Pete Farndon

Aside from the Allman Brothers, possibly the only other rock-band to reduce bandmembers under a similar conditions (and almost exactly twelve months apart) was the Pretenders, when guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon both succumbed to medication overdoses through the early ’80s. Farndon was created on June 2, 1952, and hailed from Hereford, Britain. After traveling all over the world through the early-mid ’70s, including a stint in Australia (where he was a short person in the folk rock and roll clothing, the Bushwackers) and Hong Kong (where he indulged therefore heavily in medications that his tooth rotted apart), Farndon came back back again to Hereford by the finish from the 10 years. With Britain still swept up within the punk trend, Farndon looked to create a fresh group, and fulfilled guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chrissie Hynde through an area drummer friend. After jamming on several spirit obscurities and Hynde originals (in a rehearsal space Farndon referred to as “the scummiest cellar I’ve ever experienced my entire life”), Farndon was welcomed onboard being a bassist. Farndon suggested fellow Hereford guitarist Honeyman-Scott to become listed on up (and soonafter, another Hereford resident, drummer Martin Chambers), and by 1979, the Pretenders had been ready to go. A recording agreement using the Sire label shortly followed, therefore following albums as 1980’s the Pretenders and 1981’s Pretenders II, became world-wide hits – producing the quartet among brand-new wave’s biggest brands. But bigtime success demonstrated hard to take care of for longtime pals Farndon and Honeyman-Scott, who both indulged intensely in medications. By 1982, substance abuse experienced affected Farndon’s playing and romantic relationship with others therefore terribly that he was asked to keep the group. However in a cruel twist of destiny, Honeyman-Scott was discovered lifeless from a cocaine-induced coronary attack in London on June 16, 1982, just two times after Farndon’s ousting. Farndon supposedly attemptedto type another group within the wake of his leave from your Pretenders, but didn’t achieve this. On Apr 14, 1983 (significantly less than annually after Honeyman-Scott’s loss of life), Farndon was discovered lifeless in his house at age 30, having drowned in his bath tub after performing heroin.