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| The Who circa 1960s |
The Who
The Who are an
English rock band formed in 1964. Their best known line-up consisted of lead
singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and
drummer Keith Moon. For much of their career they have been regarded as one of
the three most important British rock acts along with the Beatles and the
Rolling Stones.
The Who developed
from an earlier group, the Detours, before stabilizing around a line-up of
Daltrey, Townshend, Entwistle and Moon. After releasing a single (billed as the
High Numbers), the group established themselves as part of the mod movement,
specialising in auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums onstage.
They achieved recognition in the UK after support by pirate radio and
television, and their first single (as the Who), "I Can't Explain"
reached the top ten. A string of hit singles followed including "My
Generation", "Substitute" and "Happy Jack". Although
initially regarded as a singles act, they also found success with the albums My
Generation and A Quick One. In 1967, they achieved success in the US after
performing at the Monterey Pop Festival, and with the top ten single "I
Can See for Miles". They released The Who Sell Out at the end of the year,
and spent much of 1968 touring the US.
The release of
their fourth album, Tommy, in 1969 was a major commercial and critical
achievement. Subsequent live appearances at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight
Festival, along with the live album Live At Leeds, transformed the Who's
reputation from a hit-singles band into a critically acclaimed rock act. With
their success came increased pressure on lead songwriter Townshend, and the
follow-up to Tommy, Lifehouse was abandoned in favour of 1971's Who's Next. The
group subsequently released Quadrophenia (1973) and The Who by Numbers (1975),
oversaw the film adaptation of Tommy and toured to large audiences before
semi-retiring from live performance in 1977. The release of Who Are You in August
1978 was overshadowed by the death of Moon on 7 September, at the age of 32.
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis
Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English musician,
singer, and songwriter, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for
the rock group The Who. His career with The Who spans 50 years, during which
time the band grew to be considered one of the most influential bands of the
1960s and 1970s.
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| Pete Townshend 2013 |
Townshend is the
primary songwriter for The Who, having written well over 100 songs for the
band's 11 studio albums, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and
Quadrophenia, plus popular rock and roll radio staples such as Who's Next, and
dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and
tracks on rarities compilations such as Odds & Sods. He has also written
over 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, as well as radio jingles
and television theme songs. Although known primarily as a guitarist, he also
plays other instruments such as keyboards, banjo, accordion, harmonica,
ukulele, mandolin, violin, synthesiser, bass guitar and drums, on his own solo
albums, several Who albums, and as a guest contributor to a wide array of other
artists' recordings. He is self-taught on all of the instruments he plays and
has never had any formal training.
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey,
is an English singer, musician, songwriter and actor, best known as the founder
and lead singer of English rock band the Who. He has maintained a musical
career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in
films, theatre and television roles and also producing films. In 2008 he was
ranked number 61 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest singers
of all time.
If any one member
of The Who can be said to be the group’s founding member it is singer Roger
Daltrey, who was born in the West London suburb of Shepherd’s Bush on March 1,
1944. Roger first assembled the group that would become the Who in 1961 while
at Acton County School, recruiting John Entwistle and subsequently agreeing to
John’s proposal that Pete Townshend should join. In those days Roger, whose
daytime job was in a sheet metal factory, even made the band’s guitars, and it
was his energy and ambition that drove the group during their formative years.
That same energy, coupled with his unwavering resolve, has sustained the group
during periods of uncertainty ever since.
Roger’s earliest
tastes in music ran to the blues and R&B which formed the setlist during
their early years as the Detours, as well as Fifties rock’n'roll, which is
reflected in his outstanding interpretations of such noted Who covers as
‘Summertime Blues’ and ‘Shakin’ All Over’. In surrendering his leadership of
the band to Pete when the latter became the group’s songwriter, Roger became
the mouthpiece for Pete’s lyrics and ideas. At the same time he contributed to
the group’s sense of showmanship by developing his unique skill at twirling his
microphone lead around like a lasso and, by the time of Tommy in 1969, becoming
one of rock’s most iconic sex symbols with his golden curls, bare chest and
fringed suede coats.
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| Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey in 2013 |
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