For my history class, we had to do a project on women who impacted society. My friends chose Michelle Obama, Marie Antionette, and Amelia Earheart. I decided to choose someone a bit off the beaten path.
Chrissie Hynde
IMPACT: musician, vegan, animal rights activist, role model for women everywhere
Chrissie Hynde was born Christine Ellen Hynde on September 7, 1951. She grew up with a passion for music, and became a huge part of the punk music movement. She created the new-wave rock band The Pretenders. The Pretenders’ sound shaped hundreds of bands, and has touched many people.
Besides being a wonderfully talented musician, Chrissie Hynde is passionate about one thing that I truly care about as well—animal rights. She has done many ads with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and many other animal-rights associations. A faithful vegan, someone who doesn’t eat anything that comes from an animal such as meat or dairy or other animal-derived products, and she opened a vegan restaurant in her home state of Ohio.
Hynde changed women in the rock n’ roll scene. She never wanted to be “bad” or “cool”, she made music to be herself, and it may be a career. This motive for fun led to her success, and women followed her along her journey of maturing musically. She told girls and women everywhere that music is about what you hear, and not how you act or what you see.