Person Biography:
Pete Townshend was born in Chiswick, London, just ten days after the German surrender in 1945. He grew up in a typical middle-class home with his parents, Cliff and Betty Townshend, who were both musicians. As a child, Pete accompanied his parents on dance band tours and started playing guitar at the age of 12.
Townshend's early life was marked by his passion for music. He attended art school and played in several local semi-professional bands before forming the rock group The Who in 1963 with Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon. The Who quickly gained notoriety for their ear-splitting live performances, smashing equipment on stage, and wreaking havoc in hotel rooms.
As the mastermind and main songwriter of The Who, Townshend established himself as an eminent musical auteur and the thinking man's rock guitarist. He penned legendary concept albums such as "Tommy," "Lifehouse," and "Quadrophenia," which combined the energy of rock 'n' roll with the orchestral and thematic ambitions of opera.
After Keith Moon's accidental death in 1978, The Who disbanded, and Townshend struggled with his identity as an aging rock godfather, fighting drug problems and increasing hearing troubles. However, in 1989, he roared back with a 25th anniversary tour of The Who, a Broadway revival of "Tommy," and several other ambitious musical, theater, and film projects.
Townshend is widely known as the windmilling, leaping about guitarist for The Who. He is also a premier songwriter, accurately self-reflective lyricist, and inspired multi-media entrepreneur. His haunting songs have been used on the soundtrack of countless pictures, and he stands out as one of rock music's most gifted and influential artists who has, despite being forever tied to the rebellious image of his youth, decided to grow old with dignity.
