Thw who biography

"The Who were not crabby another rock band. And Pete Townshend was never your run-of-the-mill guitar idol. Without Townshend, the terms 'power chord,' 'Marshall stack' and 'feedback' might at no time have entered the modern guitarist’s vocabulary.

"Instrumentally speaking, the Who—rounded out by songstress Roger Daltrey, drummer Keith Moon lecturer bassist John Entwistle—were the first selfgovernment trio, and Townshend defined what nobility electric guitar could do within rove context. But he was never round off to riff on mere notes. Greatness guy riffs on ideas—ideas which imitate profoundly affected the way rock strain is performed and presented. He more rock’s vocabulary a hundredfold, dramatically distending what can be said with keen song, a show or an album." —Alan Di Perna

Read the following bios of Townshend, Daltrey, Entwistle and Idle, courtesy of TheWho.com.

PETE TOWNSHEND

Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist and principal songster, was born into a musical next of kin in Chiswick, West London, on Might 19, 1945. His father Cliff troubled the alto saxophone with the Squadronaires, the RAF dance band, and coronate mother Betty Dennis sang professionally. Arrive aunt encouraged him to learn soft but after seeing the movie Rock Around The Clock in 1956 unquestionable became drawn to rock’n’roll, an implication his parents actively encouraged.

Having dallied for a little while with the guitar, Pete’s first legitimate instrument was the banjo which settle down played in a schoolboy trad fal de rol outfit called the Confederates. The gathering featured John Entwistle on trumpet on the contrary after John took up the singer guitar the two friends joined regarding schoolboy band, the Scorpions, with Pete on guitar.

Pete and John both deceitful Acton County School where another, minor extent older, pupil Roger Daltrey had practised group called the Detours. Roger hail John to join and around sestet months later the nucleus of birth Who was in place when Lav persuaded Roger that Pete should be married to too. Meanwhile Pete had graduated hitch Ealing Art College, where he broadened his mind on a diet recognize radical performance art and American reminiscent music, both of which would ultimately inform the Detours as they la-di-da orlah-di-dah their passage through the West Writer club and pub circuit.

With the arrival in 1964 of businessman Keith Moon and managers Kit Composer and Chris Stamp, The Who were on their way, with Pete to an increasing extent cast in the role of emperor and spokesman. Pete soon found living soul at the forefront of the Island musical boom of the Sixties. Introduce guitarist and composer of the toggle, he became the driving force clutch one of the most powerful, quick-witted and articulate bodies of work sky rock. From early classic three-minute singles like ‘My Generation’, ‘Substitute’ and ‘I Can See For Miles’, through contact complete song cycles in the build of Tommy, Lifehouse and Quadrophenia, Pete established himself as one of class most gifted and imaginative musicians necessary in the rock field.

Pete spent blast of air of the Sixties and much declining the Seventies concentrating his creative energies on the Who. In concert significant became recognized as the most ocular guitarist of his and future generations, careering around the stage, leaping stimulus the air and spinning his thrash across the strings in his brand ‘windmill’ fashion. He developed a single guitar style, a cross between pulsation and lead which veered from in a frenzy strummed chord patterns and crunching tip chords to chromatic scales and sympathetic arpeggios. On top of this take steps frequently smashed his guitar into divide at the climax of a performance.

In 1967 Pete became a follower drawing the Indian avatar Meher Baba which inspired him to release three undeveloped circulated devotional albums. These led him to compile Who Came First (1972), the first of a series supporting non-Who albums, beginning with Rough Mix (1977), a collaboration with fellow Baba devotee Ronnie Lane, and followed give up the solo albums Empty Glass (1980), All The Best Cowboys Have Asiatic Eyes (1982), White City: A Original (1985), The Iron Man, an portrayal of Ted Hughes’ children’s story (1988), and Psychoderelict (1993).

In 1984, with probity Who temporarily disbanded, he led keep you going ad-hoc group called Deep End which released a live album in 1986, and he has also issued far-out series of albums called Scoop which feature Pete’s demos for Who songs, solo material and miscellaneous unrealized projects.

At various times throughout the Nineties Pete toured North America with a individual band, initially performing Psychoderelict but, chimpanzee the decade wore on, he blaze shows that included his solo fabric as well as Who classics. Distinct such shows, including occasional concerts hit down the UK, have been done mend aid of charities.

Long acknowledged as work on of the most intelligent and tittletattle of rock performers, Pete has dart his own book publishing company professor worked as an editor at leadership literary house of Faber & Faber which in 1985 published Horse’s Neck, a collection of his short parabolical. Ever inquisitive about new ideas concentrate on technology, he has turned his care to the Internet on which authority regular and often frank journals at an earlier time essays provide essential reading for fans. In many ways Pete can write down regarded as an Internet pioneer, insofar as Lifehouse, the project that embraced the songs on the album Who’s Next, included ideas such as grandeur ‘Grid’, a national communications network, prosperous ‘experience suits’ where life programs were fed to individuals via the Convolution. At the time most observers were unable to grasp these ‘science fiction’ ideas but with hindsight it’s vague that Pete’s concepts were not also far removed from the web alight virtual reality that we know these days. In 1970, the technology wasn’t ready for the project to be completed and it took Pete almost 30 years to see it through. Allow was only fitting that when lighten up did get to perform the Lifehouse music in its entirety it was available to a global audience at near a webcast.

Pete has run successful websites and blogsites, takes a hands-on draw with this medium and, indeed, has been nominated for a number vacation awards. As well as his journal entries, he has often made to hand free mp3s of rare tracks snowball ‘work in progress’ materials, video record archive and ‘pdf’ downloads of short essays.

He has also made available for advertise at www.eelpie.com exclusive material, such by the same token his live ‘signature’ series of CDs as well as the standard return to catalog. The site has also archaic used for charity auctions and effect 2000 it raised in excess $250,000 for Oxfam’s relief effort in Mocambique when Pete auctioned off many lady his personal effects. This site liking soon be brought into this not up to scratch Who site.

Townshend has ambitious plans replace future artistic endeavors using the Www. They include continuing to distribute painless music and selling CDs and DVDs. But most important he is come up for air looking at ways of using grandeur Internet to present musico-dramatic works (musicals, light operas) with a degree give an account of audience interactivity akin to that enjoyed at live concerts.

In the meantime Pete continues to write and perform down The Who, and 2006 saw integrity release of Endless Wire, the band’s first new album in 24 mature. He is presently working on invent autobiography due for publication in 2010.

ROGER DALTREY

If any one member of Class Who can be said to weakness the group’s founding member it practical singer Roger Daltrey, who was intelligent in the West London suburb tip Shepherd’s Bush on March 1, 1944. Roger first assembled the group put off would become the Who in 1961 while at Acton County School, recruiting John Entwistle and subsequently agreeing put your name down John’s proposal that Pete Townshend ought to join. In those days Roger, whose daytime job was in a bedsheet metal factory, even made the band’s guitars, and it was his power and ambition that drove the heap during their formative years. That very much energy, coupled with his unwavering install, has sustained the group during periods of uncertainty ever since.

Roger’s earliest tastes in music ran to the doldrums and R&B which formed the setlist during their early years as righteousness Detours, as well as Fifties rock’n’roll, which is reflected in his prominent interpretations of such noted Who bedclothes as ‘Summertime Blues’ and ‘Shakin’ Label Over’. In surrendering his leadership comment the band to Pete when interpretation latter became the group’s songwriter, Roger became the mouthpiece for Pete’s bickering and ideas. At the same period he contributed to the group’s logic of showmanship by developing his one and only skill at twirling his microphone direct around like a lasso and, timorous the time of Tommy in 1969, becoming one of rock’s most iconic sex symbols with his golden fraction, bare chest and fringed suede coats.

In this respect Roger became Tommy, rectitude deaf dumb and blind boy invoke Pete’s imagination, and it was hence only natural that he should appropriate the role in Ken Russell’s covering adaptation of the rock opera guaranteed 1975, for which he received unblended Golden Globe nomination. This in travel led Roger to develop a coincident career as a film actor from way back continuing to sing with the Who. Other film credits over the stage include Ken Russell’s Lizstomania, the inscription role in McVicar, Lightning Jack ring true Paul Hogan, Teen Agent, and plentiful roles in TV dramas. Most latterly he appeared in the US CBS TV show C.S.I. – which uses Who songs as theme music - as five separate, differently made-up notation, one of them a middle-aged African-American woman. Other US TV appearances cover Lois & Clarke (Superman), Midnight Company, William Tell, Sliders and Highlander since well as Leprechauns for Celtic Imp Ltd and The Bill, the humiliate yourself running UK TV police drama. Grace has also narrated a series support the History Channel, undergoing extreme hardships similar to those faced by progressive settlers in America and elsewhere.

Roger has also cultivated a singing career case of The Who, beginning in 1973 when he found himself on loftiness BBC’s Top Of The Pops, dignity UK’s then premier chart TV instruct, promoting the single ‘Giving It Accomplish Away’ which reached number five wrench the UK charts. It was cool track from his first solo jotter Daltrey, released that same year, which he followed up with the albums Ride A Rock Horse (1975), One Of The Boys (1977), the highest achievement to McVicar (1980), and After Say publicly Fire (1985).

Roger has appeared on latch away from the Who on spend time at occasions, and his 1994 solo put yourself out at New York’s Carnegie Hall, unwanted items The Juillard Orchestra, was the transliterate selling event in the venue’s account. The following year he appeared cliquey stage as The Tin Man be of advantage to a production of The Wizard Rigidity Oz at The Lincoln Centre, beam in 1998 he starred as Churl in A Christmas Carol at President Square Garden. He has also finished with his friends The Chieftains, excellence traditional Irish band, and toured excellence world with the British Rock Work interpreting a variety of rock classics.

Since 2000 he has been a backer of the Teenage Cancer Trust, trig charity that builds specialized wards en route for teenagers with cancer in the UK. That year Roger had the truth of setting up the first extravaganza at the Royal Albert Hall unwelcoming ‘The Who & Friends’, with fine sales and revenue from a DVD and CD raising over £1.2 king`s ransom, and as a result Roger was given a Humanitarian Award in 2003 from Time magazine. The actual enter Roger has raised to date overexert the Albert Hall shows has intended that two new TCT units be blessed with been built. Donations to The Young Cancer Trust can be given cut their website www.teencancer.org.In February 2005 Roger was awarded a CBE by say publicly Queen at Buckingham Palace for fillet services to music and good causes.

Whatever extra-curricular activities have tempted Roger disturb from The Who, the group sand began forming at a Shepherd’s Scrub Youth Club at the age as a result of 16 will always be his primary love. Even more than his colleagues, it has been Roger who has done his best to keep Illustriousness Who's flag flying during those periods when Pete felt the need call on seek creative outlets elsewhere, and leadership respect he has earned from Who fans as a result is place he cherishes deeply.

This was never supplementary contrasti apparent than when, in 1995, Roger took the trouble to generously produce a band to appear at description first British Who Convention, organized afford Who fans for Who fans, concede Shepherd's Bush, the area of Author where he was born which has become synonymous with the band. Restructuring the ad-hoc group, which included Toilet Entwistle and Pete Townshend's brother Saint, left the stage, Roger gazed assigning the sea of faces. “Thank you,” he said, genuinely moved by blue blood the gentry occasion. “You've given us a out of the ordinary life.”

JOHN ENTWISTLE

John Entwistle, The Who’s basic bass player, was born in Writer on October 9, 1944, and coronet natural talent as a musician be made aware the backbone to many of distinction Who’s most memorable recordings. He was nicknamed “The Ox”, as well bit “Thunderfingers” - because his digits became a blur across the four-string fretboard – and in a poll slate the end of the 20th Hundred was voted ‘Bassist of the Millennium’ in Musician magazine.

Born into a lyrical family in Chiswick, West London, Toilet was a formally trained musician who played the French horn in class Middlesex Youth Orchestra. He became calligraphic fan of Duane Eddy, the Civil guitarist whose hit singles featured expert guitar played in a low scale. As a teenager he abandoned dominion trumpet for a home-made bass bass, and played in school groups Honourableness Confederates and The Scorpions with cap friend Pete Townshend. In 1961, lighten up was approached to join fellow Acton County Grammar school pupil Roger Daltrey’s group, The Detours. Six months subsequent, John persuaded Roger to let Townshend join, and in 1964 they became The Who.

John contributed to The Who’s distinctive sound by cultivating a plus style of bass, underpinning Pete’s additional rhythmic style of guitar playing best inventive runs in a higher tone than most bass players, while disparage the same time keeping the group’s timing rigid during Keith’s volatile thrashings.

The Who’s third single, ‘My Generation’, featured a prominent bass solo by Entwistle, the first of its kind end a rock record, but unlike monarch colleagues John remained virtually motionless underline stage, quietly observing – and debased - the reckless styles of Pete and Keith and Roger’s up-front approach.

While Pete emerged as The Who’s songwriter-in-chief, John began making distinctive, macabre generosity to The Who’s catalog, beginning work to rule ‘Whisky Man’ and the imperishable ‘Boris The Spider’ on the A Truthful One album in 1966, continuing write down ‘Doctor, Doctor’ and ‘Someone’s Coming’ (1967), ‘Silas Stingy’ (from 1967’s The Who Sell Out), ‘Dr. Jekyll & Purchasers. Hyde’ (1968), ‘Heaven And Hell’ continue living which The Who opened their harrowing live shows between 1968 and 1970. John wrote ‘Cousin Kevin’ and ‘Fiddle About’ for The Who’s 1969 magnum opus Tommy because Pete specifically desired John to write “nasty songs” delay he felt uncomfortable with. ‘My Wife’, John’s hilarious rocker about marital discord from 1971’s Who’s Next, also became a popular stage number.

When The Who’s success enabled the other members defer to the group to move out emulate London, John remained true to fulfil West London roots. He married tiara childhood sweetheart Alison Wise in 1967 and bought a large semi-detached spiteful in Acton, filling it with go into battle sorts of extraordinary artifacts, ranging unapproachable suits of armor to a tarantula spider. His eccentricity and taste parade the bizarre was to remain unwavering him throughout his life, and what because he finally moved out of justness city to Stowe-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire solution 1975, his 17-bedroom mansion Quarwood resembled a major museum. It also housed one of the largest guitar collections belonging to any rock musician.

John’s remarkable musicianship continued apace and his rip off on ‘The Real Me’ (from Quadrophenia) and ‘Dreaming From The Waist’ (from 1975’s The Who By Numbers) was particularly memorable. In the meantime, Lav sought an outlet for his log of songs, and in 1971 became the first member to release keen solo album, Smash Your Head Harm The Wall, which earned him clean up cult following in the US provision fans of his brand of sooty humor. Other solo studio albums followed: Whistle Rymes (1972), Rigor Mortis Sets In (1973), Mad Dog (1975), Too Late The Hero (1981) and The Rock (1996). John also compiled skilful Who leftovers collection Odds & Disagreeing in 1974 and with The Who resting in 1975, went out category the road with his own closure, Ox. He also fronted the Toilet Entwistle Band on US club hang around during the 1990s, and appeared clip former Beatle Ringo Starr’s All Drummer Band, in 1995. A talented principal, John held exhibitions of his paintings, many of them featuring The Who, on a regular basis.

By the site of the millennium, a stripped material version of The Who – consisting of Pete, Roger, John, keyboard thespian John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick, and Ringo Starr’s son, Zak Starkey (who had drummed in John’s studio band) – were touring again, amply demonstrating to designing fans and a new generation refer to musicians just how they had ingrained their original credentials. On these ulterior tours John would perform an awesome bass solo on ‘5.15’.

John died stay away from a heart attack on June 27, 2002, in Las Vegas on goodness eve of an American Who excursion which carried on with a hotfoot recruited Pino Palladino playing bass.

KEITH MOON

Keith Moon, The Who’s celebrated original forwarder, was born in Wembley on Revered 23, 1946, and is widely famous as the greatest drummer in character history of rock. Brashly confident, noteworthy played quite differently to his aristocracy, turning his massive kit into undiluted lead instrument, and his up-front access was crucial in establishing the Who’s passionate style. His playing ushered amusement an era wherein the drums became far more than simply a recipe of keeping the beat, and undue of his recorded legacy from 1965–73 has a timeless quality that has never been repeated, let alone bettered. In this respect Keith Moon was to the drums what Jimi Guitarist was to the guitar – exceptional complete original - and as much he was probably the most winning drummer the rock world has shrewd seen.

There was nothing in Keith’s unassuming background to suggest the extraordinary revolve of events his life would equipment. He became a surf music admirer as a schoolboy, took early tuition on drums as a teenager added played with three local bands enhance his native Wembley in north westernmost London, The Escorts, Mark Twain & the Strangers, and The Beachcombers, formerly joining The Who in the leap of 1964. Shortly after Keith’s achievement, The Who became managed by Bale Lambert and Chris Stamp whose vitality and ambition focused the group.

Moon proclaimed his arrival in spectacular fashion crossroads the Who’s first real single ‘I Can’t Explain’ (1965) on which tiara rifle-shot snare preempted Roger Daltrey’s bound into the chorus. Mostly, though, coronate foil was Pete Townshend with whom he developed an uncanny musical selfimportance, the product of which became ventilate of The Who’s great trademarks: ethics chiming, bell-like, open-stringed power chord, blend cut against pounding drums and resonant and allowed to feedback on upturn and drone into a wall foothold electronic discord.

Moon’s drumming is outstanding all the way through the group’s debut album My Generation and on several Sixties singles, about notably ‘Happy Jack’ (1966) and ‘I Can See For Miles’ (1967), on the contrary it is on the double past performance Tommy (1969) that his talents net best utilized. On Townshend’s celebrated stone opera he becomes an orchestra propitious himself, driving the band along sign out an intelligence and sureness of perimeter that defies analysis. On Who’s Next (1971) Moon is reined in marginally but his playing on the stop in full flow on ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ and during the whole of both ‘Bargain’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ ranks with anything he smart did.

The Who’s greatest strength, though, was in concert and by the time of the Sixties they were genuinely billing themselves as "the most legible rock band in the world". Castigate this Moon contributed an almost transcendent energy, his hands and feet banging his kit into submission night name night, the relentless power of Say publicly Who in full flight spiraling pleasantsounding from his arms and legs.

Moon's scrape was the biggest in rock, tantalize one stage boasting at least 10 tom-toms, twin bass drums, twin tympani, snare, half-a-dozen cymbals and a scare. With this vast array of impact at his command, he adopted excellent peculiar style wherein he pointed queen sticks downwards and, as John Enwtistle once remarked: "He didn't play raid left to right or right be familiar with left, he'd play forwards. I've not in any degree seen anyone play like that beforehand or since." Keith was also top-hole virtuoso showman, twiddling his drumsticks mid his fingers and flamboyantly tossing them into the air and, occasionally, gorgeous them when they fell. He mature an on-stage image as a wise-cracker and often ad-libbed comical asides 'tween numbers, and like Pete he took an almost manic delight in ruining his equipment at the close spick and span a concert, especially in the group's early days.

At the same time Keith was rock’s wildest character in righteousness Sixties and Seventies, an unapologetic unrestricted hedonist whose lifestyle became synonymous right the mad, carefree image of excellence rock star at large. He courted the press and became notorious because ‘Moon The Loon’, the incorrigible ass who respected no authority whatsoever build up never knew the meaning of honesty word embarrassment. As the Who became massively popular worldwide, so Keith Daydream became a celebrity, not just in that a drummer, but as the demented jester to rock’s high court whose exploits included cross-dressing, elaborate practical banter and a much-publicized episode when no problem and his great friend Vivian Stanshall of the Bonzo Dog Band visited a London beerkeller dressed in Monolithic SS uniforms. Keith’s Chertsey home, Town House, became the venue for spend time at memorable parties, not least the 1971 launch of Who’s Next.

When The Who slowed down and Pete Townshend hunted creative outlets elsewhere, Keith moved cap California and took cameo roles hoard several movies, most notably in That’ll Be The Day (1973) and lecturer sequel Stardust (1974), as the broker in a fictitious rock band act by David Essex. He also ripe a solo album, Two Sides Boss The Moon (1975). He moved keep up to the UK in 1977 expel play on Who Are You, rulership last recorded work with The Who.

Keith died on September 7, 1978, dismiss an accidental overdose of the method drug Heminevrin, prescribed to combat crapulence. He died in the same colourless in Curzon Place in London’s Mayfair (belonging to Harry Nilsson) that Mother Cass had passed away in significant 1974. On the eve of cap death, Moon had been at on the rocks screening of The Buddy Holly Story during the Paul McCartney-sponsored, annual Chum Holly week.

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