Pete Townshend

At 79 years old, Pete Townshend physical status not available right now. We will update Pete Townshend's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and songwriter best known as the guitarist, backup and secondary lead vocalist, co-founder, and leader of the English rock band The Who's.

He has been with the Who for more than 50 years, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, as well as popular rock radio staples such as Who's Next and others that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and rarities compilations such as Odds & Sods (1974).

In addition, he has written more than 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, radio jingles, and television theme songs.

Although primarily known as a guitarist, he also plays keyboards, banjo, accordion, harmonica, ukulele, mandolin, bass guitar, and drums on his own solo albums, several Who albums, and as a guest contributor to an array of other artists' recordings.

He is self-taught on all of the instruments he plays and has never had formal training. Townshend has contributed to and published numerous newspaper and journal papers, book reviews, journals, books, and scripts, as well as other musical performances.

Townshend's collaborations with The Who and other projects have earned him critical esteem due to his vivacious playing style and inventive songwriting methods. He was ranked No. 1 in the world of No. Inventors. No. 3 on Dave Marsh's list of the Top Guitarists In Dave Marsh's New Book of Rock Lists: No. 3 is on the top guitarists in Dave Marsh's list. On Gibson.com's list of the top 50 guitarists, 10 are ranked, with No. 10 as the top 50 guitarists. In Rolling Stone's most recent list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, 10 again.

Townshend was named in 1983 by the British Institute for Lifetime Achievement; in 1990, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who; and in 2008, he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Who; and in 2008, he was named a recipient of the Who; and in 2008, he received Kennedy Center Honors.

On May 21, 2016, he and Roger Daltrey were awarded the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA.

Early life and education

Townshend was born in Chiswick, west London, at the Chiswick Hospital on Netheravon Road. Cliff Townshend, the son of a professional alto saxophonist in the Royal Air Force's dance band, and his mother, Betty (née Dennis), was a singer with the Sydney Torch and Les Douglass Orchestras. The Townshends had a turbulent marriage as both drank heavily and had fiery temperaments. Cliff Townshend was often away from his family's performances with his band, when Betty dealt with other guys. When Townshend was a child, he was taken to live with his maternal grandmother Emma Dennis, who Pete later described as "clinically insane." Cliff and Betty bought a house on Woodgrange Avenue in middle-class Acton, and the young Pete was happily reunited with his parents. His neighborhood was one-third Polish, and a devout Jewish family upstairs shared their apartment with them and dining with them—many of his father's closest friends were Jewish.

Townshend claims he did not have many people growing up, so he spent a considerable portion of his youth reading adventure books like Gulliver's Travels and Treasure Island. He loved his family's frequent trips to the seaside and the Isle of Man. It was on one of these trips in 1956 that he watched the 1956 film Rock Around the Clock, sparking his fascination with American rock and roll. Bill Haley appeared in London, Townshend's first concert, not long after. He did not see himself pursuing a career as a professional singer at the time; rather, he wanted to become a writer.

Townshend was accepted at Acton County Grammar School after completing the eleven-plus examination. He was often mocked at Acton County because he had a large nose, an event that had a profoundly affected him. Emma, his grandmother, bought his first guitar for Christmas in 1956, a cheap Spanish version. Though his father taught him a few chords, Townshend was mainly self-taught on the guitar and never learned to read music. Townshend and a school friend John Entwistle formed the Confederates, a short-lived trad jazz band with Townshend on banjo and Entwistle on horns. The Confederates performed at the Congo Club, a youth club run by the Acton Congregational Church, and covered Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, and Lonnie Donegan. However, both were influenced by rock 'n' roll's increasing success, with Townshend particularly adoring Cliff Richard's debut single, "Move It." After getting into a confrontation with the group's drummer Chris Sherwin and purchasing a "really nice Czechoslovakian guitar" at his mother's antique store, townshend left the Confederates.

Paul and Simon, the townshend brothers, were born in 1957 and 1960 respectively. Pete was faced with the choice of art school, music school, or seeking a job. He eventually decided to study graphic design at Ealing Art College, enrolling in 1961. Townshend studied with Ronnie Wood, a future Rolling Stones guitarist. The college's best artists and designers, including auto-destructive art pioneer Gustav Metzger, gave lectures. In 1964, Townshend shifted to concentrate on music full time.

Personal life

While in art school, a townshend met Karen Astley, the daughter of film composer Edwin Astley. They married in Twickenham, north-west London, on the Thames. Emma (born 1969), a gardening columnist, Aminta (born 1971), who works in film production, and Joseph (born 1989), who studied graphic design at Central St. Martins, are three children.

In 1994, Townshend and his wife divorced. He has since been in a professional relationship with arranger and singer Rachel Fuller, who he secretly married in 2016. Townshend lived in Richmond, England, but the house was sold in August 2021 for more than £15 million. He also owns a house in Churt, Surrey, and has purchased a lease on part of the National Trust property Ashdown House in Oxfordshire. According to The Sunday Times Rich List, his riches were worth £40 million as of 2009.

Townshend admitted his bisexuality in an interview with radio host Timothy White in 1989, referring to the album "Rough Boys" on his 1980 album, Empty Glass. "Coming out," he said, he said of the album. In a 1994 Playboy interview, he said, "I did an interview about it," including that 'Rough Boys' was about being gay,' and that in the interview, I also talked about my 'gay life', which, I meant, was about my gay friends, which—I meant—was really about the friends I've had. So the interviewer did a little bit of t's and crossed the i's to figure that this was a coming out, which wasn't at all." In his 2012 autobiography Who I Am, Townshend claimed that he is "probably bisexual." Townshend has also admitted that he once felt sexually attracted to Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger.

The Metropolitan Police (the Met) cautioned Townshend that they had received a warning as part of Operation Ore, a huge investigation into child pornography that was ongoing in 2002–2003. "It was found that Mr Townshend was not in possession of any downloaded child violence images," the Met announced. After admitting to using his credit card to access a child pornography website, Townshend was on a sex offenders registry for five years, beginning in 2003. The images were obtained as part of a campaign against child sexual exploitation, specifically to show that British banks were involved in channelling the proceeds from paedophile rings, according to Townshend. Authorities could not determine that the website accessed by Townshend involved children, and no incriminating evidence was discovered on his personal computer.

Townshend suffers from partial deafness and tinnitus, most likely as a result of noise-induced hearing loss from his heavy exposure to loud music. The Who were known as a loud band in their live performances; some notable events included a Who concert at the Charlton Athletic Football Club, London, on May 31, 1976, which was dubbed the "Studest Concert Ever" by the Guinness Book of Records, where the volume level was measured at 32 meters from the stage. During Keith Moon's 1967 appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the townshend attributed the beginning of his hearing loss to his exploding drum set.

In 1989, Townshend provided the initial funding for the establishment of the non-profit hearing advocacy group H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers) Townshend, who appeared at halftime at Super Bowl XLIV, has expressed concern that his tinnitus had risen to the point that he might be forced to quit playing with the band entirely. "If my hearing is going to be a problem, we're not delaying shows," Rolling Stone said. We're done. I can't seem there is any way around the problem. Neil Young introduced him to an in-ear monitor, and although they postponed their tour dates in spring 2010, Townshend retained the device at their one remaining London concert on March 30th to see if Townshend will continue to perform with the Who.

In an interview with Roger Daltrey, Townshend had recently suffered gradual but severe hearing loss and was now trying to save what was left of his hearing: "Pete's having a lot of trouble with his hearing." He has serious, serious hearing loss with it...not tinnitus; it's deteriorating, and he's really worried about losing his hearing.

"My hearing is actually better than ever because after a feedback scare at the indigO2 in December 2008, I'm taking good care of it." On the forthcoming Quadrophenia release, I have computer systems in my lab that have helped me with my engineering work. I have been aided by younger forensic engineers and mastering engineers to assist me in determining the high frequencies that are outside of my range. Both computer systems work on stage, and they're just as good for me as the Who performed at the Super Bowl and doing Quadrophenia for TCT at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010. I'm 66, and I have poor hearing, and if I listen to loud music or go to gigs, I get tinnitus."

Townshend was included in a list of the top private contributors to the UK Labour Party in 1998. In Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore refused to let him use the phrase "Won't Get Fooled Again," saying he watched Bowling for Columbine but wasn't convinced. Townshend joined the Young Communist League in 1961 and was a central figure in the 1966 "Trend" recruitment drive. In a 1974 Penthouse interview, he admitted that he was a capitalist who was praised for his work but that his ideals were communist.

Townshend jokingly about himself as "a bit of a neocon," saying that "I like the prospect of America as the world's police force." We don't have to do it anymore, so we don't have to worry about doing it. "You guys make it out."

Townshend said he favoured the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union, saying, "I'm a Remainer, not a Brexiteer." I believe in God but not him."

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Musical career

Entwistle, a skiffle/rock and roll band led by Roger Daltrey, joined the Detours in late 1961. Townshend was then suggested that the new bass player join as an extra guitarist. The band's repertoire in the early days of the Detours consisted of instrumentals from the Shadows and the Ventures, as well as pop and trad jazz covers. Roger Daltrey on lead guitar, Townshend on rhythm guitar, Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom on drums, and Colin Dawson as vocalist. Daltrey was regarded as the group's leader, and "did things the way he wanted them," Townshend said. Dawson resigned in 1962 after arguing too much with Daltrey, who later switched to lead vocalist. As a result, Townshend became the sole guitarist with Entwistle's support. The group obtained a management contract with local promoter Robert Druce, who started booking 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, thanks to Townshend's mother. Townshend's father arranged an amateur recording of "It Was You," his first song his son ever wrote. In February 1964, the Detours learned of a group of the same name, causing them to rename them. Richard Barnes, a roommate of Townshend, came up with "The Who," and Daltrey decided it was the right idea.

Doug Sandom, a drummer who had been playing semi-professionally with the Beachcombers for several years, was replaced by Keith Moon, not long after the name change. Peter Meaden, a mod publicist, compelled the band to change their name to the High Numbers in order to give the band more of a mod vibe. They dropped Meaden after one failed single ("I'm the Face/Zoot Suit") and were joined by two new managers, Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, who had set out with the intention of finding new talent and making a documentary about them. The band fought over a name that everyone agreed portrayed the band's best, and decided against the High Numbers instead, reverting to Who. Townshend mistakenly broke the roof of his guitar at the railway Tavern in June 1964 and proceeded to destroy the entire instrument. Instrument on-stage degradation became a regular feature of Who's live shows.

Lambert, the Who caught the ear of American record producer Shel Talmy, who had the band sign to a record deal, had the band sign a record deal. "I Can't Explain" by Townshend, a deliberate sound-alike of the Kinks, was produced by another group Talmy. "I Can't Explain" was the first hit on the British charts in January 1965 when it was first introduced as a single. Both Townshend and Daltrey's "Anyway, Anyhow" is a member of the United Kingdom's top ten. However, it was the unveiling of "My Generation," the Who's third album, in November, which "asserted their image as a hard-nosed band that reflected the feelings of thousands of young pissed-off teenagers at the time," according to Who biographer Mark Wilkerson. The Townshend-penned single debuted at number two on the UK charts, becoming the Who's Big Hit. In an interview with David Fricke, Townshend said, "I hope I die before I get old" was "very much about trying to find a place in society."

The Who's debut album My Generation (The Who Sings My Generation in the United States) was released in late 1965, containing original material written by Townshend and several James Brown covers that Daltrey adored in order to cash in on their recent single success. Townshend's catalogue of hits, including "Pictures of Lily," "I'm a Child," and "Happy Jack" were among the band's many hit singles, including "Pictures of Lily," "Subject," "I'm a Boy," and "Happy Jack." Lambert urged Townshend to produce longer pieces of music for the forthcoming album, "A Quick One While He's Away." The album was renamed A Quick One and debuted at No. 1 in New Zealand, shortly. On its first appearance in December 1966, there were 4 in the charts at their inception. Townshend created a guitar stunt in which he would lift his right arm against the guitar strings in a manner similar to a windmill's vaping. After watching Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards warm up before a performance, he developed this style.

On March 22, 1967, the Who began their first US tour. The townshend took to destroying his hotel suites, but not to the extent that his bandmate Moon was concerned. He began playing LSD but decided against it after getting a potent hit at the Montel Pop Festival on June 18th. The Who Sell Out, a concept album based on pirate radio, was released in December and was instrumental in the Who Sells Out tour. Several comedic jingles and mock commercials between songs, as well as the Who's biggest US hit, "I Can See for Miles." Despite the success of "I Can See for Miles," which reached No. 10, the nation is still no. 74th president. Townshend was surprised that it wasn't a smash hit, because he considered it the best song he's written up to this point.

Townshend was interested in Meher Baba's teachings by 1968. He began to write a musical piece about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy who would have musical sensations. The essay will explore Baba's philosophy's tenets. The result was Tommy, the rock opera, which was released on May 1969 to critical and commercial success. Tommy, the Who organized a tour that included a memorable appearance at the Woodstock Festival on August 17th. Abbie Hoffman, the infamous Yippie chief, jumped upstage to protest John Sinclair's detention. "Fuck off my fucking stage," the townshend staggered him offstage with his guitar, yelling, "Fuck off my fucking stage!" he said.

The Who released Live at Leeds in 1970, which several music reviewers regard as the best live album of all time. Townshend began writing for another rock opera. It was planned to be a multi-media project that represented the friendship between a musician and his audience, which was dubbed Lifehouse. The rest of the band was befuddled by the band's convoluted story and desperately needed another album. Townshend began to feel alienated, and the initiative was shelved after he suffered from a nervous breakdown. Who's Next: A majority of the Lifehouse's original studio album was released. It was a commercial smash, achieving number one in the United Kingdom, and it produced two hit singles, "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again," which featured pioneering use of the synthesizer. Meher Baba and composer Terry Riley were among the two heroes' "Baba O'Riley" in particular, written as Townshend's ode to his two heroes of the time, "Baba O'Riley" in particular.

In 1973, Townshend began writing songs for another rock opera. In the early 1960s in the United Kingdom, he thought it would investigate mod subculture and its rivalry with Rockers. It was titled Quadrophenia, the only Who album written entirely by Townshend, and he produced the album as well due to the building of ties with Lambert. It was announced in November and became the first charting cross-Atlantic hit to date, scoring No. 119. 2 in the United Kingdom and the United States. "prime cut Who" and "the year's greatest musical experience" were included in NME reviewer Charles Shaar Murray's review. The band toured with pre-recorded backing tapes, causing a lot of friction on tour. During a Newcastle performance, the tapes malfunctioned, causing Townshend to drag soundman Bob Pridden onstage, yell at him, and ban all the amps, partially destroyed the broken tapes. Townshend performed his first solo concert on April 14th, a benefit to raise funds for a London community center.

Ken Russell's film version of Tommy starred Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret as his mother, and Oliver Reed as his stepfather, as well as other rock legends; the film premiered on 18 March 1975. Townshend was nominated for an Academy Award for scoring and adapting the film's soundtrack. In November of that year, Who by Numbers came out and topped No. 1 in the Top 100. 7 children in the United Kingdom and 8 in the United States, with 8 in the United States. It featured introspective songs, most with a pessimistic twist. The album brought out one hit song, "Squeeze Box," which was written after Townshend learned how to play the accordion. Townshend took a year off from the band to spend time with his family after a 1976 tour.

Despite the deaths of two of the original members (Keith Moon in 1978 and John Entwistle in 2002), the Who continues. Many rock reviewers regard the band as one of the finest live bands from the 1960s to the 2000s. The Who continues to perform critically acclaimed sets into the 21st century, with highly acclaimed performances at The Concert For New York City in 2001, the 2004 Isle of Wight Festival, Live 8 in 2005, and the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.

Townshend remained the band's primary songwriter and leader, recording over 100 songs on the band's eleven studio albums. The rock opera Quadrophenia is one of his creations. Throughout his career, Townshend revisited album-length storytelling and is still associated with the rock opera style. Townshend has appeared on piano or keyboards in several studio recordings, though keyboard-heavy tracks more often featured guest artists in the studio, such as Nicky Hopkins, John Bundrick, or Chris Stainton.

Townshend is one of the main figures in the modernization of feedback in rock guitar. Ritchie Blackmore, a Deep Purple guitarist, said who first used feedback, said: 'When asked who first used feedback,' it was uttered.'

When Jimmy Page was asked about the growth of guitar feedback, he said: "In a similar way."

Townshend has been cited as a source of influence by many rock guitarists, including Slash, Alex Lifeson, and Steve Jones.

Townshend has been quite active as a solo recording artist in addition to his Who work. Townshend, as well as other Meher Baba devotees, released a trio of albums dedicated to his teachings between 1969 and 1971: Happy Birthday, I Am and With Love. He compiled his personal highlights (and "Evolution"), a Ronnie Lane project), and revealed his first major-label solo title, 1972's Who Came First, in reaction to bootlegging. It was a modest success, with live demonstrations of Who's hits as well as a a showcase of his acoustic guitar skills on display. On a duet album (1977's Rough Mix), he collaborated with Faces' bassist and fellow Meher Baba devotee Ronnie Lane. Townshend performed guitar on Angie's novelty single "Peppermint Lump" in 1979, which featured 11-year-old Angela Porter on lead vocals.

Townshend performed many solo appearances in the 1970s, two of which were caught on film: Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert in January 1973 (which Townshend arranged to revive Clapton's career after the latter's heroin use), and the People of Kampuchea's People of Kampuchea's People of Kampuchea's People of Kampuchea's People of Kampuchea's People of Kampuchea's People of Kampuchea The two rock stars appear in "Lucille," "Let It Be," and "Rockestra Theme" in Rockestra mega-band form; Townshend comes to an end with a characteristic split-legged leap.

Following Keith Moon's death, Townshend's solo breakthrough was released in 1980. Empty Glass contained the top-10 hit "Let My Love Open the Door" and the lesser singles "A Little Is Enough" and "Rough Boys." All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (AKA) was released in 1982, which included the famous radio song "Slit Skirts." Though not a commercial success, noted music critic Timothy Duggan called it "Townshend's most honest and introspective work since Quadrophenia." Townshend would experiment with the rock opera and related formats again in the 1980s and 1990s, releasing several story-based albums, including White City: A Musical (1985), and Psychoderelict (1993). In addition, Townshend had the opportunity to perform with Hank Marvin for Paul McCartney's "Rockestra" sessions, as well as other rock musicians such as David Gilmour, John Bonham, and Ronnie Lane.

Townshend has also released several concert albums, including one starring David Gilmour on guitar, who appeared only three concerts and a television show session for The Tube to raise money for his Double-O charity, which helps drug addicts. He and Des McAnuff produced and directed the Who album Tommy in 1993, as well as a less popular stage musical based on Ted Hughes' book The Iron Man. The Iron Giant, a McAnuff and Townshend animated film that was also based on Hughes' tale, was co-produced by McAnuff and Townshend.

In July 2007, a performance dubbed The Boy Who Heard Music by Townshend rock opera and titled The Boy Who Heard Music debuted as part of Vassar College's Powerhouse Summer Theater program.

On September 2nd, 2017, Townshend's fellow singer and guitarist Billy Idol, tenor Alfie Boe, and an orchestra joined them on a short (5-date) "Classic Quadrophenia" US tour, which concluded on September 16th, California.

Townshend has participated in a number of tours with the deceased members of the Who, including a 2002 tour that lasted despite Entwistle's death.

The Who announced a major world tour in February 2006 to promote their first new album since 1982. On a website, Townshend unveiled The Boy Who Heard Music (not autobiographical story) was released as a serial beginning in September 2005. According to Townshend's website, the blog was defunct in October 2006. It is now owned by a different person and has nothing to do with Townshend's employment in any way. He announced on February 25, 2006, that a mini-opera based on the novella's June 2006 issue. Endless Wire, the Who released their first album in 24 years, appeared in October 2006.

On February 7, the Who appeared at the Super Bowl XLIV halftime show on February 7, 2010, "Who Are You," "Baba O'Riley," "See Me, Feel Me," and "Won't Get Fooled Again." In 2012, the Who announced that they will tour the rock opera Quadrophenia.

Who were the final performers at London's 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, including "Baba O'Riley," "See Me, Feel Me," and "My Generation" were among the medleys.

Roger Daltrey's original songs should be included on a new Who album, as well as him, according to Townshend on March 22, 2018. On December 6, 2019, the album, which was simply titled Who, was released. It was the band's second album as a duo and the first in thirteen years.

The Age of Anxiety, formerly Floss The Musical, is the name given to a Townshend work-in-progress. With an original estimated release date of 2011, the musical has been a work in progress at least since 2009. If it is ever completed, Townshend sold the rights to all of his back catalog and a significant portion of his future work, including Floss The Musical, on January 24th, 2012. In an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio in February 2010, he outlined the job. In a 2015 interview, Townshend said that the work was meant to be an art installation. In March 2019, it was announced that The Age of Anxiety would be published as a book, with an opera following.

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Awards

• BRIT Awards 1983 – Life Achievement Award
• Q Awards 1991 – Merit Award
• International Rock Awards 1991 – Living Legend Award
• Tony Award 1993 – Best Original Score (music & lyrics) – The Who's Tommy (tie)
• Grammy Awards 1994 – Best Musical Show Album (as composer and lyricist of The Who's Tommy)
• Q Awards 1998 – Songwriter Award
• Grammy Awards 2001 – Lifetime Achievement Award
• Ivor Novello Awards 2001 – Lifetime Achievement Award
• South Bank Show Award 2007 – Lifetime Achievement Award
• Honorary doctorate from University of West London, 2010
• MOJO Awards 2008 – Hall of Fame
• MOJO Awards 2008 – Classic Songwriter
• Classic Album Award for Quadrophenia from the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards at The Roundhouse, 9 November 2011, London, England
• TEC Awards 2013 – Les Paul Award
• Stevie Ray Vaughn Award 2015
• The George and Ira Gershwin Award 2016 – Lifetime Musical Achievement.
• American Academy of Achievement 2019 – Golden Plate Award. Townshend received his Golden Plate along with Roger Daltrey and presented by Awards Council member Peter Gabriel.