The Who are an English rock band, founded in 1961 under the name the Detours. When they changed their name to the Who in 1964, their classic line-up was of founders Roger Daltrey (vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar) and John Entwistle (bass), with Keith Moon (drums). [1] Founder members Daltrey and Townshend have been the only constant members throughout the band's history. [2]
The band were first founded by Roger Daltrey under the name the Detours in 1959: the first line-up, in mid-1961, included Pete Townshend on lead guitar, Daltrey on rhythm guitar, John Entwistle on bass, Harry Wilson on drums, and Colin Dawson on vocals. [3] Wilson was fired in mid-1962 and replaced by Doug Sandom. [4]
Dawson left after frequently arguing with Daltrey [5] and was briefly replaced by Gabby Connolly, before Daltrey moved to lead vocals. Townshend, with Entwistle's encouragement, became the sole guitarist. Sandom was fired after an argument with Townshend in 1964; the band continued with stand-in drummers until Keith Moon joined in April of that year.
Moon was the Who's drummer until his death on 7 September 1978; [6] [7] the band decided to continue without him. [8] He was replaced that November by Kenney Jones, who had previously played with the Small Faces and Faces. [9] Joining alongside Jones were keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick and a four-piece horn section consisting of Dick Parry and Howie Casey (saxophone), David Caswell (trumpet), and Reg Brooks (trombone). The horn section departed in 1980, and Bundrick left in 1981. The latter was replaced by Tim Gorman for the band's final tour in 1982. The Who broke up in 1983. [10]
The who reunited at Live Aid in 1985, with Jones and Bundrick reprising their roles. [11] The band reunited again in 1988, [12] which the same personnel. [13] In 1989, the band embarked on a 25th-anniversary The Kids Are Alright reunion tour with Simon Phillips on drums, Steve "Boltz" Bolton on second guitarist, Jody Linscott on percussion, Simon Clarke and Tim Sanders on saxophone, Roddy Lorimer and Simon Gardner on trumpet, Neil Sidwell on trombone, and Chyna Gordon, Cleveland Watkiss and Billy Nicholls on backing vocals.
The band reformed again, at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction [14] with Paul Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band as backup band.
The band tour again in 1996, [15] with an expanded band, consisting of, John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards, Zak Starkey on drums, Simon Townshend on second guitar, Jon Carin on keyboards Jody Linscott on percussion, Dennis Farias, Nick Lane and Roy Wiegand on horns, Simon Gardner on trumpet, Neil Sidwell on trombone, and Billy Nicholls on backing vocals, and as musical director.
In late 1999, The Who performed as a five-piece for the first time since 1985, with Bundrick on keyboards and Starkey on drums. The band toured the US and UK from June to October 2000, [16] with Simon Townshend returning as second guitarist. The Who played concerts in the UK in early 2002 in preparation for a full US tour. On 27 June, the day before the first date, [17] Entwistle, 57, was found dead of a heart attack at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. Cocaine was a contributing factor. [18]
Entwistle's son, Christopher, gave a statement supporting The Who's decision to carry on. The US tour began at the Hollywood Bowl with touring bassist Pino Palladino. Bundrick took hiatus from the band to tend terminally ill wife between November 2006 and March 2007 and was substituted for by his keyboard tech Brian Kehew. [19]
The band played at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, with Chris Stainton on keyboards and Morgan Nicholls on bass. [20] The Quadrophenia and More tour started in November 2012 in Ottawa [21] with keyboardists John Corey, Loren Gold and Frank Simes, the last of whom was also musical director, [22] second guitarist Simon Townshend, and J. Greg Miller and Reggie Grisham on brass. Miller and Grisham both departed in 2013. Corey and Simes both departed in 2017.
The band started touring with an orchestra in 2019, [23] Billy Nichols returned as musical director and backing vocalist, Keith Levenson joined as conductor, Katie Jacoby on lead violin, Audrey Q. Snyder on lead cello, Emily Marshall on second keyboards. Randy Landau joined as lead contrabassist in 2022.
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Daltrey |
|
| All releases | |
| Pete Townshend |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Entwistle |
|
| All releases from My Generation (1965) to Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2003) | |
| Colin Dawson | 1961–1963 | lead vocals | none | |
| Harry Wilson | 1961–1962 | drums | ||
| Doug Sandom | 1962–1964 (died 2019) | |||
| Gabby Connolly | 1963 | lead vocals | ||
| Keith Moon |
|
| All releases from My Generation (1965) to Quadrophenia soundtrack (1979) | |
| Kenney Jones |
| drums | All releases from Quadrophenia soundtrack (1979) to Who's Last (1984) |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zak Starkey | 1996–present |
| All current releases from Live At The Royal Albert Hall (2001) to present | |
| Simon Townshend |
|
| ||
| Loren Gold | 2012–present |
| All current releases from 12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief (2013) to present except Who (2019) | |
| Jon Button | 2017–present |
| Tommy - Live At The Royal Albert Hall (2017) | |
| Billy Nicholls |
| backing vocals |
| |
| Keith Levenson | 2019–present |
| none | |
| Katie Jacoby | violin | |||
| Audrey Q. Snyder | cello | |||
| Emily Marshall |
| |||
| Randy Landau | 2022–present | contrabass |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John "Rabbit" Bundrick |
|
|
| |
| Howie Casey | 1979–1980 | saxophone | none | |
| Dick Parry | ||||
| David Caswell | trumpet | |||
| Reg Brooks | trombone | |||
| Tim Gorman | 1982 |
|
| |
| Chyna Gordon | 1989 | backing vocals | Join Together (1990) | |
| Cleveland Watkiss | ||||
| Simon Clarke | saxophone | |||
| Tim Sanders | ||||
| Roddy Lorimer | trumpet | |||
| Simon Philips | drums | |||
| Steve Bolton | rhythm and lead guitar | |||
| Jody Linscott |
| percussion | ||
| Simon Gardner | trumpet | Join Together (1990) | ||
| Neil Sidwell | trombone | |||
| Jon Carin |
| keyboards |
| |
| Dennis Farias | 1996–1997 | trumpet | none | |
| Roy Wiegand | ||||
| Nick Lane | trombone | |||
| Pino Palladino | 2002–2016 | bass | ||
| Frank Simes | 2012–2017 |
|
| |
| John Corey |
| |||
| J. Greg Miller | 2012–2013 | brass | ||
| Reggie Grisham |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scot Halpin | 1973 (died 2008) | drums | Moon lost consciousness during a show in San Francisco on 20 November 1973, and was substituted for by audience member Halpin. [39] | |
| Peter Huntington | 2004–2006 | Due to Starkey's touring commitments with Oasis, Huntington was the main drummer on Endless Wire . [40] | ||
| Steve White | 2005 | Starkey and Palladino were not able to join the band at Live8 in 2005, and were substituted for by White and Minchella. [41] | ||
| Damon Minchella | bass | |||
| Brian Kehew | 2006–2007 | keyboards | Bundrick was tending to his terminally ill wife between November 2006 and March 2007 and was substituted for by his keyboard tech Kehew. [19] | |
| J.J. Blair | 2006 | Kehew was unable to join the band on 8 November 2006, and was substituted for by Blair. [42] | ||
| Chris Stainton | 2012 | Nicholls and Stainton performed with the band at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. [20] | ||
| Morgan Nicholls | bass | |||
| Scott Devours | 2013 | drums | Starkey was unable to join the band from 5–14 February and from 8 June – 8 July 2013, and was substituted for by Scott Devours. [43] [44] |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Page | 1965 |
|
| |
| The Ivy League | backing vocals | |||
| Perry Ford | 1965 (died 1999) | piano | My Generation (1965) [47] | |
| Nicky Hopkins |
|
| ||
| Speedy Keen | 1967 (died 2002) | vocals | The Who Sell Out (1967) [52] | |
| Al Kooper |
| organ | ||
| Dave Arbus | 1971 | violin | Who's Next (1971) [49] | |
| Leslie West | 1971 (died 2020) | lead guitar | ||
| Jon Curle | 1972–1973 | voice | Quadrophenia (1973) [53] | |
| Chris Stainton | 1972–1974 |
| ||
| Arthur Brown | 1974 | vocals | Tommy (soundtrack) (1975) [50] | |
| Tina Turner | 1974 (died 2023) | |||
| Eric Clapton | 1974 |
| ||
| Elton John |
| |||
| Mick Ralphs | guitar | |||
| Caleb Quaye | ||||
| Ronnie Wood | ||||
| Davey Johnstone | ||||
| Alan Ross | acoustic guitar | |||
| Gerald Shaw | organ | |||
| Phil Chen | 1974 (died 2021) | bass | ||
| Dave Wintour | 1974 | |||
| Tony Stevens | ||||
| Dee Murray | 1974 (died 1992) | |||
| Fuzzy Samuels | 1974 | |||
| Mike Kellie | drums | |||
| Tony Newman | ||||
| Graham Deakin | ||||
| Nigel Olsson | ||||
| Ray Cooper | percussion | |||
| Rod Argent | 1977–1978 |
| Who Are You (1978) [54] | |
| Ted Astley | string arrangements | |||
| Andy Fairweather-Low |
|
|
| |
| Greg Lake | 2003–2004 (died 2016) | bass guitar | "Real Good Looking Boy" (2004) | |
| Jolyon Dixon | 2004–2006 | acoustic guitar | Endless Wire (2006) [56] | |
| Lawrence Ball | electronics | |||
| Stuart Ross | bass | |||
| Peter Huntington | drums | |||
| Gill Morley | violin | |||
| Brian Right | ||||
| Ellen Blair | viola | |||
| Vicky Matthews | cello | |||
| Rachel Fuller |
|
| ||
| Mick Talbot | 2014 | keyboards | "Be Lucky" (2014) [57] | |
| Andrew Synowiec | 2019 | acoustic guitar | Who (2019) [35] | |
| Gordon Giltrap | ||||
| Benmont Tench |
| |||
| Dave Sardy |
| |||
| Martin Batchelar |
| |||
| Peter Rotter | orchestra fixer | |||
| Bruce Dukov | orchestra leader | |||
| Gus Seyffert | bass | |||
| Joey Waronker | drums | |||
| Carla Azar | ||||
| Matt Chamberlain | ||||
| Josh Tyrrell | handclaps | |||
| Rowan McIntosh |
| Period | Members | Studio and live releases |
|---|---|---|
| The Detours (1962 – January 1963) |
| |
| The Detours (January–December 1963) |
| |
| The Detours / The Who [A] (December 1963 – April 1964) |
| |
| The Who [B] (April 1964 – September 1978) |
|
|
| Death of Keith Moon (7 September 1978) | ||
| The Who Who Are You Tour (1979–1980) |
with
|
|
| The Who Face Dances Tour (1981) |
with
|
|
| The Who It's Hard Tour (1982) |
with
|
|
| Hiatus (1983–1988) | ||
| One-off performances at Live Aid (1985) and the BPI Awards Ceremony (1988) |
with
| |
| The Who 25th Anniversary Tour (1989) |
with
|
|
| One-off performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (1990) |
with
| |
| Hiatus (1990–1995) | ||
| The Who Quadrophenia Tour (1996–1997) |
with
| |
| The Who (1999 – February 2002) |
with
|
|
| The Who (February–June 2002) |
with
| none – This line-up rehearsed for the 2002 tour, but did not actually perform in concert, as John Entwistle died shortly before the first show of the tour. |
| Death of John Entwistle (27 June 2002) | ||
| The Who (July 2002 – 2011) |
with
|
|
| One-off performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony (2012) |
with
| |
| The Who Quadrophenia and More Tour (2012–2013) |
with
|
|
| The Who (2014–2016) |
with
|
|
| The Who (2017) |
with
|
|
| The Who (2019–present) [59] |
with
|
|
Keith John Moon was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour.
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, their contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack, large public address systems, the use of synthesizers, Entwistle's and Moon's influential playing styles, Townshend's feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera. They are cited as an influence by many hard rock, punk, power pop and mod bands. The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style and poetic songwriting techniques, with the Who and in other projects, have earned him critical acclaim.
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the previous two being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, While He's Away" (1966) and the album Tommy (1969). Set in London and Brighton in 1965, the story follows a young mod named Jimmy and his search for self-worth and importance. Quadrophenia is the only Who album entirely written by Pete Townshend.
Zak Richard Starkey is an English rock drummer who has performed and recorded with the Who since 1996. He is also the third drummer to have appeared with Oasis. Other musicians and bands he has worked with include Johnny Marr, the Icicle Works, the Lightning Seeds, and the Semantics. He is the son of the Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr and Maureen Starkey.
Who Are You is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and on 21 August 1978 by MCA Records in the United States. Although the album received mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success, peaking at number 2 on the US charts and number 6 on the UK charts.
Then and Now is a 2004 greatest hits compilation album by The Who released internationally by Polydor Records and by Geffen Records in the United States. It features 18 Who classics and two new tracks—"Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine"—which were the first Who originals since "Dig" from Pete Townshend's 1989 album The Iron Man. "Real Good Looking Boy" is a tribute to Elvis Presley, and "Old Red Wine" is a tribute to former band member John Entwistle, who died in 2002. The album was re-released in 2007 and replaced "Old Red Wine" with "It's Not Enough" from the 2006 album Endless Wire and "Summertime Blues" was replaced by "Baba O'Riley".
"5:15" is a song written by Pete Townshend of British rock band The Who. Part of the band's second rock opera, Quadrophenia (1973), the song was also released as a single and reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, while the 1979 re-release reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"The Real Me" is a song written by Pete Townshend on The Who's second full-scale rock opera, Quadrophenia in 1973. This is the second track on the album, although it is the first with lyrics. It concerns a boy named Jimmy, a young English Mod with four distinct personalities. The song describes how he angrily deals with several individuals to identify "the real me". The song was released as a single in the United States and Canada in 1974.
The Who Tour 2006–2007 was The Who's first worldwide concert tour since 1997, supporting their Endless Wire album.
A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who, also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend, is a music event and a later live album by Roger Daltrey documenting a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall in February 1994.
"Real Good Looking Boy" is a song written by the guitarist of the British rock band The Who, Pete Townshend. It was originally released in 2004 on the compilation album Then and Now, and was one of two new songs on that album, the other being "Old Red Wine". Together, they were the first new songs released by the Who for 15 years. It was later released as an edited single backed with the aforementioned song. "Real Good Looking Boy" was later performed in the 2007 rock musical The Boy Who Heard Music. The song peaked at #28 on the Heritage rock chart. Bassist Greg Lake and drummer Zak Starkey, as well as keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick played on this song.
Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who is a 2007 documentary film by Murray Lerner and Paul Crowder about English rock and roll band The Who. The film features new interviews with band members Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Kenney Jones, and Pete Townshend, as well as Sting, The Edge, Noel Gallagher, Eddie Vedder, Steve Jones and others, as well as rare photos of the four members of the band, and archival live footage of performances dating back to 1964. A soundtrack accompanying the film also serves as a greatest-hits compilation for the band.
Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a three-CD live album set by The Who, released in 2003.
Tommy and Quadrophenia Live is a 3-disc DVD box set that includes performances by The Who from their 1989 and 1996-1997 tours. Whilst the Tommy part of the set had been already released on VHS, material from the Quadrophenia Tour had not been commercially available previously.
The Who Tour 2000 was partially in support of The Who's live album The Blues to the Bush and their first full-fledged tour as a five-piece band since The Who Tour 1982.
Quadrophenia is a musical based on the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who, released on 19 October 1973, and a film of the same name, released in 1979. The album was the group's second full-length rock opera, and the story reveals social, musical and psychological events from an English teenager's perspective. The music and songs were composed by Pete Townshend and the story is set in London and Brighton in 1964 and '65.
The Who Tour 2012–2013 was their third to feature the 1973 album Quadrophenia. Billed as "Quadrophenia and More", the band played Quadrophenia in its entirety, followed by a selection of their greatest hits. Before starting the tour, the group gave a special performance at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Billed as The Who Hits 50!, The Who's 2014–16 tour was a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band. Roger Daltrey has referred to this tour as the band's "long goodbye" hinting that it will be the final tour for The Who. The tour consisted of 70 dates with the band performing in Asia, Europe and North America.
