 |
| The Pretenders |
Last week a friend and I were listening to the radio and we heard “I’ll stand by you” by The Pretenders. Such a beautiful song by one of the premier, groups of our time. Yes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members are truly special and deserve our attention. It all started in 1978 when Chrissie Hynde presented a demo of songs to Dave Hill at Real Records and he suggested she form a permanent band. She did just that and of course the rest is history. Their third single “Brass in Pocket” pushed them over the top for good. But Chrissie Hynde is much more than the girl front for a band. She is the true leader of this band. A very strong, talented and competent woman leads the way for The Pretenders. Hynde is not the only woman leader in the music business today, but I doubt there were too many like her in 1978. Hynde was the one who hired and fired members of the band throughout the years, even navigating the group through the tragic deaths of two band mates. March 2005 The Pretenders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and only Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers attended the ceremony. During her acceptance speech Hynde thanked all the replacement members of the group then said: “I know that the Pretenders have looked like a tribute band for the last 20 years. … And we’re paying tribute to James Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon, without whom we wouldn’t be here. And on the other hand, without us, they might have been here, but that’s the way it works in rock ‘n’ roll.” And the beat goes on as The Pretenders continue to perform after their Hall induction. As I did research for this article, I wanted to give you readers something a little out of the ordinary from The Pretenders. In 1999 a movie called “The Other Sister” starring Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi was released and included a beautiful song entitled “Loving you is all I Know” by The Pretenders. Please rent this movie when you get a chance. I hope you enjoy the video.