“It’s insane. He died aged 25, only guitar players remember him, and yet he was the sound of the Pretenders”: Chrissie Hynde on the underrated guitar hero who defined the Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders performs in concert during Les Nits de Barcelona festival on July 01, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

The Pretenders’ self-titled debut album turned 45 years old in 2025. It featured the guitar playing of the late James Honeyman-Scott, whom Chrissie Hynde believes made the record magic.

Honeyman-Scott was a major player in the new wave movement of the 1980s, spearheading two albums and an EP with the Pretenders before his untimely death in 1982.