The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now

Today in Music History: Happy Birthday, Chrissie Hynde

Chrissie Hynde performs at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2014
Chrissie Hynde performs at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2014Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

September 07, 2017

History Highlight

Chrissie Hynde is 66 today. She is best-known as the founding member of The Pretenders, who released 10 albums and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The band has cycled through many members, with Hynde being the only constant member since 1978.

Also, Today In:

1959 - Craig Douglas was at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with his version of the Sam Cooke hit "Only Sixteen". Terence Perkins was employed as a milkman before becoming a professional singer and was known as the 'Singing Milkman'.

1963 - The Beatles recorded an appearance on the BBC radio program 'Saturday Club', at the Playhouse Theatre in London. They performed "I Saw Her Standing There", "Memphis", "Happy Birthday Saturday Club", "I'll Get You", "She Loves You", and "Lucille".

1968 - Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham made their live debut as Led Zeppelin but billed as The New Yardbirds at Teen Club in Gladsaxe (a suburb in the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark).

1976 - ABBA were at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with "Dancing Queen", the group's fourth U.K. No. 1 single and their only U.S. No. 1 chart topper. The song was a No. 1 hit in over a dozen countries and stayed at the top of the Swedish charts for 14 weeks.

1978 - Keith Moon, drummer with The Who, died of an overdose of heminevrin prescribed to combat alcoholism. Moon had attended a party the night before organized by Paul McCartney for the launch of the "The Buddy Holly Story" movie. He played on all The Who albums from their debut, 1965's My Generation, to 1978's Who Are You, which was released two weeks before his death. Fun fact: Moon was a prankster - check out some of his greatest pranks.

1985 - David Bowie and Mick Jagger were at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with their version of the Martha Reeves and The Vandellas 1964 hit "Dancing In The Street". The song had been recorded as part of the Live Aid charity appeal.

1997 - Fleetwood Mac went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with "The Dance". The album went on sell over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone.

2001 - Michael Jackson was reunited onstage with The Jackson 5 at his 30th Anniversary Celebration in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It ended Jackson's 11-year hiatus from performing in the U.S. Jackson was joined by Eminem, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Britney Spears and Destiny's Child to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his singing career.

2003 - Warren Zevon, singer-songwriter and musician, died at his home in Los Angeles.

Birthdays:

Buddy Holly was born today in 1936.

Gloria Gaynor is 68.

Benmont Tench is 64.

Eazy-E, rapper with NWA, was born today in 1964.

Slug from Atmosphere is 45.