1986)
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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
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Touring

More information Image, Name ...
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]
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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]
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Session

More information Image, Name ...
Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Geoff Bryant
  • 1978–1979
  • 1980–1981
French horn
Henry Lowther trumpet
Jim Wilson
Chris Mercer saxophone
Fred Berk 1978–1979 bass guitar Pretenders (1979)
Gerry Mackelduff drums
Nigel Pegrum
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Billy Bremner
  • 1982–1983
  • 1990
  • lead and rhythm guitar
  • backing vocals
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Tony Butler 1982–1983 bass guitar Learning to Crawl (1984)
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Paul Carrack
  • piano
  • backing vocals
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Andrew Bodnar
  • bass guitar
  • backing vocals
John McKenzie
  • 1986
  • 1990
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Chucho Merchán 1986 bass Get Close (1986)
Bruce Thomas
Malcolm Foster
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Carlos Alomar percussion
Bruce Brody organ
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Mel Gaynor drums
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Simon Phillips
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Steve Jordan
  • drums
  • percussion
Tommy Mandel synthesizer
Patrick Seymour
Paul Wickens
  • synthesizer
  • piano
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L. Shankar violin
Tchad Blake 1990 guitar Packed! (1990)
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David Rhodes
Mitchell Froom keyboards
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Dominic Miller
  • guitar
  • bass guitar
  • backing vocals
Will MacGregor
  • bass guitar
  • backing vocals
Tony "Gad" Robinson
Duane Delano Verh bass guitar
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Tim Finn backing vocals
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Mark Hart
Teo Miller
Adey Wilson
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Tom Kelly
  • 1994
  • 1999
  • 2001–2002
  • bass guitar
  • piano
  • guitar
  • backing vocals
Ian Stanley 1994
  • organ
  • special effects
  • keyboards
Last of the Independents (1994)
J.F.T. Hood
  • drums
  • special effects
Jim Copley drums
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Andy Rourke bass guitar
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David Paton
London Gospel Choir choir
David Lord string arrangement
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Jeff Beck 1999 guitar ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
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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
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Mark "Wiff" Smith
Priscilla Jones backing vocals
Mark Sheridan
The Duke Quartet
  • strings
  • brass
Kick Horns brass
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Jim Keltner 2008
  • drums
  • backing vocals
Break Up the Concrete (2008)
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Dan Auerbach 2016
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • backing vocals
Alone (2016)
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Duane Eddy guitar
Kenny Vaughan
Russ Pahl pedal steel
Dave Roe upright bass
Leon Michels keyboards
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Richard Swift
  • drums
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • backing vocals
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Timeline

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Lineups

More information Period, Members ...
Period Members Releases
Spring 1978 – June 1982
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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References

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