Chrissie Hynde was born in Akron, OH on September 7th, 1951. Hynde turned out to be a rock star quite similar to millions of others in the '60s. She formed her first rock band after studying at Kent State University in the '70s with future Devo members. Chrissie became attracted with proto-punk groups like Velvet Underground and the Stooges. Her frustration against the American music industry caused her to relocate to London, UK.
Here she became a rock critic. Musically she was after something different. The musical revolution "Punk Rock" in UK was successful in impressing Hynde. She became associated with several upcoming rockers such as the "Sex Pistols" and the "Clash". Hynde was said to have almost created a group with members of the Clash band. Its traditional approach encouraged her to create her own punk system.
In the '70s, Hynde became a part of the band called Pretenders. She then went on to be a singer / guitarist / songwriter and the leader of rock's most widely beloved bands "The Pretenders". The original Pretenders group included Hynde with vocals/guitar, Pete Farndon as bassist, James Honeyman-Scott as guitarist, and Martin Chambers on drums. Because of Hynde's immense knowledge of rock & roll, the Pretenders were known to be greater than a punk group. In 1980 their debut was considered to be rock's greatest classics.
In 1984 "Pretenders" kept their success going with the hit "Learning to crawl". Although the band saw several changes in its line up, Hynde held the Pretenders together. She has been a great supporter of wildlife and places a strong opinion on certain issues. She is an active member of organizations like PETA and is determined to end animal cruelty. Her life is quite an inspiration to those around her and she is known for her wild and free spirit.