Chrissie Hynde reflects on Her Iconic First Encounter with Lemmy
Guitarist Chrissie Hynde, renowned for her striking Ice Blue Telecaster, may hail from Ohio, but it was in the vibrant music scene of the U.K. where she truly established her legacy.
In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, she shared, “I can only imagine what my parents thought when I decided to move to London at 22. It never crossed my mind, and I didn’t return to Akron, Ohio, for 35 christmases.”
Hynde has often expressed a profound sense of purpose from a young age. This drive propelled her from a disappointing job in architecture to music journalism, eventually landing her a role at Sex, the iconic boutique owned by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols.
This position opened doors for her, immersing her in London’s punk culture, including a memorable first meeting with Lemmy. Initially, he appeared to be a larger-than-life character, embodying the wild tales that surrounded him.
“The first time I saw him was in a shop on King’s Road. We didn’t exchange a single word,” she recounted in her memoir, Reckless: My Life as a Pretender, as highlighted by Classic Rock.
“He looked me over,moved in close,dipped a silver tube he wore on a chain into a bag of white powder,and then shoved it up my nose before walking away.I was wired for three days.”
Such anecdotes illustrate why Motörhead’s music was characterized by its speed and intensity. phil Campbell, who played guitar for the band from 1984 until Lemmy’s death in 2015, humorously recalled his own first encounter with Lemmy, joking that he remembered the amphetamines more than the audition itself.
While Lemmy’s wild persona was undeniable, Hynde later discovered there was much more beneath the surface.
“We shared similar tastes – we were both eclectic souls who appreciated the finer aspects of life,” she noted.
This included a fondness for music that diverged from the relentless pace of Motörhead.
“He was a fan of The Beatles during a time when they were seen as a relic of the past,” she remarked. “His musical knowledge surpassed what anyone who attended a Hawkwind or Motörhead concert would have guessed. He kept that side of himself well concealed.”
As he aged, Lemmy became more open about his admiration for The Beatles, notably their bassist, paul mccartney.
In a 2012 interview, he recounted how his youthful escapades led him to discover the band. Living near a holiday destination, he developed what he humorously referred to as a friendship with four girls from Liverpool.
“It was all about Billy Fury: ‘Oh, isn’t he handsome?’” he reminisced. “Then one year, they came back, and it was all ‘Beatles, Beatles, Beatles.’ I had no idea who they were, so I went to Liverpool. I was keen on one of those girls anyway, so it was a win-win.”
He witnessed them perform at the legendary Cavern Club and continued to see them multiple times before they skyrocketed to fame.
“The Stones were seen as the tough guys, while The Beatles were viewed as the intellectuals, but it was actually the opposite,” he once quipped. “The Stones were just playing a part. The Beatles were from Liverpool, and that’s a tough place.”
Reflecting on her journey with the Pretenders in 2023, Hynde shared with Guitar Player that lead guitarist James honeyman-Scott was naturally reserved about taking center stage.Though, she encouraged him to shine, coaxing out his impressive guitar solos while she unleashed her Telecaster’s power.
