Real Name:  Christine Ellen Hynde
Born: 7 Semptember, 1951, Ohio

Christine Ellen Hynde is a guitarist, songwriter, singer and the leader of the band ‘The Pretenders’ was born on 7 September, 1951 in Akron, Ohio.

Chrissie Hynde did her graduation from ‘Firestone High School’ in Akron, Ohio. Hynde attended “Kent State University’s Art School” for three years (where she formed her first rock band ‘Sat. Sun. Mat’ which included an American musician ‘Mark Allen Mothersbaugh’ from the music group ‘Devo’. Hynde was on the campus and witnessed ‘Kent State Shootings’ which occurred in Kent State University in the early’s of 1970s.

Chrissie Hynde - The Pretenders
Chrissie Hynde - The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde worked in various jobs to support herself and saved enough money to move from Ohio to London in 1973, during this period she also developed an interest in the pop music magazine the ‘New Musical Express’.

Chrissie Hynde got a job in an architectural firm in London with her art background and quit the job after eight months. She then met a British rock critic ‘Nick Kent’ and joined has a staff member of the magazine ‘New Musical Express’.

Hynde later quit the job in ‘NME’ magazine and became a full-time punk rocker working with ‘Malcolm McLaren’, manager of Sex Pistols and ‘Vivienne Westwood’. She failed with her attempts of making a band with ‘Mick Jones’, a lead guitarist and a vocalist of the British punk rock band ‘The Clash’. Hynde was then placed as a guitarist in a British punk rock group ‘Masters of the Backside’ by Malcolm McLaren. The group later became an English punk and gothic rock band ‘The Damned’, Hynde was asked to leave the group. She was invited by ‘Mick Jones’ to join his band ‘The Clash’ on their tour of Britain.

Chrissie Hynde met bassist Pete Farndon in the spring of 1978 at a bar in Portbello Road and joined her in the rehearsal room in Convent Garden, London. They played for a New Orleans soul singer King Floyd’s song ‘Groove Me’, which followed by two of Hynde’s tunes: “Tequila” and “The Phone Call”. Hynde and Farndon recruited the drummer ‘Martin Chambers’ and guitarist ‘James Honeyman-Scott’ to form a group. The group got inspired from the song ‘The Great Pretenders’ by a successful vocal group ‘The Platters’ and named the band ‘The Pretenders’. The Pretenders were much more than just a punk band due to Hynde’s vast knowledge of rock and roll.

The Pretenders singles album include: ‘Stop Your Sobbing’ in 1979, ‘Kid’ in 1979, and ‘Brass in Pocket’ in 1980.

The Pretenders II singles album include: ‘Talk of the Town’ in 1980, ‘Message of Love’ in 1981, ‘Day After Day’ in 1981, ‘The Adultress’ in 1981 and ‘I Go to Sleep’ in 1981.


PRETENDERS DISCOGRAPHY:

  • 1980 – Pretenders
  • 1981 – Extended Play
  • 1981 – Pretenders II 
  • 1984 – Learning to Crawl
  • 1986 – Get Close
  • 1987 – The Singles 
  • 1990 – Packed!
  • 1994 – Last of the Independents
  • 1995 – The Isle of View
  • 1999 – Viva el Amor
  • 2000 – Greatest Hits
  • 2002 – Loose Screw 
  • 2006 – Pirate Radio


Christopher Aubrey Shiflett
is a guitarist for the rock band born on May 6, 1971.

Chris Shiflett currently plays in his own side-project, ‘Jackson United’, ‘Viva Death’ with his brother Scott and in the punk rock and cover band ‘Me First and the Gimme Gimmes’.

Chris Shiflett
Chris Shiflett

Chris Shiflett performs with the name of ‘Jake Jackson’ in many of the projects.

Chris Shiflett was a resident lead guitarist for the band ‘No Use for a Name’, a punk rock band from San Jose, California. Dave Grohl’s band ‘Foo Fighters’ had lost both of their previous guitarists, Franz Stahl, founder member of the band ‘Scream’ and Pat Smear, who played in well-known bands like ‘Germs’ and ‘Nirvana’. Chris Shiflett got an opportunity to join Dave Grohl’s band ‘Foo Fighters’ when they were holding open auditions for the replacement of the lost guitarists .

Chris Shiflett left ‘No Use for a Name ‘band suddenly when they were above to plan for a tour for their recent album ‘More Betterness!’, the band replaced ‘Dave Nassie’, who had contributed for an American Crossover Thrash band Suicidal Tendencies lead singer “Cyco” Mike Muir’s solo projects.

Chris Shiflett joined the band ‘Foo Fighters’ after their third album ‘There is Nothing Left to Lose’. Chris played in their fourth album ‘One by One’ which released in 2002.

Chris is married and has 3 sons Daschiel, Liam and Amon. According to a TV program ‘The Sauce’ on May 24, 2007 it was announced that Chris would be designing his own shoes for the Macbeth Footwear.

Discography with Foo Fighters:

  • One by One (2002)
  • In Your Honor (2005)
  • Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)


Chris Poland
is a jazz - fusion guitarist born on December 1, 1957.

Chris Poland is currently playing for his band ‘OHM’.

Chris Poland started playing in the rock/jazz band ‘Welkin’ when he was in ‘Dunkirk’ high school in New York. Chris moved to Los Angeles in 1977 and worked in the band ‘New Yorkers’ (jazz/fusion band) as a co-lead guitarist from 1977 to 1982 with the band mates Stu Samuelson on guitar, Robert Pagliari on fretless bass, Don Roper on saxophone, Gar Samuelson on drums.

Chris Poland - Jazz - fusion guitarist
Chris Poland - Jazz - fusion guitarist

The ‘New Yorkers’ music was extremely sophisticated and very big on Los Angeles Jazz/Fusion prospect compared to other bands like ‘Mahavishnu Orchestra’, ‘Brand X’ and ‘Weather Report’. The band members of ‘New Yorkers’ were considered as expert musicians at their age of early twenties at that time

Chris Poland joined ‘Megadeth’, an American heavy metal band in December 1984. Chris played for a debut album ‘Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!’ in 1985 and for a studio album ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’ in 1986 with ‘Megadeth’. Under suspicion of stealing and selling band gear to support his heroin addiction, Chris and Gar Samuelson were dismissed from the band ‘Megadeth’ after a show in Hawaii. He later played briefly in a punk rock band ‘The Circle Jerks’ as a bass player.

In 1990, Chris Poland released his solo album ‘Return to Metalopolis’, a fusion/metal record for Engima Records with his brother Mark on drums. Three years later, Chris founded a short-lived progressive metal band ‘Damn the Machine’ with his brother Mark on drums, David Randi on bass and Dave Clemmons on vocals/guitar.

Chris Poland formed the band ‘Ohm’ with Robertino Pagliari on 2002. Even after Poland was removed from Megadeth in 1987, Dave Mustaine, rythm/lead guitarist still continued dedicating the song "Liar" to Poland in all their live concerts. In 2004, Chris Poland was again requested to perform a solo on Megadeth album "The System Has Failed". Poland accepted the offer and signed the contract. Mustaine was contacted by Poland’s lawyers soon after the album’s release, who claimed that he was on due payments beyond that of his session fees. Mustaine and Poland were not speaking to each other for some time regarding the payment, however they have made compensation and Poland is now seen on the message boards of ‘Megadeth’. 

Chris Poland played solo for the album ‘As The Palaces Burn’ in 2003 and ‘Ashes of the Wake’ in 2004 for the band ‘Lamb of God’ 

Chris Poland’s Guitar Collection

  • Yamaha SBG 2000 x 3 (2 Hollow Body) 
  • Yamaha AES 800 
  •  Yamaha SG2200 
  • B.C Rich Warlock 
  • Jackson Randy Rhoads

DISCOGRAPHY

  • Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! (1985) 
  • Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986) 
  • Rust in Peace (1990)  
  • The System Has Failed (2004) 
  • Return to Metalopolis (1990) 
  • Chasing The Sun (2000) 
  • Rare Trax (compilation) (2000) 
  • Return to Metalopolis - Live (2007) 
  • Damn the Machine (album, 1993) 
  • Silence (promo single, 1993) 
  • Lonesome God (promo single, 1993) 
  • The Mission (promo single, 1993) 
  • Excerpts From The Book Of Mumbo (1995)
  • Ohm (2003) 
  • Amino Acid Flashback (2005)


Chris Foreman
is an English guitarist born on 8 August 1956 in London. Chris is best known as a member of an English pop/ska band ‘Madness’.

In 1976, Chris Foreman formed the band ‘Madness’ with Mike Barson on Keyboards, Chris himself on guitar, Lee Thompson on saxophone and vocals.

Chris Foreman
Chris Foreman

Chris Foreman, Mike Barson and Lee Thompson formed the band as ‘The North London Invaders’ in 1976 and recruited Cathal Smyth (best known as Chas Smash) on bass guitar and John Hasler on drums. Later in the year, a lead vocalist ‘Dikron’ joined the band. Chris used to write music with his other group members, mostly with Lee Thompson and Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs).

The array of this six people lasted when ‘Graham McPherson’, an English singer, actor, TV personality and former radio RJ, better known as Suggs joined the band as a lead vocalist after seeing their performance in a friend’s garden in 1977. Mike Barson criticized saxophone playing of Thompson which made him leave the band. Cathal Smyth was replaced by Barson’s friend Gavin Rogers, McPherson was thrown out of the band as he was watching football instead of rehearsing and he was replaced by Hasler.

McPherson rejoined the band after patching things up with Barson and two more members joined the band, Mark Bedford, a bass guitarist who replaced Gavin Rogers and Daniel Woodgate, a drummer who replaced Garry Dovey by 1978. The band changed their name to ‘Morris and the Minors’. However this name of the band stayed for a short period and the band renamed itself as ‘Madness’ by giving respect to one of their favourite songs of “Prince Buster”, ska/reggae artist. Chas Smash rejoined the band as a backing vocalist and trumpet player and became the seventh member of ‘Madness’.

The band ‘Madness’ got split up in 1986 and Chris formed a new band ‘The Madness’ with Suggs, Chas Smash and Lee Thompson which broke up after their first album ‘The Madness’ in 1988.

Chris Foreman and Lee Thompson later formed the band ‘The Nutty Boys’ in 1990. The band released their first album called Crunch! The album was dedicated to ‘the good ship Madness (1979 to 1989) and all who sailed on her’. They play in London every couple of years and known as Crunch!

In 1992, Chris Foreman got reunited with the original band members of ‘Madness’. It was announced that Chris was leaving the band in 2005, later in 2006 November 30 it was confirmed that Chris Foreman was returning to play on forthcoming UK Christmas tour of ‘Madness’.

DISCOGRAPHY:

  • (1979) One Step Beyond
  •  (1980) Absolutely 
  • (1981)  7 
  • (1982) The Rise & Fall 
  • (1982) Complete Madness 
  • (1984) Keep Moving 
  • (1985) Mad Not Mad 
  • (1986) Utter Madness 
  • (1988) The Madness
  • (1990) It's... Madness 
  • (1991) It's... Madness Too 
  • (1992) Divine Madness 
  • (1993) The Business
  • (1997) Total Madness
  • (1999) Wonderful 
  • (2002) Our House
  • (2005) The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 
  • (2008) The Liberty of Norton Folgate (To Be Released) 

    Some of his singles include:

  • (1979) "One Step Beyond" 
  • (1979) "My Girl" 
  • (1980) "Work Rest and Play EP" 
  • (1980) "Baggy Trousers" 
  • (1980) "Embarrassment" 
  • (1981) "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" 
  • (1981) "Grey Day" 
  • (1981) "Shut Up" 
  • (1981) "It Must Be Love" 
  • (1982) "House of Fun" 
  • (1982) "Driving in My Car" 
  • (1982) "Our House" 
  • (1983) "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)"/ "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" 
  • (1983) "Wings of a Dove" 
  • (1983) "The Sun and the Rain" 
  • (1985) Uncle Sam
  • (1986) (Waiting For) The Ghost Train
  • (1992) "It Must Be Love" 
  • (1999) "Lovestruck"