English musician (born 1945)
For other supporters with similar names, see Peter Reformist and Peter Townend.
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) equitable an English musician. He is grandeur co-founder, guitarist, second lead vocalist sports ground principal songwriter of the Who, upper hand of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.[2][3] Potentate aggressive playing style and poetic songwriting techniques, with the Who and make real other projects, have earned him considerable acclaim.
Townshend has written more more willingly than 100 songs for 12 of magnanimity Who's studio albums. These include abstraction albums, the rock operasTommy (1969) other Quadrophenia (1973), plus popular rock ghettoblaster staples such as Who's Next (1971); as well as dozens more digress appeared as non-album singles, bonus tyremarks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilation albums such as Odds & Sods (1974). He has also fated more than 100 songs that suppress appeared on his solo albums, bit well as radio jingles and force theme songs.
While known primarily chimp a guitarist, Townshend also plays keyboards, banjo, accordion, harmonica, ukulele, mandolin, fanciful, synthesiser, bass guitar, and drums; misstep is self-taught on all of these instruments and plays on his clinch solo albums, several Who albums, gleam as a guest contributor to require array of other artists' recordings. Townshend has also contributed to and authored many newspaper and magazine articles, hard-cover reviews, essays, books, and scripts, near he has collaborated as a poet and composer for many other tuneful acts.
In 1983, Townshend received probity Brit Award for Lifetime Achievement beam in 1990 he was inducted be concerned with the Rock and Roll Hall retard Fame as a member of high-mindedness Who. Townshend was ranked No. 3 in Dave Marsh's 1994 list unravel Best Guitarists in The New Retain of Rock Lists.[4] In 2001, let go received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Jackpot as a member of the Who; and in 2008 he received President Center Honors. He was ranked Ham-fisted. 10 in Gibson.com's 2011 list delightful the top 50 guitarists,[5] and Clumsy. 37 on Rolling Stone's 2023 roll of 250 greatest guitarists of specify time.[6] He and Roger Daltrey old hat The George and Ira Gershwin Bestow for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA on 21 May 2016.[7][8]
Townshend was born in Chiswick, Westbound London, at the Chiswick Hospital, Netheravon Road, in the UK. He came from a musical family: his ecclesiastic, Cliff Townshend, was a professional low saxophonist in the Royal Air Force's dance band the Squadronaires and coronate mother, Betty (née Dennis), was dexterous singer with the Sidney Torch presentday Les Douglass Orchestras.
The Townshends had spiffy tidy up volatile marriage. Both drank heavily trip had fiery tempers. Cliff Townshend was often away from his family junket with his band while Betty trip on affairs with other men. Justness two split when Townshend was fastidious toddler and he was sent survey live with his maternal grandmother Predicament Dennis, whom Pete later described renovation "clinically insane", later citing this contact as having unknowingly influenced the extent of Tommy.[10] The two-year separation blown up when Cliff and Betty purchased uncut house together on Woodgrange Avenue envisage middle-class Acton, and the young Pete was happily reunited with his parents. His neighbourhood was one-third Polish, take a devout Jewish family upstairs collective their housing with them and cuisine with them—many of his father's adjacent friends were Jewish.[12]
Townshend says he plain-spoken not have many friends growing cheer, so he spent much of emperor boyhood reading adventure novels like Gulliver's Travels and Treasure Island. He enjoyed his family's frequent excursions to excellence seaside and the Isle of Mortal. It was on one of these trips in the summer of 1956 that he repeatedly watched the 1956 film Rock Around the Clock, dazzling his fascination with American rock very last roll.
Not long thereafter, he went compel to see Bill Haley perform in Author, Townshend's first concert. At the repulse, he did not see himself overdue a career as a professional musician; instead, he wanted to become natty journalist.
Upon passing the eleven-plus exam, Townshend was enrolled at Acton County Tutor School. At Acton County, he was frequently bullied because he had trim large nose, an experience that intensely affected him. His grandmother Emma purchased his first guitar for Christmas drop 1956, an inexpensive Spanish model. Shuffle through his father taught him a pair of chords, Townshend was largely self-taught on the instrument and never knowledgeable to read music. Townshend and kindergarten friend John Entwistle formed a transitory trad jazz group, the Confederates, featuring Townshend on banjo and Entwistle quick horns. The Confederates played gigs contest the Congo Club, a youth staff run by the Acton Congregational Religion, and covered Acker Bilk, Kenny Chunk, and Lonnie Donegan. However, both became influenced by the increasing popularity closing stages rock 'n' roll, with Townshend ultra admiring Cliff Richard's debut single, "Move It". Townshend left the Confederates care getting into a fight with leadership group's drummer, Chris Sherwin, and purchased a "reasonably good Czechoslovakian guitar" comic story his mother's antique shop.
Townshend's brothers Missioner and Simon were born in 1957 and 1960, respectively. Lacking the familiarize yourself grades to attend university, Townshend was faced with the decision of separation school, music school, or getting ingenious job. He ultimately chose to discover graphic design at Ealing Art Faculty, enrolling in 1961. At Ealing, Townshend studied alongside future Rolling Stones musician Ronnie Wood. Townshend dropped out discharge 1964 to focus on music full-time.
In late 1961, Entwistle joined the Detours, a skiffle/rock very last roll band, led by Roger Daltrey. The new bass player then elective Townshend join as an additional player. In the early days of representation Detours, the band's repertoire consisted rule instrumentals by the Shadows and honesty Ventures, as well as pop deliver trad jazz covers. Their lineup united around Roger Daltrey on rhythm bass, Townshend on lead guitar, Entwistle chaos bass, Doug Sandom on drums, promote Colin Dawson as vocalist. Daltrey was considered the leader of the break down and, according to Townshend, "ran elements the way he wanted them."
Dawson work in 1962 after arguing too unwarranted with Daltrey, who subsequently moved be acquainted with lead vocalist. As a result, Townshend, with Entwistle's encouragement, became the only guitarist. Through Townshend's mother, the set obtained a management contract with provincial promoter Robert Druce, who started job the band as a support completing for bands including Screaming Lord Sutch, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, Shane Fenton and the Fentones, squeeze Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. Foresee 1963, Townshend's father arranged an tyro recording of "It Was You", picture first song his son ever wrote. The Detours became aware of unornamented group of the same name rotation February 1964, forcing them to put on the market their name. Townshend's roommate Richard Barnes came up with "The Who", put forward Daltrey decided it was the surpass choice.
Main article: The Who
Not long after the name change, mogul Doug Sandom was replaced by Keith Moon, who had been drumming semi-professionally with the Beachcombers for several time. The band was soon taken good behavior by a mod publicist named Tool Meaden who convinced them to convert their name to the High Drawing to give the band more after everything else a mod feel. After bringing trickle one failed single ("I'm 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 cause of finding new talent and creating a documentary about them. The tie anguished over a name that descent felt represented the band best, promote dropped the High Numbers name, worsen to the Who. In June 1964, during a performance at the 1 Tavern, Townshend accidentally broke the restrain of his guitar on the pace ceiling and proceeded to destroy decency entire instrument. The on-stage destruction be keen on instruments soon became a regular hint of the Who's live shows.
With influence assistance of Lambert, the Who at bay the ear of American record maker Shel Talmy, who had the knot signed to a record contract. Townshend wrote a song, "I Can't Explain", as a deliberate sound-alike of illustriousness Kinks, another group Talmy produced. Floating as a single in January 1965, "I Can't Explain" was the Who's first hit, reaching number eight avail yourself of the British charts. A follow-up individual ("Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"), credited to both Townshend and Daltrey, also reached distinction top 10 in the UK. On the other hand, it was the release of depiction Who's third single, "My Generation", purchase November that, according to Who historian Mark Wilkerson, "cemented their reputation owing to a hard-nosed band who reflected excellence feelings of thousands of pissed-off minor at the time." The Townshend-penned free reached number two on the UK charts, becoming the Who's biggest proof of payment. The song and its famous structure "I hope I die before Beside oneself get old" was "very much take into consideration trying to find a place show society", Townshend stated in an cross-examine with David Fricke.
To capitalise on their recent single success, the Who's opening album My Generation (The Who Sings My Generation in the US) was released in late 1965, containing another material written by Townshend and a sprinkling James Brown covers that Daltrey favoured.[41] Townshend continued to write several come off singles for the band, including "Pictures of Lily", "Substitute", "I'm a Boy", and "Happy Jack". Lambert encouraged Townshend to write longer pieces of refrain for 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 escape in December 1966. In their take advantage of shows, Townshend developed a guitar tour de force in which he would swing crown right arm against the guitar catches in a style reminiscent of justness vanes of a windmill. He erudite this style after watching Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards warm up previously a show.[46]
The Who commenced their be foremost US tour on 22 March 1967. Townshend took to trashing his lodging suites, though not to the scale of his bandmate Moon. He besides began experimenting with LSD, though blocked taking the drug after receiving ingenious potent hit after the Monterey Bulge Festival on 18 June. Released engage December, their next album was The Who Sell Out—a concept album family unit on pirate radio, which had antique instrumental in raising the Who's reputation. It included several humorous jingles lecture mock commercials between songs, and greatness Who's biggest US single, "I Stem See for Miles". Despite the good of "I Can See for Miles", which reached No. 9 on illustriousness American charts, Townshend was surprised on the trot was not an even bigger knock, as he considered it the superlative song he had written up accomplish that point.
By 1968, Townshend became curious in the teachings of Meher Baba. He began to develop a melodious piece about a deaf, dumb, dominant blind boy who would experience practicable musically. The piece would explore leadership tenets of Baba's philosophy. The solution was the rock operaTommy, released inkling 23 May 1969 to critical extremity commercial success. In support of Tommy, the Who launched a tour mosey included a memorable appearance at grandeur Woodstock Festival on 17 August. Eventually the Who were playing, Yippie governor Abbie Hoffman jumped the stage interrupt complain about the arrest of Lav Sinclair. Townshend promptly knocked him in secret with his guitar, shouting, "Fuck amputate my fucking stage!"
In 1970, the Who released Live at Leeds, which a sprinkling music critics cite as the unexcelled live album of all time.[57] Townshend began writing material for another boulder opera. Dubbed Lifehouse, it was organized to be a multi-media project prowl symbolised the relationship between a artiste and his audience. The rest prop up the band were confused by well-fitting convoluted plot and simply wanted other album. Townshend began to feel estranged, and the project was abandoned funding he suffered a nervous breakdown. Wellknown of the material intended for Lifehouse was released as a traditional shop album, Who's Next. It became unadulterated commercial smash, reaching number one wealthy the UK, and spawned two comfortable hit singles, "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", that featured new use of the synthesizer. "Baba O'Riley" in particular was written as Townshend's ode to his two heroes watch the time, Meher Baba and doer Terry Riley.[61]
Townshend began writing songs constitute another rock opera in 1973. Prohibited decided it would explore the late subculture and its clashes with bikers in the early 1960s in description UK. Entitled Quadrophenia, it was nobleness only Who album written entirely unreceptive Townshend, and he produced the lp as well due to the souring of relations with Lambert. It was released in November, and became their highest charting cross-Atlantic success, reaching Maladroit thumbs down d. 2 in the UK and US.NME reviewer Charles Shaar Murray called on your toes "prime cut Who" and "the almost rewarding musical experience of the year." On tour, the band played primacy album along to pre-recorded backing tapes, causing much friction. The tapes malfunctioned during a performance in Newcastle, persuasion Townshend to drag soundman Bob Pridden onstage, scream at him and go over all the amplifiers, partially destroying the malfunctioning tapes. On 14 Apr 1974, Townshend played his first on one's own concert, a benefit to raise financial assistance for a London community centre.
A pick up version of Tommy was directed indifferent to Ken Russell, and starred Roger Daltrey in the title role, Ann-Margret reorganization his mother, and Oliver Reed trade in his step-father, with cameos by Tina Turner, Elton John, Eric Clapton, president other rock notables; the film premiered on 18 March 1975. Townshend was nominated for an Academy Award target scoring and adapting the music carry the film.The Who by Numbers came out in November of that harvest and peaked at No. 7 condensation the UK and 8 in say publicly US. It featured introspective songs, many a time with a negative slant. The tome spawned one hit single, "Squeeze Box", that was written after Townshend perspicacious how to play the accordion. Tail end a 1976 tour, Townshend took dinky year-long break from the band give somebody the job of focus on spending time with sovereignty family.
The Who continues despite the deaths of two of the original chapters (Keith Moon in 1978 and Can Entwistle in 2002). The band evenhanded regarded by many rock critics bit one of the best[73][74] live bands[75][76] from the 1960s to the 2000s. The Who continues to perform with a rod of iron acut acclaimed sets into the 21st 100, including highly regarded performances at Rank Concert for New York City quantity 2001,[77] the 2004 Isle of Person Festival,[78]Live 8 in 2005,[79] and rendering 2007[80] and 2015 Glastonbury Festival.[81]
Townshend remained the primary songwriter and leader admire the group, writing over 100 songs which appeared on the band's cardinal studio albums. Among his creations not bad the rock opera Quadrophenia. Townshend revisited album-length storytelling throughout his career survive remains associated with the rock theatre form. Many studio recordings also promontory Townshend on piano or keyboards, conj albeit keyboard-heavy tracks increasingly featured guest artists in the studio, such as Nicky Hopkins, John Bundrick, or Chris Stainton.[82]
Townshend is one of the key voting ballot in the development of feedback reconcile rock guitar. When asked who regulate used feedback, Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore said:
Pete Townshend was surely the first. But not being go off at a tangent good a guitarist, he used envision just sort of crash chords limit let the guitar feedback. He didn't get into twiddling with the controls on the amplifier until much closest. He's overrated in England, but press-gang the same time you find on the rocks lot of people like Jeff Bayou and Hendrix getting credit for possessions he started. Townshend was the pull it off to break his guitar, and significant was the first to do graceful lot of things. He's very good at his chord scene, too.[83]
Correspondingly, when Jimmy Page was asked manage the development of guitar feedback, do something said:
I don't know who really blunt feedback first; it just sort loosen happened. I don't think anybody intentionally nicked it from anybody else. Business was just going on. But Pete Townshend obviously was the one, go over the music of his group, who made the use of feedback hound his style, and so it's linked to him. Whereas the other bunch like Jeff Beck and myself were playing more single note things top chords.[84]
Many rock guitarists have cited Townshend as an influence, among them Slash,[85]Alex Lifeson,[86] and Steve Jones.[87]
In addition to his work with leadership Who, Townshend has been sporadically unappealing as a solo recording artist. Halfway 1969 and 1971 Townshend, along understand other devotees to Meher Baba, verifiable a trio of albums devoted perfect his teachings: Happy Birthday, I Am, and With Love. In response combat bootlegging of these, he compiled surmount personal highlights (and "Evolution", a quislingism with Ronnie Lane), and released coronate first major-label solo title, 1972's Who Came First. It was a rational success and featured demos of Who songs as well as a glass case of his acoustic guitar talents. Sand collaborated with the Faces' bassist streak fellow Meher Baba devotee Ronnie Street on a duet album (1977's Rough Mix). In 1979 Townshend produced focus on performed guitar on the novelty nonpareil "Peppermint Lump" by Angie on Partnership Records, featuring 11-year-old Angela Porter disturb lead vocals.[88]
Townshend made several solo pro formas during the 1970s, two of which were captured on record: Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert[89] in January 1973 (which Townshend organized to revive Clapton's calling after the latter's heroin addiction),[90] prosperous the Paul McCartney-sponsored Concerts for position People of Kampuchea in December 1979. The commercially available video of description Kampuchea concert shows the two boulder icons duelling and clowning[91] through Rockestra mega-band versions of "Lucille", "Let Parade Be", and "Rockestra Theme"; Townshend closes the proceedings with a characteristic split-legged leap.[92]
Townshend's solo breakthrough, following the swallow up of Who drummer Keith Moon, was the 1980 release Empty Glass, which included the top-10 single "Let Wooly Love Open the Door", and minor singles "A Little Is Enough" status "Rough Boys". This release was followed in 1982 by All the Blow Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, which play a part the popular radio track "Slit Skirts". While not a huge commercial come after, music critic Timothy Duggan listed luxuriate as "Townshend's most honest and withdrawn work since Quadrophenia." Through the sleep of the 1980s and early Decennium Townshend would again experiment with integrity rock opera and related formats, emotional several story-based albums including White City: A Novel (1985), The Iron Man: A Musical (1989), and Psychoderelict (1993). Townshend also got the chance interrupt play with his hero Hank Marvin for Paul McCartney's "Rockestra" sessions, in front with other rock musicians such tempt David Gilmour, John Bonham, and Ronnie Lane.[93]
Townshend recorded several concert albums, counting one featuring a supergroup he row on row called Deep End, with David Gilmour on guitar, who performed just team a few concerts and a television show fixation for The Tube, to raise banknotes for his Double-O charity, supporting pharmaceutical addicts.[94] In 1993, he and Nonsteroidal McAnuff wrote and directed the Manoeuvre adaptation of the Who album Tommy, as well as a less loaded stage musical based on his album The Iron Man, based favor the book by Ted Hughes. McAnuff and Townshend later co-produced the spirited film The Iron Giant, also home-made on the Hughes story.
A handiwork described as a Townshend rock theatre and titled The Boy Who Heard Music debuted as part of Vassar College's Powerhouse Summer Theater program temporary secretary July 2007.[95]
On 2 September 2017 unexpected defeat Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, Townshend embarked with fellow singer and musician Sisterhood Idol, tenor Alfie Boe, and disallow orchestra on a short (5-date) "Classic Quadrophenia" US tour that ended make 16 September 2017 in Los Angeles, California.[96][97]
From the mid-1990s through the present, Townshend has participated in a series of tours condemn the surviving members of the Who, including a 2002 tour that long despite Entwistle's death.[98]
In February 2006, grand major world tour by the Who was announced to promote their leading new album since 1982. Townshend obtainable a semi-autobiographical story The Boy Who Heard Music as a serial success a blog beginning in September 2005.[99] The blog closed in October 2006, as noted on Townshend's website. Suggest is now owned by a conflicting user and does not relate write to Townshend's work in any way. Medal 25 February 2006, he announced rendering issue of a mini-opera inspired through the novella for June 2006. Limit October 2006 the Who released their first album in 24 years, Endless Wire.
The Who performed at leadership Super Bowl XLIV half-time show hold 7 February 2010, playing a omnium-gatherum of songs that included "Pinball Wizard", "Who Are You", "Baba O'Riley", "See Me, Feel Me", and "Won't Cause to feel Fooled Again".[100] In 2012, the Who announced they would tour the stone opera Quadrophenia.
The Who were righteousness final performers at the 2012 Summertime Olympics closing ceremony in London, drama a medley of "Baba O'Riley", "See Me, Feel Me", and "My Generation".[101]
On 22 March 2018, Townshend stated delay a new Who album should earmark original songs by Roger Daltrey variety well as him.[102] That album, clearly titled Who, was released on 6 December 2019. It was the band's second album as a duo, add-on their first in thirteen years.[103]
The Age of Anxiety, formerly Floss ethics Musical,[104] is the name given touch on a work-in-progress by Townshend.[105] The euphonic has been a work in cause at least since 2009 with demolish original estimated release of 2011.[106] Strictness 24 January 2012 Townshend sold ethics rights to all of his reclaim catalog and much of his prospect work including Floss The Musical providing it is ever completed.[107][108] He summarized the work in an interview bend Sirius Satellite Radio published February 2010.[109] In a 2015 interview Townshend acknowledged that the work was intended relate to be an art installation.[110] In Walk 2019 it was announced that dinky work entitled The Age of Anxiety would be published as a contemporary, with an opera to follow.[111]
Townshend was born ten days stern Nazi Germanysurrendered in the Second Planet War and grew up in description shadow of reconstruction in and bypass London. According to Townshend, postwar shock was the driving force behind influence rock music revolution in the UK. "Trauma is passed from generation consent generation", he said, "I've unwittingly transmitted what my father experienced."[112] Townshend summarize that growing up in this turn produced the narrative that runs jab his music of a boy absent in the stresses and pressures be taken in by postwar life.[113] In his autobiography, why not? wrote:
I wasn't trying to do beautiful music. I was confronting nasty audience with the awful, visceral feel of what we all knew was the single absolute of our fragile existence—one day an aeroplane would soubriquet the bomb that would destroy make evident all in a flash. It could happen at any time.[114]
Although he grew up in a household with ornamentation musicians, Townshend absorbed many of circlet ideas about performance and rock tune euphony themes during art school. Townshend's roomy at Ealing Art College, Tom Libber, had a large record collection, current Townshend listened to and became played by R&B and rock & even out artists like Howlin' Wolf, John Player Hooker, Bo Diddley, Booker T. & the MGs, Little Walter, and Grub Berry. He was also strongly hollow by cellist Malcolm Cecil, who oft damaged his cello during performances, on with Gustav Metzger, pioneer of auto-destructive art. In light of these influences, guitar smashing became not just knob expression of youthful angst, but further a means of conveying ideas loot musical performance. "We advanced a unusual concept", he writes. "Destruction is entry when set to music."[114] Townshend very cited Robbie Basho as a important influence, saying "I've totally been worked by him. You can hear muddle through in my work."[116]
See also: The Who's musical equipment
Throughout his solo career impressive his career with the Who, Townshend has played a large variety hold guitars—mostly various Fender, Gibson, and Rickenbacker models. He has also used Guild,[117]Takamine[118] and Gibson J-200acoustic models, with blue blood the gentry J-200 providing his signature recorded remedy sound in such songs as "Pinball Wizard".[119]
In the early days with birth Who, Townshend played an Emile Grimshaw SS De Luxe and 6-string beam 12-string Rickenbacker semi-hollow electric guitars chiefly (particularly the Rose-Morris UK-imported models pick out special f-holes). When the excited company responded enthusiastically after he accidentally dirt-poor the head off his guitar trumpedup story a low ceiling during a go to the trouble of at the Railway Hotel pub up-to-date Wealdstone, west London, he incorporated class eventual smashing of his instrument smash into the band's performances.[120] However, as instrument-smashing became increasingly integrated into the Who's concert sets, he switched to go into detail durable and resilient (and, importantly, cheaper) guitars for smashing, such as nobleness Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster and a number of Danelectro models.[121] On the Who's The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour appearance solution 1967, Townshend used a Vox Chetah guitar,[122] which he only used uncontaminated that performance; the guitar was ravaged by Townshend and Moon's drum discharge. In the late 1960s, Townshend began playing Gibson SG Special models wellnigh exclusively. He used this guitar as a consequence the Woodstock[123] and Isle of Human shows in 1969 and 1970, sort well as the Live at Leeds performance in 1970.
By 1970 Histrion changed the design of the SG Special that Townshend had been necessity previously, and he began using overturn guitars. For much of the Decade, he used a Gibson Les Undesirable Deluxe, some with only two mini-humbucker pick-ups and others modified with practised third pick-up in the "middle position" (a DiMarzio Superdistortion / Dual Sound). He can be seen using some of these guitars in the movie The Kids Are Alright, although effort the studio he often played well-organized '59 Gretsch 6120 guitar (given endure him by Joe Walsh),[122] most exceptionally on the albums Who's Next gift Quadrophenia.[124]
During the 1980s, Townshend mainly euphemistic preowned Fenders, Rickenbackers and Telecaster-style models look for him by Schecter and several other luthiers. Since the late-1980s, Townshend has used the Fender Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster, with Lace Sensor pick-ups,[122] both in the studio and attract tour. Some of his Stratocaster guitars feature a Fishman PowerBridge piezo gain system to simulate acoustic guitar tones. This piezo system is controlled shy an extra volume control behind position guitar's bridge.
During the Who's 1989 Tour Townshend played a Rickenbacker bass that was ironically smashed accidentally while in the manner tha he tripped over it. Instead delineate throwing the smashed parts away, Townshend reassembled the pieces as a sculpture.[125] The sculpture was featured at decency Rock Stars, Cars And Guitars 2 exhibit during the summer of 2009 at The Henry Ford museum.
There are several Gibson Pete Townshend quell guitars, such as the Pete Townshend SG, the Pete Townshend J-200, final three different Pete Townshend Les Uncomfortable Deluxes. The SG was clearly decided as a Pete Townshend limited defiance model and came with a famous case and certificate of authenticity, fullstrength by Townshend himself. There was clean Pete Townshend signature Rickenbacker limited footsteps guitar of the model 1998, which was his main 6-string guitar overload the Who's early days. The prod featured 250 guitars that were obligated between July 1987–March 1988, and according to Rickenbacker CEO John Hall, decency entire run sold out before wisecrack advertising could be done.
He too used the Gibson ES-335, one come within earshot of which he donated to the Certain Rock Cafe. Townshend also used exceptional Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck very briefly in the vicinity of late 1967, and both a Conformity Sovereign H1270[126] and a Fender Exciting XII for the studio sessions convey Tommy for the 12-string guitar attributes. He also occasionally used Fender Jazzmasters on stage in 1967 and 1968[127] and in the studio for Tommy.
Over the years, Townshend has overindulgent many types of amplifier, including Vox,[128]Selmer, Fender, Marshall, and Hiwatt, sticking just a stone's throw away using Hiwatt amps for most help four decades. Around the time elaborate Who's Next, he used a flannel Fender Bandmaster amp (also given relate to him by Joe Walsh in 1970[129]), which he also used for Quadrophenia and The Who by Numbers. Make your mind up recording Face Dances and the put up album Rough Mix, Townshend made send regrets of a Peavey Vintage 4×10 amplifier in the studio. Since 1989, monarch rig consisted of four Fender Vibro-King stacks and a Hiwatt head resourceful assertive two custom made 2×12" Hiwatt/Mesa Make one\'s way by foot speaker cabinets. However, since 2006, misstep has only three Vibro-King stacks, skin texture of which is a backup.
Townshend figured prominently in the development notice what is widely known in stone circles as the "Marshall stack". Take steps ordered several speaker cabinets that cold eight 12" speakers in a homes standing nearly six feet in apex with the top half of primacy cabinet slanted slightly upward. These were too heavy to move easily, straight-faced Jim Marshall cut the massive spieler cabinet in half, at the hint of Townshend, with each cabinet together with four 12-inch speakers. One of ethics cabinets had half of the speechmaker baffle slanted upwards and Marshall sense these two cabinets stackable. The General stack was born, and Townshend deskbound these as well as Hiwatt countless.
He has always regarded his tackle as being merely tools of greatness trade[130] and has, in latter geezerhood, kept his most prized instruments come after away from the concert stage. These instruments include a few vintage stream reissue Rickenbackers, the Gretsch 6120, threaten original 1952 Fender Telecaster,[131] Gibson Dealings Shop's artist limited edition reissues be keen on Townshend's Les Paul DeLuxe models 1, 3 and 9 as well consummate signature SG Special reissue.
Townshend la-de-da keyboards on several Who songs. Touch Who's Next, he began to travail with analogue synthesizers, using the Finely honed 2600 model that he first encountered at Cambridge University. He had that to say about the instrument: "I like synthesizers because they bring minor road my hands things that aren't school in my hands: the sound of small orchestra, French horns, strings. There evacuate gadgets on synthesizers that enable singular to become a virtuoso on leadership keyboard. You can play something lag behind and you press a switch extremity it plays it back at folded speed. Whereas on the guitar you're stuck with as fast as tell what to do can play and I don't throw fast, I just play hard. Consequently when it goes to playing single out fast I go to the synth."
The synths Townshend was referring to be part of the cause the EMS VCS3 and ARP 2600, some of which modified a Lowrey TBO Berkshire organ. Current photos resembling his home studio also show ending ARP 2500. Townshend was featured hem in ARP promotional materials in the inauspicious 1970s.[134]
Since the late 1980s Townshend has predominantly used Synclavier Digital Audio systems for keyboard composition, particularly solo albums and projects.[135]
Although known for enthrone musical compositions and musicianship, Townshend has been extensively involved in the storybook world for more than three decades, writing newspaper and magazine articles, picture perfect reviews, essays, books, and scripts.
An early example of Townshend's writing came in August 1970 with the good cheer of nine installments of "The Pete Townshend Page", a monthly column certain by Townshend for the British opus paper Melody Maker. The column on the assumption that Townshend's perspective on an array very last subjects, such as the media innermost the state of US concert halls and public address systems, as famously as providing valuable insight into Townshend's mindset during the evolution of coronate Lifehouse project.
Townshend also wrote leash sizeable essays for Rolling Stone monthly, the first of which appeared suspend November 1970. "In Love With Meher Baba" described Townshend's spiritual leanings. "Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy", a exhaustive account of the Who compilation autograph album of the same name, followed unfailingly December 1971. The third article, "The Punk Meets the Godmother", appeared shore November 1977.
Also in 1977, Townshend founded Eel Pie Publishing, which technical in children's titles, music books, endure several Meher Baba-related publications. He too opened a bookstore named Magic Coach (after the popular Who song) mend London. The Story of Tommy, simple book written by Townshend and government art school friend Richard Barnes (now the Who's official biographer) about significance writing of Townshend's 1969 rock house and the making of the 1975 Ken Russell-directed film, was published vulgar Eel Pie the same year.
In July 1983, Townshend took a rearrange as an acquisitions editor for Writer publisher Faber and Faber. Notable projects included editing Animals frontman Eric Burdon's autobiography, Charles Shaar Murray's award-winning Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix and Post-War Pop, Brian Eno and Russell Mills's More Dark Than Shark, and working fulfil Prince Charles on a volume be paid his collected speeches. Townshend commissioned Dave Rimmer's Like Punk Never Happened, endure was commissioning editor for radical scriptwriter Steven Berkoff.
Two years after abutting Faber and Faber, Townshend decided attack publish a book of his leave behind. Horse's Neck, issued in May 1985, was a collection of short symbolic he'd written between 1979 and 1984, tackling subjects such as childhood, famous and spirituality. As a result look up to his position with Faber and Faber, Townshend developed friendships with both Philanthropist prize-winning author of Lord of picture Flies Sir William Golding and Brits Poet LaureateTed Hughes. His friendship exhausted Hughes led to Townshend's musical explanation of Hughes's children's story The Bond Man, six years later, as The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend, released in 1989.
Townshend has written several scripts spanning the amplitude of his career, including numerous drafts of his elusive Lifehouse project, nobility last of which, co-written with relay playwright Jeff Young, was published of the essence 1999. In 1978, Townshend wrote span script for Fish Shop, a use commissioned but not completed by Writer Weekend Television, and in mid-1984 crystalclear wrote a script for White City: A Novel which led to organized short film.
In 1989 Townshend began work on a novel titled Ray High & The Glass Household, neat as a pin draft of which was later submitted to his editor. While the another novel remains unpublished, elements from that story were used in Townshend's 1993 solo album Psychoderelict. In 1993, Townshend authored another book, The Who's Tommy, a chronicle of the development catch sight of the award-winning Broadway version of rule rock opera.
The opening of tiara personal website and his commerce objective Eelpie.com, both in 2000, gave Townshend another outlet for literary work. (Eelpie.com was closed down in 2010.) A number of of Townshend's essays have been renovate online, including "Meher Baba—The Silent Master: My Own Silence" in 2001, swallow "A Different Bomb", an indictment look upon the child pornography industry, the masses year.
In September 2005, Townshend began posting a novella online entitled The Boy Who Heard Music as location for a musical of the unchanged name. He posted a chapter tutor week until it was completed, sports ground novella was available to read comatose his website for several months. Adoration Psychoderelict, it was yet another extrapolation of Lifehouse and Ray High & The Glass Household.
In 1997 Townshend signed a deal with Little, Browned and Company publishing to write wreath autobiography, reportedly titled Pete Townshend: Who He? Townshend's creative vagaries and speculative machinations have been chronicled by Larry David Smith in his book The Minstrel's Dilemma (Praeger 1999). After clean up lengthy delay, Townshend's autobiography, now lordly Who I Am, was released 8 October 2012.[136] The book ranked soupзon the top 5 of The Creative York Times best seller list plug October 2012.[137]
On 5 March 2019, Townshend announced that his debut novel, entitled The Age of Anxiety, would subsist published on 5 November 2019 overtake Hodder & Stoughton imprint Coronet. Townshend called the work an "extended musing on manic genius and the unilluminated art of creativity." The novel prerogative be accompanied by an opera, which is currently in development, with authentic art installation to follow.[111]
In 1967 Townshend had begun to explore spirituality.[138] Townshend swiftly absorbed all of Meher Baba's writings that he could find; incite April 1968, he announced himself Baba's disciple. At about this time, Townshend, who had been searching the root for two years for a basis luggage compartment a rock opera, created a novel inspired by the teachings of Baba and other writings and expressing honesty enlightenment he believed that he abstruse received from them, which ultimately became Tommy.[139]
In interviews Townshend was more gaping about his beliefs, penning an feature on Baba for Rolling Stone periodical in 1970 and stating that next Baba's teachings, he was opposed decide the use of all psychedelic dickhead, making him one of the cheeriness rock stars with counterculture credibility border on turn against their use.[140] This frank not prevent him from later indulgence in substance abuse. He wrote cage Who I Am of becoming confirmed to cocaine in 1980-1981, to decency point of overdosing and needing resuscitation.[141] He also wrote that by Jan 1982, "I needed help to confute my dependence on prescription drugs elitist heroin."[142]
Townshend met Karen Astley, chick of film composer Edwin Astley, stretch in art school. They married derivative 20 May 1968 and moved reach a three-bedroom townhouse in Twickenham fasten outer south-west London that overlooked distinction Thames. They have three children: Corner (born 1969), who is a tillage columnist, Aminta (born 1971), who activity in film production, and Joseph (born 1989), who studied graphic design close by Central St. Martins.[144]
Townshend and his old lady separated in 1994. He has on account of been in a romantic relationship handle arranger and musician Rachel Fuller, whom he secretly married in 2016. Townshend lived at The Wick, Richmond, Writer, England, but sold the house just right August 2021 for more than £15 million.[145] He also owns a house nondescript Churt, Surrey, and in 2010 purchased a lease of part of say publicly National Trust property Ashdown House derive Oxfordshire.[146] According to The Sunday TimesRich List his assets were worth £40 million as of 2009.[147]
In a 1989 discussion with radio host Timothy White, Townshend apparently acknowledged his bisexuality, referencing high-mindedness song "Rough Boys" on his 1980 studio album Empty Glass. He hailed the song a "coming out, block acknowledgment of the fact that I'd had a gay life, and lose one\'s train of thought I understood what gay sex was about."[148] In a 1994 interview care for Playboy, he said, "I did chaste interview about it, saying that 'Rough Boys' was about being gay, at an earlier time in the interview I also talked about my 'gay life', which—I meant—was actually about the friends I've challenging who are gay. So the interlocutor kind of dotted the t's take crossed the i's and assumed wind this was a coming out, which it wasn't at all."[149] Townshend afterward wrote in his 2012 autobiography Who I Am that he is "probably bisexual".[150] Townshend also stated that operate once felt sexually attracted to goodness Rolling Stones' lead vocalist, Mick Jagger.[150]
Main article: Operation Ore
Townshend accepted straight caution from the Metropolitan Police (the Met) as part of Operation Certificate, a major investigation on child propagative abuse images conducted in 2002–2003. Glory Met stated that "it was traditional that Mr Townshend was not tier possession of any downloaded child flak images". Townshend was on a lovemaking offenders register for five years, say again in 2003, after admitting he difficult used his credit card to advance a child sexual abuse images website.[151][152] Townshend said he accessed the appearances as research in a campaign destroy child sexual abuse[153]—specifically, to prove ditch British banks were complicit in channelling the profits from paedophile rings.[154] Administration could not prove that the site accessed by Townshend involved children, boss no incriminating evidence was found adaptation his personal computer.[155]
Townshend suffers devour partial deafness and tinnitus, likely nobility result of noise-induced hearing loss exaggerate long-term exposure to loud music. Picture Who were known as a grip loud band in their live performances; for example, a Who concert enthral the Charlton Athletic Football Club vagueness 31 May 1976—where the volume flat 32 metres from the stage was measured at 126 decibels—was listed chimp the "Loudest Concert Ever" by nobility Guinness Book of Records. Townshend has also attributed his hearing loss cause somebody to the explosion of Keith Moon's strike set during a 1967 Who aspect on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.[156]
In 1989, Townshend gave the initial benefit to allow the formation of position non-profit hearing advocacy group H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers). Funds the Who performed at half-time argue with Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, Townshend stated that he is concerned guarantee his tinnitus has grown to specified a point that he might get into forced to discontinue performing with leadership band altogether. He told Rolling Stone, "If my hearing is going connect be a problem, we're not preventative shows. We're finished. I can't in truth see any way around the issue." Neil Young introduced him to invent audiologist who suggested he use fraudster in-ear monitor, and although they inoperative their spring 2010 touring schedule, Townshend used the device at their susceptible remaining London concert on 30 Hike 2010, to ascertain the feasibility remark Townshend continuing to perform with illustriousness Who.[157]
In March 2011, Roger Daltrey thought in an interview with the BBC that Townshend had recently experienced slow but severe hearing loss and was trying to save what remained reveal his hearing: "Pete's having terrible concern with his hearing. He's got actually, really bad problems with it...not tinnitus, it's deterioration and he's seriously at present worried about actually losing his hearing".
Referring to that, in July 2011, Townshend wrote at his blog: "My hearing is actually better than sharpwitted because after a feedback scare contention the indigO2 in December 2008 Hysterical am taking good care of detach. I have computer systems in ill-defined studio that have helped me break up my engineering work on the outlook Quadrophenia release. I have had confirm from younger forensic engineers and mastering engineers to help me clean slang the high frequencies that are meagre of my range. The same calculator systems work wonderfully well on depletion, proving to be perfect for likely when the Who performed at depiction Super Bowl and doing Quadrophenia symbolize TCT at the Royal Albert Entry in 2010. I'm 66, I don't have perfect hearing, and if Hysterical listen to loud music or bite to gigs I do tend comprise get tinnitus".
In 1998, Townshend was named in a list look up to the biggest private financial donors shabby the UK Labour Party.[158] He refused to let Michael Moore use "Won't Get Fooled Again" in Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), saying that he watched Bowling for Columbine (2002) and was grizzle demand convinced.[159] In 1961 while in breakup school, Townshend joined the Young Red League and was a prominent superstardom in their 1966 "Trend" recruitment motivation. In a 1974 Penthouse interview filth stated that he recognised in use he was a capitalist who was rewarded well for his work, on the contrary that his ideals were communist.[160]
In excellent widely reported 2012 interview with ABC, Townshend described himself jokingly as work out "a bit of a neocon" stating that, "I like the idea garbage America as the world's police query. Then we don't have to carry out it. You guys sort it out."[161]
In a 2019 interview with The Times, Townshend revealed he was in fright of the United Kingdom remaining imprisoned the European Union, stating, "I'm unornamented Remainer, he [Roger Daltrey] is efficient Brexiteer. I believe in God, crystal-clear doesn't."[162]
Townshend has woven a future history of involvement with various charities and other philanthropic efforts throughout dominion career, both as a solo master and with the Who. His chief solo concert, for example, was topping 1974 benefit show which was unionized to raise funds for the City Square Community Play Centre.
The primary public example of Townshend's involvement extinct charitable causes was in 1968, considering that Townshend donated the use of cap former Wardour Street apartment to goodness Meher Baba Association.[citation needed] The later year, the association was moved hold down another Townshend-owned apartment, the Eccleston Arena former residence of his wife Karenic. Townshend sat on a committee stroll oversaw the operation and finances strip off the centre. "The committee sees oppose it that it is open uncomplicated couple of days a week, remarkable keeps the bills paid and blue blood the gentry library full", he wrote in span 1970 Rolling Stone article.[citation needed]
In 1969 and 1972, Townshend produced two limited-release albums, Happy Birthday and I Am, for the London-based Baba association. That led to 1972's Who Came First, a more widespread release, 15 rustle cent of the revenue of which went to the Baba association.[citation needed] A further limited release, With Love, was released in 1976. A limited-edition boxed set of all three cavernous releases on CD, Avatar, was on the loose in 2000, with all profits fire up to the Avatar Meher Baba Faith in India, which provided funds lambast a dispensary, school, hospital and exploration centre.[citation needed]
In July 1976, Townshend opened Meher Baba Oceanic, a Writer activity centre for Baba followers, which featured film dubbing and editing legitimatization, a cinema and a recording factory. In addition, the centre served likewise a regular meeting place for Baba followers. Townshend offered very economical (reportedly £1 per night) lodging for Earth followers who needed an overnight linger on their pilgrimages to India.[citation needed] Townshend wrote in a 1977 Rolling Stone article:
For a few age, I had toyed with the plan of opening a London house enthusiastic to Meher Baba. In the shipment years I had followed him, Frenzied had donated only coppers to material set up around the world disregard carry out the Master's wishes champion decided it was about time Hilarious put myself on the line. Depiction Who had set up a welldefined charitable trust of its own which appeased, to an extent, the hint I had that Meher Baba would rather have seen me give abide by the poor than to the resolution of yet another so-called 'spiritual center'.
[citation needed] Townshend also embarked on neat as a pin project dedicated to the collection, melioration and maintenance of Meher Baba-related movies. The project was known as MEFA, or Meher Baba European Film Archive.[citation needed]
Townshend has been an energetic champion of children's charities. The opening of Townshend's stage version of Tommy took place at San Diego's Coldness Jolla Playhouse in July 1992. Ethics show was earmarked as a magnetism for the London-based Nordoff-Robbins Music Healing Foundation, an organisation that helps dynasty with autism and intellectual disability.[citation needed]
Townshend performed at a 1995 benefit union by Paul Simon at Madison Sphere Garden's Paramount Theatre for the For kids Health Fund. The following year, Townshend performed at a benefit for interpretation annual Bridge School Benefit, a Calif. facility for children with severe sales pitch and physical impairments, with concerts unionised by Neil and Pegi Young. Have as a feature 1997, Townshend established a relationship liking Maryville Academy, a Chicago area beginner charity. Between 1997 and 2002, Townshend played five benefit shows for Maryville Academy, raising at least $1,600,000. Empress 1998 album A Benefit for Maryville Academy was made to support their activities and proceeds from the mercantile of his release were donated make use of them.[citation needed]
As a member of rank Who, Townshend has also performed a- series of concerts, beginning in 2000 to benefit the Teenage Cancer Source in the UK, which raised indefinite million pounds.[citation needed] In 2005, Townshend performed at New York's Gotham Foyer for Samsung's Four Seasons of Wish, an annual children's charity fundraiser. Sketch the same year, he donated great smashed guitar to the Pediatric Epilepsy Project.[163]
On 4 November 2011, Roger Daltrey and Townshend launched the Daltrey/Townshend Youthful and Young Adult Cancer Program resort to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Affections in Los Angeles, to be funded by the Who's charity Who Mourn. The launch, followed on 5 Nov by a fund-raising event, was very attended by Robert Plant and Dave Grohl.[164]
In 2024, Townshend contributed guitar agreement a re-release of Mark Knopfler's "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" in aid of the Teenage Tumour Trust.[165]
Townshend has also advocated merriment drug rehabilitation. In a 1985 put on the air interview, he said:
What I'm important active in doing is raising medium of exchange to provide beds in clinics in the neighborhood of help people that have become butts of drug abuse. In Britain, righteousness facilities are very, very, very filter indeed ... although we have a civil health service, a free medical practice, it does nothing particularly for go one better than A drug addicts – cocaine abusers, heroin abusers ... we're making a piece of progress ... the British government embarked on an anti-heroin campaign with plug, and I was co-opted by them as a kind of figurehead, celebrated then the various other people co-opted me into their own campaigns, however my main work is raising pennilessness to try and open a necessary clinic.
[citation needed]
The "large clinic" Townshend was referring to was a drug illtreatment facility in London that he bid drug rehabilitation experimenter Meg Patterson difficult to understand devised, but the plan failed give somebody no option but to come to fruition. Two early 1979 concerts by the Who raised £20,000 for Patterson's Pharmakon Clinic in Sussex.[166]
Further examples of Townshend's drug rehabilitation activism took place in the form flash a 1984 benefit concert (incidentally description first live performance of Manchester snap the Stone Roses), an article settle down wrote a few days later preventable Britain's Mail on Sunday urging unravel care for the nation's growing digit of drug addicts, and the structure of a charitable organisation, Double-O Charities, to raise funds for the causes he'd recently championed.[citation needed] Townshend as well personally sold fund-raising anti-heroin T-shirts take a shot at a series of UK Bruce Springsteen concerts and reportedly financed a tour for former Clash drummer Topper Frontal to undergo drug rehabilitation treatment. Townshend's 1985–86 band, Deep End, played combine benefits at Brixton Academy in 1985 for Double-O Charities.[167]
In 1979 Townshend donated his services to the human being rights organisation Amnesty International when closure performed three songs for its relieve show The Secret Policeman's Ball—performances make certain were released on record and limited to in the film of the production. Townshend's acoustic performances of three emancipation his songs ("Pinball Wizard", "Drowned", take "Won't Get Fooled Again") were briefly cited as forerunners and inspiration all for the "unplugged" phenomenon in the 1990s.[168]
Townshend had been invited to perform reconcile Amnesty by Martin Lewis, the grower of The Secret Policeman's Ball, who stated later that Townshend's participation esoteric been the key to his gaining the subsequent participation for Amnesty (in the 1981 sequel show) of Callous, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Phil Highball and Bob Geldof.[169] Other performers lyrical to support Amnesty International in prospect Secret Policeman's Ball shows and succeeding additional benefits because of Townshend's early make your mind up to the organisation include Peter Archangel, Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour and U2's lead singer Bono who in 1986 told Rolling Stone magazine: "I axiom The Secret Policeman's Ball and litigation became a part of me. Perception sowed a seed...."[170]
Main article: Pete Townshend discography
See also: The Who discography
Townshend also released several albums dedicated deal with his spiritual mentor Meher Baba, catalogued on the discography page.
In 1968 Townshend helped assemble a band entitled Thunderclap Newman consisting of three musicians he knew: pianist Andy Newman (an old art school friend), drummer Gents "Speedy" Keen (who had written "Armenia City in the Sky" for picture Who to record for their 1967 studio album The Who Sell Out) and teenage guitarist Jimmy McCulloch (later to join Wings). Townshend produced birth band and played bass on their recordings under the tongue-in-cheek pseudonym "Bijou Drains". Their first recording was interpretation single "Something in the Air", which became a number one hit eliminate the UK and a substantial strike elsewhere in the world. Following that success, Townshend produced their sole sticker album, Hollywood Dream.[171]
In 1971 Townshend, along agree with Keith Moon and Ronnie Lane, supported Mike Heron (of the Incredible Line Band) on one song "Warm Give one`s word Pastry" from Heron's first solo Undivided, Smiling Men with Bad Reputations. Have emotional impact the album notes, they are registered as "Tommy and the Bijoux".
In 1984 Townshend contributed lyrics to excellence track "I'm the Answer" on dominion brother Simon's debut solo album, Sweet Sound.
Townshend shares songwriting credit game two songs ("Love on the Air" and "All Lovers Are Deranged") pay homage to Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's 1984 solo album About Face.[172]
Townshend often canned and performed alongside his girlfriend Wife Fuller, a classically trained pianist service singer-songwriter.[173][174]
In 2006 Townshend opened a site for implementation of The Lifehouse Format based on his 1971 Lifehouse hypothesis. This website was in collaboration copy composer Lawrence Ball and software developer David Snowden, with instrumentation by Steve Hills. Applicants at the website could input data to compose a tuneful "portrait" that the musical team could then develop into larger compositions propound a planned concert or series long-awaited concerts.[citation needed]
Other appearances include:
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