110-535: A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who , also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend , is a music event and a later live album by Roger Daltrey (of English rock band The Who ) documenting a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall in February 1994. The music event broke Carnegie Hall's two-day box office gross record, and was the fastest sell-out in the historic venue's history. The concert also raised money for Columbia Presbyterian Babies Hospital. This event
220-495: A Vox Cheetah guitar, which he only used for that performance; the guitar was destroyed by Townshend and Moon's drum explosion. In the late 1960s, Townshend began playing Gibson SG Special models almost exclusively. He used this guitar at the Woodstock and Isle of Wight shows in 1969 and 1970, as well as the Live at Leeds performance in 1970. By 1970 Gibson changed the design of
330-424: A 25th Anniversary Tour, which also celebrated the 20th anniversary of their rock opera Tommy . The tour featured a large backing band, with guest appearances by Steve Winwood , Patti LaBelle , Phil Collins , Elton John , and Billy Idol . Daltrey managed to complete the tour in spite of an abdominal ailment, for which he later received surgery. In 1996, Pete Townshend was approached to produce Quadrophenia for
440-409: A London community centre. A film version of Tommy was directed by Ken Russell , and starred Roger Daltrey in the title role, Ann-Margret as his mother, and Oliver Reed as his step-father, with cameos by Tina Turner , Elton John , Eric Clapton , and other rock notables; the film premiered on 18 March 1975. Townshend was nominated for an Academy Award for scoring and adapting the music in
550-587: A brief tour in 2004. In 2006, they released the Who's first studio album of new material in twenty-four years, Endless Wire , which led to suggestions that the much-discussed artistic tension in the Who lay between Daltrey and Townshend. The band undertook a world tour in 2006–07 in support of the album. In February 2010, Townshend and Daltrey, headlining as the Who, performed the half-time show at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami , Florida, and were seen by 105.97 million viewers across
660-457: A commercial smash, reaching number one in the UK, and spawned two successful hit singles, " Baba O'Riley " and " Won't Get Fooled Again ", that featured pioneering use of the synthesizer. "Baba O'Riley" in particular was written as Townshend's ode to his two heroes at the time, Meher Baba and composer Terry Riley . Townshend began writing songs for another rock opera in 1973. He decided it would explore
770-413: A guitar. His father bought him an Epiphone guitar in 1959 and he became the band's lead guitarist. He also became the band's leader, and gained a reputation for using his fists to impose discipline. According to Townshend, Daltrey "ran things the way he wanted. If you argued with him, you usually got a bunch of fives, [a hard punch]". Daltrey explained, later in life, that this harsh approach came from
880-468: A guitarist, Townshend also plays keyboards, banjo , accordion , harmonica, ukulele , mandolin , violin, synthesiser, bass guitar, and drums; he is self-taught on all of these instruments and plays on his own solo albums, several Who albums, and as a guest contributor to an array of other artists' recordings. Townshend has also contributed to and authored many newspaper and magazine articles, book reviews, essays, books, and scripts, and he has collaborated as
990-416: A hard-nosed band who reflected the feelings of thousands of pissed-off adolescents at the time." The Townshend-penned single reached number two on the UK charts, becoming the Who's biggest hit. The song and its famous line "I hope I die before I get old" was "very much about trying to find a place in society", Townshend stated in an interview with David Fricke . To capitalise on their recent single success,
1100-469: A household with jazz musicians, Townshend absorbed many of his ideas about performance and rock music themes during art school. Townshend's roommate at Ealing Art College, Tom Wright, had a large record collection, and Townshend listened to and became influenced by R&B and rock & roll artists like Howlin' Wolf , John Lee Hooker , Bo Diddley , Booker T. & the MGs , Little Walter , and Chuck Berry . He
1210-471: A hybrid monitoring system, with one in-ear monitor supplemented by floor wedges. Daltrey contributed to a collection of childhood fishing stories published in 1996 entitled I Remember: Reflections on Fishing in Childhood . In 2009, he contributed a foreword to Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who 1958–1978 by Andrew Neill and Matt Kent. In 2011, he wrote a tribute article in honour of
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#17328485113091320-661: A lyricist and composer for many other musical acts. In 1983, Townshend received the Brit Award for Lifetime Achievement and in 1990 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who. Townshend was ranked No. 3 in Dave Marsh 's 1994 list of Best Guitarists in The New Book of Rock Lists . In 2001, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Who; and in 2008 he received Kennedy Center Honors . He
1430-539: A member of the Who. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also included three songs that Daltrey recorded with the Who on the list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, including: " My Generation ", " Go to the Mirror! ", and " Baba O'Riley ". In 2005, Daltrey received a British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors Gold Badge Award for special and lasting contributions to the British entertainment industry. In 2003, Daltrey
1540-641: A musical family: his father, Cliff Townshend , was a professional alto saxophonist in the Royal Air Force 's dance band the Squadronaires and his mother, Betty (née Dennis), was a singer with the Sidney Torch and Les Douglass Orchestras. The Townshends had a volatile marriage. Both drank heavily and had fiery tempers. Cliff Townshend was often away from his family touring with his band while Betty carried on affairs with other men. The two split when Townshend
1650-525: A new Who album should feature original songs by Roger Daltrey as well as him. That album, simply titled Who , was released on 6 December 2019. It was the band's second album as a duo, and their first in thirteen years. The Age of Anxiety , formerly Floss the Musical , is the name given to a work-in-progress by Townshend. The musical has been a work in progress at least since 2009 with an original estimated release of 2011. On 24 January 2012 Townshend sold
1760-621: A new touring band he called " No Plan B " on the Alan Titchmarsh Show. The band included Simon Townshend on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Frank Simes on lead guitar, Jon Button on bass guitar, Loren Gold on keyboards, and Scott Devours on drums. Eddie Vedder made a guest appearance at the Seattle show on 12 October. In 2010, Daltrey and No Plan B appeared for several dates with Eric Clapton , including Summerfest at Milwaukee , Wisconsin. On 15 March 2018, Daltrey announced
1870-528: A novel, with an opera to follow. Townshend was born ten days after Nazi Germany surrendered in the Second World War and grew up in the shadow of reconstruction in and around London. According to Townshend, postwar trauma was the driving force behind the rock music revolution in the UK. "Trauma is passed from generation to generation", he said, "I've unwittingly inherited what my father experienced." Townshend notes that growing up in this period produced
1980-569: A semi-autobiographical story The Boy Who Heard Music as a serial on a blog beginning in September 2005. The blog closed in October 2006, as noted on Townshend's website. It is now owned by a different user and does not relate to Townshend's work in any way. On 25 February 2006, he announced the issue of a mini-opera inspired by the novella for June 2006. In October 2006 the Who released their first album in 24 years, Endless Wire . The Who performed at
2090-486: A short (5-date) "Classic Quadrophenia" US tour that ended on 16 September 2017 in Los Angeles, California. From the mid-1990s through the present, Townshend has participated in a series of tours with the surviving members of the Who, including a 2002 tour that continued despite Entwistle's death. In February 2006, a major world tour by the Who was announced to promote their first new album since 1982. Townshend published
2200-625: A short-lived trad jazz group, the Confederates, featuring Townshend on banjo and Entwistle on horns. The Confederates played gigs at the Congo Club, a youth club run by the Acton Congregational Church, and covered Acker Bilk , Kenny Ball , and Lonnie Donegan . However, both became influenced by the increasing popularity of rock 'n' roll , with Townshend particularly admiring Cliff Richard 's debut single, " Move It ". Townshend left
2310-565: A show. The Who commenced their first US tour on 22 March 1967. Townshend took to trashing his hotel suites, though not to the extent of his bandmate Moon. He also began experimenting with LSD , though stopped taking the drug after receiving a potent hit after the Monterey Pop Festival on 18 June. Released in December, their next album was The Who Sell Out —a concept album based on pirate radio, which had been instrumental in raising
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#17328485113092420-498: A significant influence, saying "I've totally been influenced by him. You can hear it in my work." Throughout his solo career and his career with the Who, Townshend has played a large variety of guitars—mostly various Fender , Gibson , and Rickenbacker models. He has also used Guild , Takamine and Gibson J-200 acoustic models, with the J-200 providing his signature recorded acoustic sound in such songs as " Pinball Wizard ". In
2530-431: A single blow. In the Who's milestone achievements, Tommy , Who's Next , and Quadrophenia , Daltrey became the face and voice of the band as they defined themselves as rebels in a generation of change. When Ken Russell 's adaptation of Tommy appeared as a feature film in 1975, Daltrey played the lead role. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for " Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture ", and appeared on
2640-409: A song titled "Crossroads Now" for the Who, which grew from an onstage jam in 1999. Another Daltrey song, "Certified Rose", was rehearsed by the Who shortly before the death of John Entwistle. The band had intended to play it, as well as Townshend's " Real Good Looking Boy ", during their 2002 tour, but it was dropped after Entwistle's death. It was rumoured that a studio version had been recorded during
2750-430: A special case and certificate of authenticity, signed by Townshend himself. There was a Pete Townshend signature Rickenbacker limited edition guitar of the model 1998, which was his main 6-string guitar in the Who's early days. The run featured 250 guitars that were made between July 1987–March 1988, and according to Rickenbacker CEO John Hall, the entire run sold out before serious advertising could be done. He also used
2860-495: A specially commissioned song, "Highbury Highs", for the 2006 Highbury Farewell ceremony after the final football match was played at the Highbury ground. Daltrey's performance was part of Arsenal's celebration of the club's 93 years at Highbury as it prepared to move to a new stadium. Daltrey embarked on a solo tour of the US and Canada on 10 October 2009, the "Use It or Lose It" tour, with
2970-457: Is Love" on the B-side. The British release, with considerable airplay of "Giving It All Away" (first lines "I paid all my dues so I picked up my shoes, I got up and walked away") coincided with news reports of the Who being sued for unpaid damage to their hotel on a recent tour, which included a TV set thrown out of a window. Daltrey's second solo album, Ride a Rock Horse , was released in 1975. It
3080-426: Is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who , one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style and poetic songwriting techniques, with the Who and in other projects, have earned him critical acclaim. Townshend has written more than 100 songs for 12 of the Who's studio albums. These include concept albums ,
3190-470: Is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead singer of the rock band the Who . Daltrey's hit songs with the Who include " My Generation ", " Pinball Wizard ", " Won't Get Fooled Again ", " Baba O'Riley " and " You Better You Bet ". He began a solo career in 1973 while still a member of the Who, and has released ten solo studio albums, five compilation albums and one live album. His solo hits include " Giving It All Away ", " Walking
3300-423: Is sometimes called Daltrey Sings Townshend . The success of these shows led to a US tour under the same name, featuring Pete Townshend's brother Simon on lead guitar. Phil Spalding played bass in the first half of each show and John Entwistle played bass in the second half. An Australian leg was considered but eventually scrapped. A fan of Premier League football club Arsenal F.C. , Daltrey wrote and performed
3410-480: The Endless Wire sessions which may have featured Entwistle's basslines from 2002, but Townshend later stated that no such recording had been made. A more recent recording of "Certified Rose" was released on Daltrey's 2018 album, As Long As I Have You . Daltrey has released ten solo studio albums. The first, Daltrey (1973), was recorded during a hiatus in the Who's touring schedule. The best-selling single from
A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-811: The Jim Byrnes Blues Band at the Los Angeles Highlander Convention. On 12 January 2009, he headlined a one-off concert with Babyshambles at the O2 Academy Bristol for Teenage Cancer Trust . On 5 July 2009, he joined the Jam 's lead singer, Paul Weller , on stage at Hop Farm Festival in Kent for an encore of " Magic Bus ". In 2011, Daltrey recorded a duet on the song "Ma seule amour" with French singer and composer Laurent Voulzy for his album Lys and Love . In November 2014, while staying at
3630-595: The Super Bowl XLIV half-time show on 7 February 2010, playing a medley of songs that included "Pinball Wizard", " Who Are You ", "Baba O'Riley", " See Me, Feel Me ", and "Won't Get Fooled Again". In 2012, the Who announced they would tour the rock opera Quadrophenia . The Who were the final performers at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London, performing a medley of "Baba O'Riley", "See Me, Feel Me", and "My Generation". On 22 March 2018, Townshend stated that
3740-486: The eleven-plus exam, Townshend was enrolled at Acton County Grammar School . At Acton County, he was frequently bullied because he had a large nose, an experience that profoundly affected him. His grandmother Emma purchased his first guitar for Christmas in 1956, an inexpensive Spanish model. Though his father taught him a couple of chords, Townshend was largely self-taught on the instrument and never learned to read music. Townshend and school friend John Entwistle formed
3850-452: The rock operas Tommy (1969) and Quadrophenia (1973), plus popular rock radio staples such as Who's Next (1971); as well as dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilation albums such as Odds & Sods (1974). He has also written more than 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, as well as radio jingles and television theme songs . While known primarily as
3960-465: The "gods of rock and roll". He developed a trademark move of swinging and throwing his microphone through a complex sequence, matching these sequences with the tempo of the song that was being played, although Daltrey reduced the athleticism of his performances in later years. According to a review of the Who's performance at the Quart Festival in 2007: Suddenly each and everyone stopped caring about
4070-700: The 1970s, two of which were captured on record: Eric Clapton 's Rainbow Concert in January 1973 (which Townshend organized to revive Clapton's career after the latter's heroin addiction), and the Paul McCartney -sponsored Concerts for the People of Kampuchea in December 1979. The commercially available video of the Kampuchea concert shows the two rock icons duelling and clowning through Rockestra mega-band versions of "Lucille", "Let It Be", and "Rockestra Theme"; Townshend closes
4180-496: The 2007 and 2015 Glastonbury Festival . Townshend remained the primary songwriter and leader of the group, writing over 100 songs which appeared on the band's eleven studio albums. Among his creations is the rock opera Quadrophenia . Townshend revisited album-length storytelling throughout his career and remains associated with the rock opera form. Many studio recordings also feature Townshend on piano or keyboards, though keyboard-heavy tracks increasingly featured guest artists in
4290-823: The Broadway adaptation of the Who album Tommy , as well as a less successful stage musical based on his solo album The Iron Man , based upon the book by Ted Hughes . McAnuff and Townshend later co-produced the animated film The Iron Giant , also based on the Hughes story. A production described as a Townshend rock opera and titled The Boy Who Heard Music debuted as part of Vassar College 's Powerhouse Summer Theater program in July 2007. On 2 September 2017 at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts , Townshend embarked with fellow singer and musician Billy Idol , tenor Alfie Boe , and an orchestra on
4400-663: The Confederates after getting into a fight with the group's drummer, Chris Sherwin, and purchased a "reasonably good Czechoslovakian guitar" at his mother's antique shop. Townshend's brothers Paul and Simon were born in 1957 and 1960, respectively. Lacking the requisite grades to attend university, Townshend was faced with the decision of art school, music school, or getting a job. He ultimately chose to study graphic design at Ealing Art College , enrolling in 1961. At Ealing, Townshend studied alongside future Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood . Townshend dropped out in 1964 to focus on music full-time. In late 1961, Entwistle joined
4510-676: The Detours, a skiffle / rock and roll band, led by Roger Daltrey. The new bass player then suggested Townshend join as an additional guitarist. In the early days of the Detours, the band's repertoire consisted of instrumentals by the Shadows and the Ventures , as well as pop and trad jazz covers. Their lineup coalesced around Roger Daltrey on rhythm guitar, Townshend on lead guitar, Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom on drums, and Colin Dawson as vocalist. Daltrey
A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-625: The Dog ", " Written on the Wind ", " Free Me ", " Without Your Love " and " Under a Raging Moon ". The Who are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. As a member of the band, Daltrey received a Lifetime achievement award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1988, and from the Grammy Foundation in 2001. He
4730-599: The Face/Zoot Suit"), they dropped Meaden and were signed on by two new managers, Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert , who had paired up with the intention of finding new talent and creating a documentary about them. The band anguished over a name that all felt represented the band best, and dropped the High Numbers name, reverting to the Who. In June 1964, during a performance at the Railway Tavern, Townshend accidentally broke
4840-560: The Kinks , another group Talmy produced. Released as a single in January 1965, "I Can't Explain" was the Who's first hit, reaching number eight on the British charts. A follow-up single (" Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere "), credited to both Townshend and Daltrey, also reached the top 10 in the UK. However, it was the release of the Who's third single, " My Generation ", in November that, according to Who biographer Mark Wilkerson, "cemented their reputation as
4950-576: The Mar Hall Hotel in Bishopton, Renfrewshire ahead of the Who's gig at the SSE Hydro , Daltrey joined local band Milestone for an impromptu rendition of "I Can't Explain". The band were playing at a wedding reception in the hotel. Pete Townshend said Daltrey had "almost invented the pseudo-messianic role taken up later by Jim Morrison and Robert Plant ." His stage persona earned him a position as one of
5060-490: The Prince's Trust concert at Hyde Park , London. Daltrey agreed to help to produce a one-off performance, and the opera was to be performed with a large backing band. On the night before the show, Daltrey was struck in the face by a microphone stand swung by Gary Glitter and the accident fractured his eye socket . There was concern that he might not be able to perform, but Daltrey covered the bruises with an eye patch and completed
5170-459: The SG Special that Townshend had been using previously, and he began using other guitars. For much of the 1970s, he used a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe , some with only two mini- humbucker pick-ups and others modified with a third pick-up in the "middle position" (a DiMarzio Superdistortion / Dual Sound). He can be seen using several of these guitars in the documentary The Kids Are Alright , although in
5280-438: The Who again during the band's tours in the 1980s, and used a Fender Esquire to play a second guitar part for the song " Eminence Front " on the Who's 1982, 1989 and later tours. During the 1989 tour, Daltrey played a Gibson Chet Atkins SST guitar for the song " Hey Joe ". During the Who's 1996–97 Quadrophenia tour, he played a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar. After 1999, it became common for Daltrey to play guitar during both
5390-400: The Who and solo shows. He played a Versoul Buxom 6 handmade acoustic guitar on the Who's 2002 tour. Daltrey owns a Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop acoustic guitar which he played on the Who and solo tours in the late first decade of the 21st century. On his 2009 tour, he played Pete Townshend's "Blue, Red and Grey" on an Ashbury cutaway tenor EQ ukulele . Daltrey is among those who brought
5500-415: The Who were playing, Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman jumped the stage to complain about the arrest of John Sinclair . Townshend promptly knocked him offstage with his guitar, shouting, "Fuck off my fucking stage!" In 1970, the Who released Live at Leeds , which several music critics cite as the best live album of all time. Townshend began writing material for another rock opera. Dubbed Lifehouse , it
5610-479: The Who's debut album My Generation ( The Who Sings My Generation in the US) was released in late 1965, containing original material written by Townshend and several James Brown covers that Daltrey favoured. Townshend continued to write several successful singles for the band, including " Pictures of Lily ", " Substitute ", " I'm a Boy ", and " Happy Jack ". Lambert encouraged Townshend to write longer pieces of music for
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#17328485113095720-462: The Who's popularity. It included several humorous jingles and mock commercials between songs, and the Who's biggest US single, " I Can See for Miles ". Despite the success of " I Can See for Miles ", which reached No. 9 on the American charts, Townshend was surprised it was not an even bigger hit, as he considered it the best song he had written up to that point. By 1968, Townshend became interested in
5830-457: The Who, Townshend has been sporadically active as a solo recording artist. Between 1969 and 1971 Townshend, along with other devotees to Meher Baba , recorded a trio of albums devoted to his teachings: Happy Birthday , I Am , and With Love . In response to bootlegging of these, he compiled his personal highlights (and "Evolution", a collaboration with Ronnie Lane ), and released his first major-label solo title, 1972's Who Came First . It
5940-560: The album, " Giving It All Away ", peaked at No. 5 in the UK and the album, which introduced Leo Sayer and David Courtney as songwriters, made the Top 50 in the United States. The inner sleeve photography showed a trompe-l'œil which referred to the Narcissus myth, as Daltrey's reflection in the water differed from his actual appearance. He also released a single in 1973, " Thinking ", with "There
6050-637: The band as a support act for bands including Screaming Lord Sutch , Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers , Shane Fenton and the Fentones , and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. In 1963, Townshend's father arranged an amateur recording of "It Was You", the first song his son ever wrote. The Detours became aware of a group of the same name in February 1964, forcing them to change their name. Townshend's roommate Richard Barnes came up with "The Who", and Daltrey decided it
6160-529: The chance to play with his hero Hank Marvin for Paul McCartney 's " Rockestra " sessions, along with other rock musicians such as David Gilmour , John Bonham , and Ronnie Lane . Townshend recorded several concert albums, including one featuring a supergroup he assembled called Deep End , with David Gilmour on guitar, who performed just three concerts and a television show session for The Tube , to raise money for his Double-O charity, supporting drug addicts. In 1993, he and Des McAnuff wrote and directed
6270-543: The cover of Rolling Stone magazine on 10 April 1975. He worked with Russell again, starring as Franz Liszt in Lisztomania , and collaborated with Rick Wakeman on the soundtrack of the film. The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, died in 1978. The band continued working after his death, but Daltrey thought that new drummer Kenney Jones had been the wrong choice. The Who broke up in 1983 when Townshend felt that he could no longer write for them. The band reformed in 1989 for
6380-420: The deaths of two of the original members ( Keith Moon in 1978 and John Entwistle in 2002). The band is regarded by many rock critics as one of the best live bands from the 1960s to the 2000s. The Who continues to perform critically acclaimed sets into the 21st century, including highly regarded performances at The Concert for New York City in 2001, the 2004 Isle of Wight Festival , Live 8 in 2005, and
6490-421: The decision for the band, saying "It's the Who, innit?" Townshend began writing original material for the band, and after their first hit single (" I Can't Explain ") and record deal in early 1965, Daltrey's dominance of the band diminished. The other members of the Who fired him from the band in late 1965 after he beat up their drummer, Keith Moon , for supplying illegal drugs to Townshend and Entwistle, but he
6600-598: The dials on the amplifier until much later. He's overrated in England, but at the same time you find a lot of people like Jeff Beck and Hendrix getting credit for things he started. Townshend was the first to break his guitar, and he was the first to do a lot of things. He's very good at his chord scene, too. Similarly, when Jimmy Page was asked about the development of guitar feedback, he said: I don't know who really did feedback first; it just sort of happened. I don't think anybody consciously nicked it from anybody else. It
6710-404: The down-pouring rain. When the Who took the stage we couldn't do anything but to reach for the sky and howl. Anyone who has ever thought of calling these gods old men and dinosaurs should be deeply ashamed. The reports we've heard from around the world were true: Live rock doesn't get any better. Daltrey hand-built his first guitar from a piece of plywood, and he also built guitars for the band in
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#17328485113096820-465: The early days when they had little money to buy equipment. As lead guitarist for the Detours, Daltrey played a 1961 Epiphone Wilshire solid-body electric guitar, which he later sold to Pete Townshend on an easy payment plan. After he took over as the band's vocalist in the 1960s, and during the 1970s, Daltrey rarely played guitar on stage, except for a Martin acoustic guitar he used while promoting his solo album Daltrey . He began playing guitar with
6930-609: The early days with the Who, Townshend played an Emile Grimshaw SS De Luxe and 6-string and 12-string Rickenbacker semi-hollow electric guitars primarily (particularly the Rose-Morris UK-imported models with special f-holes). When the excited audience responded enthusiastically after he accidentally broke the head off his guitar on a low ceiling during a concert at the Railway Hotel pub in Wealdstone , west London, he incorporated
7040-492: The eventual smashing of his instrument into the band's performances. However, as instrument-smashing became increasingly integrated into the Who's concert sets, he switched to more durable and resilient (and, importantly, cheaper) guitars for smashing, such as the Fender Stratocaster , Fender Telecaster and various Danelectro models. On the Who's The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour appearance in 1967, Townshend used
7150-611: The film version of the Who's rock opera Tommy . He also performed as a guest on the Chieftains' recording of Irish Evening: Live at the Grand Opera House which won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in 1993. With the Who, Daltrey received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 for outstanding artistic significance in music. In 1990, Daltrey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland , Ohio as
7260-434: The film. The Who by Numbers came out in November of that year and peaked at No. 7 in the UK and 8 in the US. It featured introspective songs, often with a negative slant. The album spawned one hit single, " Squeeze Box ", that was written after Townshend learned how to play the accordion. After a 1976 tour, Townshend took a year-long break from the band to focus on spending time with his family. The Who continues despite
7370-972: The forthcoming release on 1 June of a new solo studio album, As Long as I Have You . He appeared on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show on 13 April 2018 to promote the single taken from the album. In May 2021, Daltrey announced a return to touring, with the solo Live and Kicking Tour, starting in August 2021. The tour was rescheduled and carried out during the summer of 2022. Solo Collaborations with other artists Other recordings The RD Crusaders (Formed by Desmond and Roger Daltrey in 2003 to raise money for charitable causes. Aitch McRobbie, Allan Rogers, Gary Brooker, Gary Moore, Greg Lake, Lulu, Margo Buchanan, Nick Newall, Nikki Lamborn, Richard Desmond, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Russ Ballard, Sam Brown, Simon Townshend, Steve Balsamo, Steve Smith, Zoot Money.) https://www.discogs.com/artist/12350440-The-RD-Crusaders In 1998, Daltrey performed two songs with
7480-464: The hard rock Queen song " I Want It All ", in homage to his friend Freddie Mercury who had died the previous year one day after a public announcement that he had AIDS . To celebrate his 50th birthday in 1994, Daltrey performed two shows at Carnegie Hall in New York. A recording of the concerts was later issued on CD and video, entitled A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who , and
7590-437: The harmonica into British popular music. Harmonica brands he has used include Hohner and Lee Oskar . Daltrey uses Shure microphones. Their cords are taped to strengthen the connection to the microphone and to avoid cutting his hands when he swings and catches it. He commonly uses a standard Shure SM58 , but has also used Shure SM78 (in 1981), Shure model 565D Unisphere 1, and Shure model 548 Unidyne IV. Daltrey also uses
7700-471: The late Ken Russell which was published in Britain's Daily Express . In October 2018, Daltrey published his memoir, Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story . The title is a reference to the man who threw him out of grammar school, enabling him to go into a successful music career. In 1976, Daltrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture" for his starring role in
7810-401: The management of Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp . Lambert was Pete Townshend's artistic mentor, and challenging him led to renewed tension within the band. During a filming session, in an incident that Daltrey later claimed was overblown, Townshend and Daltrey argued over the schedule, Townshend hit Daltrey over the head with his guitar, and Daltrey responded by knocking Townshend unconscious with
7920-478: The mod subculture and its clashes with rockers in the early 1960s in the UK. Entitled Quadrophenia , it was the only Who album written entirely by Townshend, and he produced the album as well due to the souring of relations with Lambert. It was released in November, and became their highest charting cross-Atlantic success, reaching No. 2 in the UK and US. NME reviewer Charles Shaar Murray called it "prime cut Who" and "the most rewarding musical experience of
8030-443: The narrative that runs through his music of a boy lost in the stresses and pressures of postwar life. In his autobiography, he wrote: I wasn't trying to play beautiful music. I was confronting my audience with the awful, visceral sound of what we all knew was the single absolute of our frail existence—one day an aeroplane would carry the bomb that would destroy us all in a flash. It could happen at any time. Although he grew up in
8140-548: The next album, Under a Raging Moon , was a tribute to the Who's drummer, Keith Moon , who had died in 1978 at the age of 32. On his Rocks in the Head album, Daltrey's voice ranged from a powerful bluesy growl in the style of Howlin' Wolf , to tender vocals shared with his daughter Willow on the ballad "Everything a Heart Could Ever Want". Daltrey appeared in the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, singing
8250-457: The next album, which became " A Quick One, While He's Away ". The album was subsequently titled A Quick One and reached No. 4 in the charts upon its release in December 1966. In their stage shows, Townshend developed a guitar stunt in which he would swing his right arm against the guitar strings in a style reminiscent of the vanes of a windmill. He developed this style after watching Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards warm up before
8360-586: The pieces as a sculpture. The sculpture was featured at the Rock Stars, Cars And Guitars 2 exhibit during the summer of 2009 at The Henry Ford museum. There are several Gibson Pete Townshend signature guitars, such as the Pete Townshend SG, the Pete Townshend J-200, and three different Pete Townshend Les Paul Deluxes. The SG was clearly marked as a Pete Townshend limited edition model and came with
8470-474: The popular radio track " Slit Skirts ". While not a huge commercial success, music critic Timothy Duggan listed it as "Townshend's most honest and introspective work since Quadrophenia." Through the rest of the 1980s and early 1990s Townshend would again experiment with the rock opera and related formats, releasing several story-based albums including White City: A Novel (1985), The Iron Man: A Musical (1989), and Psychoderelict (1993). Townshend also got
8580-519: The proceedings with a characteristic split-legged leap. Townshend's solo breakthrough, following the death of Who drummer Keith Moon , was the 1980 release Empty Glass , which included the top-10 single " Let My Love Open the Door ", and lesser singles " A Little Is Enough " and " Rough Boys ". This release was followed in 1982 by All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes , which included
8690-404: The rights to all of his back catalog and much of his future work including Floss The Musical if it is ever completed. He summarized the work in an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio published February 2010. In a 2015 interview Townshend stated that the work was intended to be an art installation. In March 2019 it was announced that a work entitled The Age of Anxiety would be published as
8800-481: The same school Pete Townshend and John Entwistle attended. He showed academic promise in the English state school system and was top of his class in the eleven-plus examination, after which he went to Grammar School. Daltrey's first guitar, a cherry red Stratocaster replica, he made himself in 1957. He joined a skiffle group called the Detours who needed a lead singer, and produced it when they told him to bring
8910-625: The show as scheduled. Townshend took the production on tour in 1996–97 as the Who. After the success of the Quadrophenia tour, the band returned as the Who with a five-piece line-up for tours in 1999–2000, and they made a major impact at the Concert for New York City in 2002. After Entwistle's death in June 2002, Daltrey and Townshend decided to continue with an already planned tour, with bass player Pino Palladino taking Entwistle's place. They also completed
9020-429: The studio and on tour. Some of his Stratocaster guitars feature a Fishman PowerBridge piezo pick-up system to simulate acoustic guitar tones. This piezo system is controlled by an extra volume control behind the guitar's bridge. During the Who's 1989 Tour Townshend played a Rickenbacker guitar that was ironically smashed accidentally when he tripped over it. Instead of throwing the smashed parts away, Townshend reassembled
9130-515: The studio he often played a '59 Gretsch 6120 guitar (given to him by Joe Walsh ), most notably on the albums Who's Next and Quadrophenia . During the 1980s, Townshend mainly used Fenders, Rickenbackers and Telecaster-style models built for him by Schecter and various other luthiers . Since the late-1980s, Townshend has used the Fender Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster , with Lace Sensor pick-ups, both in
9240-426: The studio, such as Nicky Hopkins , John Bundrick , or Chris Stainton . Townshend is one of the key figures in the development of feedback in rock guitar. When asked who first used feedback, Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore said: Pete Townshend was definitely the first. But not being that good a guitarist, he used to just sort of crash chords and let the guitar feedback. He didn't get into twiddling with
9350-498: The teachings of Meher Baba . He began to develop a musical piece about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy who would experience sensations musically. The piece would explore the tenets of Baba's philosophy. The result was the rock opera Tommy , released on 23 May 1969 to critical and commercial success. In support of Tommy , the Who launched a tour that included a memorable appearance at the Woodstock Festival on 17 August. While
9460-404: The top of his guitar on the low ceiling and proceeded to destroy the entire instrument . The on-stage destruction of instruments soon became a regular part of the Who's live shows. With the assistance of Lambert, the Who caught the ear of American record producer Shel Talmy , who had the band signed to a record contract. Townshend wrote a song, " I Can't Explain ", as a deliberate sound-alike of
9570-501: The tough neighbourhood in which he had grown up, where arguments were resolved by fighting. He was expelled from school, and Townshend wrote in his autobiography, " until he was expelled, Roger had been a good pupil." They discovered in 1964 that another band was performing as the Detours, and discussed changing their name. Townshend suggested "the Hair" and Townshend's room-mate Richard Barnes suggested "The Who". The next morning, Daltrey made
9680-409: The world and became a trademark sound. His scream near the end of " Won't Get Fooled Again " was a defining moment in rock and roll. By 1973, Daltrey was experiencing success with his solo projects and acting roles. While the other members of the band were recording the music for Quadrophenia , he took the opportunity to examine the Who's financial books and found they had fallen into disarray under
9790-608: The world. In March 2010, Townshend and Daltrey, with an extensive backing band, performed Quadrophenia at the Royal Albert Hall in London as a tenth-anniversary charity benefit for the Teenage Cancer Trust . Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam sang the part of the Godfather and Tom Meighan of Kasabian sang the part of Aceface. Daltrey wrote several songs in the band's catalogue during their early years: Daltrey also wrote
9900-461: The year." On tour, the band played the album along to pre-recorded backing tapes, causing much friction. The tapes malfunctioned during a performance in Newcastle, prompting Townshend to drag soundman Bob Pridden onstage, scream at him and kick over all the amplifiers, partially destroying the malfunctioning tapes. On 14 April 1974, Townshend played his first solo concert, a benefit to raise funds for
10010-501: Was a moderate success and featured demos of Who songs as well as a showcase of his acoustic guitar talents. He collaborated with the Faces ' bassist and fellow Meher Baba devotee Ronnie Lane on a duet album (1977's Rough Mix ). In 1979 Townshend produced and performed guitar on the novelty single "Peppermint Lump" by Angie on Stiff Records , featuring 11-year-old Angela Porter on lead vocals. Townshend made several solo appearances during
10120-417: Was a toddler and he was sent to live with his maternal grandmother Emma Dennis, whom Pete later described as "clinically insane", later citing this experience as having unknowingly influenced the plot of Tommy . The two-year separation ended when Cliff and Betty purchased a house together on Woodgrange Avenue in middle-class Acton , and the young Pete was happily reunited with his parents. His neighbourhood
10230-449: Was also strongly influenced by cellist Malcolm Cecil , who often damaged his cello during performances, along with Gustav Metzger , pioneer of auto-destructive art . In light of these influences, guitar smashing became not just an expression of youthful angst, but also a means of conveying ideas through musical performance. "We advanced a new concept", he writes. "Destruction is art when set to music." Townshend also cited Robbie Basho as
10340-571: Was born on 1 March 1944 in Hammersmith Hospital , East Acton , London, during a World War II bombing raid. He is the eldest of three children of Harry and Irene Daltrey, and has two younger sisters. His father, an insurance clerk, was called up to fight in the Second World War , and three-month-old Roger and his mother were evacuated to a farm in Scotland. Daltrey attended Victoria Primary School and Acton County Grammar School in west London,
10450-411: Was considered the leader of the group and, according to Townshend, "ran things the way he wanted them." Dawson quit in 1962 after arguing too much with Daltrey, who subsequently moved to lead vocalist. As a result, Townshend, with Entwistle's encouragement, became the sole guitarist. Through Townshend's mother, the group obtained a management contract with local promoter Robert Druce, who started booking
10560-423: Was designed to be a multi-media project that symbolised the relationship between a musician and his audience. The rest of the band were confused by its convoluted plot and simply wanted another album. Townshend began to feel alienated, and the project was abandoned after he suffered a nervous breakdown. Much of the material intended for Lifehouse was released as a traditional studio album, Who's Next . It became
10670-525: Was followed by a major tour of the same name including John Entwistle on bass, Zak Starkey on drums and Simon Townshend on guitar. Although the tour was considered an artistic success, it didn't earn enough profit in several cities to cover high expenses, so it was concluded early. In 1994, Daltrey's manager, Richard Flanzer, made a $ 450,000 deal to record and film the two nights of Carnegie Hall performances with Tim Brack (President of Continuum Records) with direction credited to Michael Lindsay-Hogg . The CD
10780-402: Was gaining a reputation as a singer and front-man. The Who's stage act was energetic, and Daltrey's habit of swinging the microphone around by its cord on stage became a signature move. His Townshend-inspired stuttering expression of youthful anger, frustration and arrogance in the band's breakthrough single, " My Generation ", captured the revolutionary feeling of the 1960s for young people around
10890-470: Was his poorest-selling studio album up to that point. In it, Daltrey had vented his frustrations after the break-up of the Who by assembling a set of roughly autobiographical songs. They included a track contributed by Bryan Ferry ("Going Strong"), and one contributed by the Eurythmics ("Somebody Told Me"). Daltrey said the album covered musical areas that he had wanted the Who to pursue. The title track of
11000-457: Was his second most commercially successful solo album. McVicar was a soundtrack album from the film of the same name , in which Daltrey starred and also co-produced; it featured all the other members of the Who (Townshend, Entwistle, and Kenney Jones ). McVicar included two hit singles, " Free Me ", and " Without Your Love ", Daltrey's best-selling solo recording. His next album, Parting Should Be Painless , received negative reviews and
11110-647: Was honoured by Time magazine as a European Hero for his work with the Teenage Cancer Trust and other charities. In the New Year's Honours List published on 31 December 2004, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Music, the Entertainment Industry and Charity. Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend ( / ˈ t aʊ n z ən d / ; born 19 May 1945)
11220-661: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. He and Pete Townshend received Kennedy Center Honors in 2008, and The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA on 21 May 2016. He was ranked number 61 on Rolling Stone ' s list of the 100 greatest singers of all time in 2008; Planet Rock listeners voted him rock's fifth-greatest voice in 2009. Daltrey has also been an actor and film producer, with roles in films, theatre, and television. Daltrey
11330-417: Was just going on. But Pete Townshend obviously was the one, through the music of his group, who made the use of feedback more his style, and so it's related to him. Whereas the other players like Jeff Beck and myself were playing more single note things than chords. Many rock guitarists have cited Townshend as an influence, among them Slash , Alex Lifeson , and Steve Jones . In addition to his work with
11440-459: Was on one of these trips in the summer of 1956 that he repeatedly watched the 1956 film Rock Around the Clock , sparking his fascination with American rock and roll . Not long thereafter, he went to see Bill Haley perform in London, Townshend's first concert. At the time, he did not see himself pursuing a career as a professional musician; instead, he wanted to become a journalist. Upon passing
11550-460: Was one-third Polish, and a devout Jewish family upstairs shared their housing with them and cooking with them—many of his father's closest friends were Jewish. Townshend says he did not have many friends growing up, so he spent much of his boyhood reading adventure novels like Gulliver's Travels and Treasure Island . He enjoyed his family's frequent excursions to the seaside and the Isle of Man . It
11660-409: Was produced by Richard Flanzer and Roger Daltrey in celebration of Daltrey's 50th birthday. The Who's music was arranged for orchestra by Michael Kamen , who directed The Juilliard Orchestra for the event. Pete Townshend , John Entwistle , Eddie Vedder , Sinéad O'Connor , Lou Reed , David Sanborn , Alice Cooper , Linda Perry , the Chieftains and others performed as special guests. The event
11770-563: Was ranked No. 10 in Gibson.com's 2011 list of the top 50 guitarists, and No. 37 on Rolling Stone ' s 2023 list of 250 greatest guitarists of all time. He and Roger Daltrey received The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA on 21 May 2016. Townshend was born in Chiswick , West London, at the Chiswick Hospital, Netheravon Road, in the UK. He came from
11880-418: Was re-admitted to the band a week later on probation after he promised not to do it again. He recalled, "I thought if I lost the band, I was dead. If I didn't stick with the Who, I would be a sheet metal worker for the rest of my life." The band's second single, " Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere ", was a collaboration between Daltrey and Townshend. While Townshend was developing into an accomplished composer, Daltrey
11990-875: Was released on Continuum 19402 USA. Edited by Alan Miller, a DVD was released 14 July 1998. The vocal contribution of Sinéad O'Connor on "Baba O'Riley" and "After the Fire" were edited from the CD, but included on the DVD. All songs were written by Pete Townshend. The track listing for the CD and video is as follows: "Overture" is not the Who song from Tommy , but a special medley for these concerts and subsequent tour, consisting of " A Little Is Enough ", " Love Reign, o'er Me ", " Rough Boys ", " Sparks ", "Dr. Jimmy" ("Is It Me?" section), " Baba O'Riley ", " Who Are You ", "Quadrophenia" ("Helpless Dancer" theme), and " See Me, Feel Me " Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey CBE (born 1 March 1944)
12100-455: Was the best choice. Not long after the name change, drummer Doug Sandom was replaced by Keith Moon , who had been drumming semi-professionally with the Beachcombers for several years. The band was soon taken on by a mod publicist named Peter Meaden who convinced them to change their name to the High Numbers to give the band more of a mod feel. After bringing out one failed single ("I'm
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