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This month focuses on Pete Townshend

Page updated May 1, 2026. This is a highly abridged version of all the things that happened to and around The Who in May. Click for access to the full history.


May 1945

New music (U.S.): "Bell Bottom Trousers" - Tony Pastor & His Orchestra; "Caldonia" - Woody Herman & His Orchestra; "Yah-Ta-Ta, Yah-Ta-Ta (Talk, Talk, Talk)" - Bing Crosby & Judy Garland; "You Belong To My Heart" - Charlie Spivak & His Orchestra
Baby Pete

On the 19th, Pete Dennis Blanford Townshend is born ten days after V-E (Victory in Europe) Day at the Central Middlesex Hospital Annexe in Chiswick, London to parents Cliff and Betty Townshend.


May 1961

New music releases: "Stand By Me" - Ben E. King; "I Feel So Bad" - Elvis Presley; Something for Everybody - Elvis Presley; "Well I Ask You" - Eden Kane
Acton County Grammar in 1961

Around this month, Pete and John finish their time at Acton County Grammar School. Pete heads on to art school while John's mom gets him a job working for Inland Revenue. He will keep this day job for more than three years. John does, however, get an offer on his nights. Around this time he is approached by Roger to see if he is interested in auditioning for The Detours.


May 1963

New music releases: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan; Themes for Young Lovers - Percy Faith and His Orchestra; Yakety Sax! - Boots Randolph; "I Like It" - Gerry & The Pacemakers
Detours ad 17 May 1963

On the 17th, two days before Pete's 18th birthday, his art college and music worlds collide for the first time at the Park Hotel's Carnival Ballroom in Hanwell. "...All my college chums turned out. Some pretty girls from the fashion school stood at the front of the stage, pretending to scream at me like Beatles fans; they were teasing, but everyone was impressed, especially when we played the slightly funkier R&B tunes I'd managed to sneak into our otherwise catholic repertoire."


May 1964

New music releases: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys; Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong; Cotton Candy - Al Hirt; The Academy Award-Winning "Call Me Irresponsible" and Other Hit Songs from the Movies - Andy Williams

On the 31st, Pete, Peter Meaden and Richard Barnes attend a Chuck Berry/Gene Vincent/Carl Perkins concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, which Barnes remembers as one of the first large gatherings of Mods he and Pete had seen.


May 1965

New music releases: My Name Is Barbra - Barbra Streisand; "I'm Alive" - The Hollies; "Cara Mia" - Jay and the Americans; "Yes, I'm Ready" - Barbara Mason
65-05-22 Record Mirror Pic

On the 22nd, an article on The Who appears in Record Mirror featuring short and angry quotes from Pete and Keith. Pete: "This thing about smashing amplifiers; well, if we've got a particularly thick audience out in the sticks we do it but sometimes we take the thing down a bit." Keith: "We had to do something ['Anyway Anyhow Anywhere'] that would get away from all the rubbish that people are buying."


May 1966

New music releases: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones; Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys; Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra; "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles

On the 19th, Pete turns 21. On the same day Keith meets up with Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys who has arrived in London with an advance copy of the Pet Sounds album. Keith, being a huge Beach Boys fan, promises Bruce an appearance on the TV programme Ready Steady GO! Later that night Keith and Bruce meet up with John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The four play cards while listening to the album over and over. Keith doesn't care for it because it doesn't sound like typical surf music, but Lennon and especially McCartney are awed and intimidated by Brian Wilson's production and leave determined to top him.

Keith Moon Bruce Johnston RSG
Photo: Bruce Johnston

The next day, as promised, Keith gets Bruce an interview on Ready Steady GO! but it causes him and John to miss the first half of The Who's set at The Corn Exchange in Newbury, Berkshire. Pete and Roger have been playing with the bassist and drummer from their opening act The Jimmy Brown Sound and are naturally furious at Keith. At the end of the show Keith, knocking over his drum set as usual, hits Pete in the leg with a falling cymbal. Pete turns and sends his guitar flying right into Keith's head.

Keith and John storm off determined that they are finally finished with The Who. They head over to Kit Lambert's house to tell him they're out. Pete goes over to Keith's the next day and tries to apologize. Keith is having none of it and for the time The Who have to continue with another drummer.


May 1967

New music releases: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles; Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience; Headquarters - The Monkees; "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" - Frankie Valli
Pete Townshend Disc 6 May

In Disc magazine of the 6th, Pete tears into Sir William Carron, president of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, who claimed rock stars did little work to earn their pay. Pete refutes the charge forcefully but the magazine brings forward Pete's admission that the stress of his job had brought him close to killing himself. "I know I did have a complete mental blackout once. I just couldn't sort out anything, I couldn't write songs, I had a thoroughly miserable 24 hours and came close to the point of suicide."


May 1968

New music releases: Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash; "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf; "Think" - Aretha Franklin; Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Pete Townshend MM article 4-5-68
Photo: Barrie Wentzell

On the 4th, Melody Maker prints Chris Welch's story of a recent visit to Pete's home studio. Pete plays him the demo version of "Now I'm A Farmer" and says it is part of a new opera he is writing called "The Amazing Journey" about a deaf, mute and blind boy who has dreams and sees himself as the ruler of the cosmos. It is the first public mention of what will eventually become Tommy.


May 1969

New music releases: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash; "Sweet Caroline" - Neil Diamond; Tommy - The Who; "Sugar, Sugar" - The Archies
Fillmore Plainclothes

On the 16th, The Who return to the Fillmore East in Greenwich Village, New York City. The last time they played there was under the threat of rioting after the Martin Luther King assassination. This time the building next door to the Fillmore catches on fire. Policeman Dan Mulhearn runs on stage to stop the show and warn the crowd. "I was working plainclothes assigned to trying to get 'mugged' on the Bowery and responded to the Fillmore as a fire was reported there. Officer Gehrig began to usher people out the fire doors and I approached the stage, in plainclothes but with badge in hand. I thought the band understood what was going on as I was handed the microphone by Roger Daltrey. Then I was kicked in the groin area by Pete Townshend and two large gentlemen grabbed me from behind and I was thrown out the fire door backstage... There was no real injury as Pete missed his mark by a couple of inches, thankfully." The second show is cancelled and The Who spend the night at Bill Graham's apartment while the police search for them at their hotel.

69-05-17 Arraginment

On the 17th, Pete and Roger surrender themselves to the authorities at the Ninth Precinct station. They are released on bail and return to the Fillmore to perform two shows that evening and another two on the 18th to make up for the missed shows on the 16th. Jimi Hendrix drops by for one of the 18th shows to catch the new rock opera.

Tommy Dj Promo

As Pete and Roger are being arraigned, the first copies of the Tommy LP are appearing on store shelves in America. Ellen Sander in Saturday Review calls it a masterpiece and says it features some of the best rock music ever recorded. John Gabree in High Fidelity calls it "superlative rock-and-roll". David Walley in Jazz &Pop hails it as a "superlative achievement" while Charles E. Fager in Christian Century loves it and calls it a "thoroughly religious work."


May 1972

New music releases: Exile On Main St. - The Rolling Stones; "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" - The Temptations; Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol. II - Frank Sinatra; Honky Chateau - Elton John
Pete Townshend 1972 demo reel

After six months off from performing together, The Who reunite on the 19th for the first documented session of the Who's Next follow-up album at Olympic Sound Studios in Barnes, England. Glyn Johns again handles the production for the LP, provisionally titled "Rock Is Dead - Long Live Rock". In addition to the tracks recorded, Pete also presents the demos "Get Inside," "Women's Liberation" (known on bootlegs as "Riot In The Female Jail") and "Why Can't You See I'm Easy."














May 1973

New music releases: Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield; Now & Then - The Carpenters; There Goes Rhymin' Simon - Paul Simon; "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple
Outside Stargroves May 1973
Photo: Pete Townshend

Who manager and former record producer Kit Lambert meets with The Who at Mick Jagger's mansion Stargroves to structure the story and record demo versions of the songs for Quadrophenia. Pete later recalls he showed up "smashed...he scribbled his usually incomprehensible notes on the tape boxes and stopped our engineer Ron Nevison doing his job. At the end of the second week I sacked him, coming very close to punching him." It is the last time Lambert works directly with The Who.


May 1974

New music releases: Bad Company - Bad Company; His 12 Greatest Hits - Neil Diamond; Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Rick Wakeman; "You Make Me Feel Brand New" - The Stylistics
74-05-22 Pete Portsmouth

On the 22nd, The Who perform a formal concert at Portsmouth Guildhall for the students that put up with the filming. Backstage The Who sign the contracts that terminate their management by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, turning the band over to Roger's personal manager Bill Curbishley. They also sign a deal with Polydor Records to release future Who albums outside the U.S., leaving Lambert & Stamp's Track Records. Pete is drinking heavily and suffers an alcohol-induced blackout about the show and the contract signings.


May 1975

New music releases: Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy - Elton John; "Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith; Venus and Mars - Wings; Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson
75-05-31 NME Pete
Photo: Pennie Smith

On the 19th, Pete reaches his 30th birthday, a rather bitter birthday for the author of "hope I die before I get old." That and the recent Lambert/Stamp lawsuit meeting make Pete angry and depressed. Unfortunately he unloads all his feelings to journalist Roy Carr who is visiting him on that day. Among some of the statements are Pete blasting Roger for saying The Who will be rocking in their wheelchairs: "he might be but you won't catch me rockin' in no wheelchair." He also says The Who's glory days are behind them. "Everybody has a hump and you have to admit that you've got to go over that hump." He also claims The Who are becoming a "golden oldies band" and that during the 1974 shows The Who were "copying what The Who used to be." Pete later says he is shocked when his conversation with Carr appears in New Musical Express on the 31st and refuses all interviews for the next two years as a result.


May 1979

New music releases: "Family Tradition" - Hank Williams, Jr.; "Old Time Rock & Roll" - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" - The Charlie Daniels Band; "I Was Made for Loving You" - Kiss
The Who concert Cannes 1979
Photo: Richard Young

On the 12th and 13th, The Who play two dates at the Arena Des Frejus, in France while also appearing at the nearby Cannes Film Festival where both The Kids Are Alright and Quadrophenia have their world premiers. Press reviews of these shows are almost completely raves. Ex-Who manager Kit Lambert shows up backstage and spends fifteen minutes telling Pete what is wrong with their current live act.


May 1980

New music releases: "It's Still Rock & Roll To Me" - Billy Joel; My Home's in Alabama - Alabama; Fame: The Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture - Various Artists; Diana - Diana Ross
Empty Glass US LP

On the 10th, Pete's solo album Empty Glass is released in the U.S. John Rockwell in The New York Times calls it a success that sounds like The Who of a decade before while Jon Parales in Mademoiselle says it shows Pete has risen to the challenge set forth by punk rock. The album will ultimately reach #5 in the U.S. charts, the highest position for any solo album by a member of The Who. Also released is a promotional album The Pete Townshend Tapes, in which Pete discusses the songs on Empty Glass and what's doing with The Who.


May 1981

New music releases: Present Arms - UB40; Long Distance Voyager - The Moody Blues; Hard Promises - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; "Slow Hand" - The Pointer Sisters

Who manager Bill Curbishley holds a Face Dances post-mortem with The Who during this month. Roger confesses that he cannot bear to work with Kenney Jones anymore and blames him for the primary problem with the album, a lack of fire. Kenney defends himself by blaming Pete, saying Pete kept all the good songs for his solo album Empty Glass. John puts the blame on producer Bill Szymczyk and his piecemeal recording process. Pete disagrees with John's opinion of Szymczyk's work and, typically for Pete, puts the blame on himself saying the problem was that his songs were inappropriate for the band. Roger disagrees, saying he thought the songs were great. The main takeaway from the discussion is that no one in the band agrees on what went wrong with the album and there is now an unresolved animus between Roger and Kenney that will poison the rest of Kenney's time with The Who.


May 1982

New music releases: "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor; Rio - Duran Duran; 12 Greatest Hits, Volume II - Neil Diamond; Combat Rock - The Clash
Rolling Stone Sober Pete Townshend

Pete appears on the cover of Rolling Stone. Inside is a long interview with Kurt Loder in which Pete tells all about his recent descent into drug addiction, his electroacupuncture cure, the failure of Face Dances and how the next Who album may be their last.


May 1983

New music releases: "Every Breath You Take" - The Police; Too Low for Zero - Elton John; Piece of Mind - Iron Maiden; Holy Diver - Dio

A few days before his 38th birthday on the 19th, Pete meets with Roger to discuss future plans. In his diary, Pete notes "I said I would consider working on special projects with him - charity shows, musicals, anything but rock tours. He seemed receptive." Roger, speaking of it later remembers it quite differently. He says Pete called him up out of the blue claiming "No one's phoned me up and asked me how it's going," referring to his progress on writing songs for a new Who album. Roger offers to help, but Pete tells him "I'm going to finish the band."


May 1984

New music releases: Legend - Bob Marley and The Wailers; "Dancing in the Dark" - Bruce Springsteen; Private Dancer - Tina Turner; Chicago 17 - Chicago

On the 5th, Pete appears on the Channel 4 TV programme Ear Say. He is interviewed in his Faber & Faber office about the new Rolling Stones book by Philip Norman.


May 1985

New music releases: Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits; "Summer of '69" - Bryan Adams; The Best of the Eagles - The Eagles; Yesterday Once More - The Carpenters
Horses Neck

On the 27th, Pete's short story collection Horse's Neck is published in the U.K. It receives positive reviews from Brian Case in Melody Maker ("a brilliant, troubling work"), Martin Booth in British Book News ("stunningly good") and The Observer ("the real thing") and a negative review by Geoff Dyer in New Statesman ("work of an apprentice").

85-05-26 Mirror Pete Interview

The day before the book's release, Pete is interviewed in The Mirror. He discusses how little he misses the drugs and rock 'n' roll life: "I'm glad I got out. There's no way I'd go back."


May 1986

New music releases: Top Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists; So - Peter Gabriel; Who Made Who - AC/DC; The Final Countdown - Europe
Pete Townshend opens The Picket

Pete officially cuts the ribbon opening The Picket, a studio for fostering young talent in Liverpool. He also donates recording equipment.


May 1987

New music releases: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" - Whitney Houston; Always & Forever - Randy Travis; Bad Animals - Heart; Girls, Girls, Girls - Mötley Crüe

On the 30th, Pete binds the first draft of the script for his new musical The Iron Man.


May 1989

New music releases: Ten Good Reasons - Jason Donovan; The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses; Killin' Time - Clint Black; Disintegration - The Cure

The Who begin practice sessions for the tour in a hangar in the London suburb of Bray. Pete plays with the band while sealed in a glass, soundproofed booth to protect his hearing.


May 1993

New music releases: Janet - Janet Jackson; "Whoomp! (There It Is)" - Tag Team; Unplugged... and Seated - Rod Stewart; "Chattahoochee" - Alan Jackson
George Martin and Pete Townshend
Photo: John Marcus

On the 9th and 10th, George Martin has his one experience producing Pete's music when he speedily records the Official Cast album for The Who's Tommy at The Hit Factory in New York.


May 1994

New music releases: The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Elton John and Hans Zimmer; Seal [II] - Seal; Weezer (The Blue Album) - Weezer: Ill Communication - The Beastie Boys

Roger and John are currently in a lawsuit filed against Pete over the "Tommy Grand Right Document" concerning how much they are to receive from the Tommy musical. The public does not know of the suit but tensions between band members are high and animosity bubbles over into interviews.


May 1996

New music releases: Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys; Older - George Michael; Bringing Down the Horse - The Wallflowers; "Champagne Supernova" - Oasis
1996 Pete Townshend Supper Club ticket

On the 2nd, Pete Townshend appears on CBS-TV's The Late Show With David Letterman in New York City performing "Rough Boys" and "The Kids Are Alright." The next afternoon he tapes his appearance on that night's NBC-TV's Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing "Barefootin'" before his show that evening at The Supper Club. He does another show at The Supper Club on the 4th. Ex- Hüsker Dü leader Bob Mould opens.


May 1997

New music releases: NSYNC - NSYNC; "I'll Be Missing You" - Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112; OK Computer - Radiohead; "How Do I Live" - LeAnn Rimes

On the 18th, Pete runs into his future wife Rachel Fuller for the first time since last October. He begins his pursuit.


May 1998

New music releases: Songbird - Eva Cassidy; Where We Belong - Boyzone; "The Boy is Mine" - Brandy & Monica; It's Dark and Hell is Hot - DMX

According to Pete's later report, during this month, Roger has an extremely emotional confrontation with him. "He still had a deep conviction in the notion of The Who as a living, material and necessary force. He felt that my deliberate neglect of it had been a mistake. That it had left him and John in the cold...At one point he made his points so forcefully, and personally, that despite the fact that some of the accusations he made were inaccurate and ill-founded, I broke down and cried in front of him. He said then, softly, that it didn't matter what I decided to do, either way - he would always be there for me. Later he called to apologise for being so brutal. I told him he had done what needed to be done, and far from feeling I had been brutalised, I felt I had been offered unconditional love."


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May 1999

New music releases: Millennium - Backstreet Boys; The Man Who - Travis; "Scar Tissue" - Red Hot Chili Peppers; Ricky Martin - Ricky Martin

On the 26th, Who manager Bill Curbishley writes to Pete, asking if he would agree to a Who tour to help John Entwistle whose finances, once again, are in dire shape.


May 2000

New music releases: The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem; Oops!... I Did It Again - Britney Spears; Whitney: The Greatest Hits - Whitney Houston; "It's My Life" - Bon Jovi
00-05-17 Pete auction certificate

On the 10th, Pete opens an online auction to benefit Mozambique. The jewel of the auction is a 1957 Fender Stratocaster owned by Eric Clapton. Before the auction is over, the guitar is bought by Pete, Mick Jagger and David Bowie, who send it to Prime Minister Tony Blair as a gift. Blair returns it and the guitar returns to auction. Pete also auctions off his gold and silver album awards, autographed albums and posters, clothing, musical instruments and even bicycles.


May 2003

New music releases: "Crazy in Love" - Beyoncé featuring Jay Z; "Where Is the Love?" - The Black Eyed Peas; "Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne; "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" - Kenny Chesney
Pete Townshend leaving home May 2003

On the 7th, the results of the police investigation into Pete and his computers by forensic experts are made public. No evidence of downloaded child pornography has been found on any of his computers or in his home and Pete is cleared of all suspicion. However, pressure is put on prosecutors to punish the innocent Pete in some way. They coerce him into voluntarily putting his name on Britain's Sex Offender Registry for five years with threats that his case will be dragged through the courts. Despite the certainty that a trial would prove him innocent, Pete chooses the Registry as he doubts he could remain calm under cross-examination. This morning he goes to Kingston police station where he is fingerprinted, and a DNA sample is taken.







May 2004

New music releases: Hopes and Fears - Keane; Here for the Party - Gretchen Wilson; Under My Skin - Avril Lavigne; "Jesus Walks" - Kanye West

On the 4th, The Times reports on recent remarks made by Roger Daltrey to a Radio Academy conference. "Why can't rock music be about growing old? I believe Pete Townshend is the only person in rock and roll who can write about that path from middle to old age. I'm still angry about lots of things. So many things we thought would get better when we were young have not. Pete is the one person who can articulate this and drag rock and roll into old age."


May 2006

New music releases: "Hey There Delilah" - Plain White T's; Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers; "Maneater" - Nelly Furtado; "Unfaithful" - Rihanna

On the 24th, in a cover story, The National Review declares "Won't Get Fooled Again" the greatest conservative rock song of all time. In response, Pete says on the 27th that the song has no party-allied political message, "a song that pleaded 'leave me alone with my family to live my life, so I can work for change in my own way.'"

On the 26th, Pete announces that recording on The Who's new album Endless Wire has been completed.


May 2007

New music releases: Good Girl Gone Bad - Rihanna; Minutes to Midnight - Linkin Park; "Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat; "Never Too Late" - Three Days Grace
The Who in Madrid 2007 ad

On the 16th, The Who launch a tour of Europe at the Atlantico Pavilion in Lisbon, Portugal. When the guitar goes out of tune, Pete throws it at his guitar tech Alan Rogan and then smashes the guitar. It is Pete's last guitar smash to date.


May 2009

New music releases: "Down" - Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne; "Watcha Say" - Jason Derulo; Sunny Side Up - Paolo Nutini; "One Time" - Justin Bieber
09-05-21 Roger Pete

On the 21st, The Who perform a three-song acoustic set at Arsenal's end of season charity ball at Emirates Stadium in London. Pete, currently suffering from the flu, soldiers on to help Roger salute Arsenal's support of the Teenage Cancer Trust.


May 2010

New music releases: "California Gurls" - Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg; "Your Love Is My Drug" - Kesha; "I Like It" - Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull; "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" - Shakira featuring Freshlyground
Ashdown House

On the 30th, the press reveals that Pete Townshend has bought Ashdown House in Berkshire, a National Trust property. Pete's investment allows renevations to be made to the estate that had been built for the daughter of King James I and is now a tourist destination.


May 2011

New music releases: Born This Way - Lady Gaga; "How to Love" - Lil Wayne; "I'm on One" - DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne; "Glad You Came" - The Wanted
Pete Townshend Intelligent Life interview

On the 27th, Pete is interviewed in Intelligent Life magazine. He says he is one-third of the way through writing his autobiography and it is already 80,000 words long.


May 2015

New music releases: "Tennessee Whiskey" - Chris Stapleton; "Don't" - Bryson Tiller; "The Hills" - The Weeknd; "Stitches" - Shawn Mendes

On the 28th, the MusiCares MAP fund holds a benefit to honor Pete and Who manager Bill Curbishley at the Best Buy Theater in New York. Bruce Springsteen presents Pete with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication to the fund and his commitment to helping people with the addiction recovery process. Afterwards, Bruce Sprinsteen plays with The Who.


May 2016

New Music Releases: "Location" - Khalid; "Can't Stop the Feeling!" - Justin Timberlake; "Into You" - Ariana Grande; "We Don't Talk Anymore" - Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez

On the 21st, Roger and Pete receive the George and Ira Gershwin award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at the Spring Sing at UCLA. Pete mentions that his mother Betty recorded only one song in her musical career, a cover of the Gershwins' "Irreplaceable You".


May 2018

New Music Releases: "I Like It" - Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin; "High Hopes" - Panic! at the Disco; "Girls Like You" - Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B; "Better Now" - Post Malone

Starting this month through August, Pete begins assembling songs for a new Who album, some new and some "rescued from ancient history".


May 2020

New Music Releases: "Watermelon Sugar" - Harry Styles; "Go Crazy" - Chris Brown and Young Thug; "More Than My Hometown" - Morgan Wallen; "We Paid" - Lil Baby and 42 Dugg

On the 12th, the press announces that Pete and Rachel have made a gift of $100,000 to support cello students at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and to provide funding for concerts presented by UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance at Royce Hall.



May 2021

New music releases: "good 4 u" - Olivia Rodrigo; Sour - Olivia Rodrigo; "You Should Probably Leave" - Chris Stapleton; "Every Chance I Get" - DJ Khaled featuring Lil Baby and Lil Durk
A Band with Built-In Hate book

On the 6th, Peter Stanfield's book A Band With Built-In Hate: The Who From Pop Art to Punk is published by Reaktion Books.

On the same day, Pete Townshend posts his painting of Pete Wylie of WAH! from 1983. "I did this in the style of Peter Blake. Gave it to some charity. Been going through my archives. When I was working on my solo album WHITE CITY I tried to produce some artwork for every song. This was one of the best. It was for BRILLIANT BLUES."

Guitar Player Aug. 2021 issue

The latest issue of Guitar Magazine has a new interview with Pete.




The Who Coin Royal Mint

On the 24th, The Royal Mint launches a collectible coin honouring The Who, the fourth in their "Music Legends" series. Roger says, "It’s an honour to have a coin produced to celebrate The Who’s musical legacy. The coin’s design captures the true essence of the band and what we represent. It was a fantastic moment being able to strike one of the very first pieces in the collection and see the range of technologies and processes involved in the making of the coin." Pete says, "I am delighted that the band’s work is being recognised by this fantastic range of coins from The Royal Mint."


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Live At The Eden Project

Live at the Eden Project
The Who recorded live at Cornwall's Eden Project 25 July 2023. Available streaming or as 2 CDs or 3 LPs.


Who Are You Super Deluxe

Who Are You Super Deluxe
7CD/1BLU-RAY Set Featuring 71 Unreleased Tracks, 100-Page Book And Steven Wilson Atmos & Stereo Mixes.


Live at the Oval CD

The Who Live at the Oval
Live CD from their 18 March 1971 performance at the Kennington Oval Cricket Ground in London. Now available on vinyl, CD, or by streaming.


Their Generation book

Their Generation: The Who in America 1967-69
Photographs by Tom Wright. Text by Andy Neill. Forward by Pete Townshend. Now available.


The Who Album by Album book

The Who: Album by Album: Listening to You
Written by Dante DiCarlo An analysis of the songs on each Who album My Generation through WHO. Now available.


The Seeker musical

The Seeker by Rachel Fuller
A musical version of "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse. Includes several tracks by Pete Townshend plus his own performance as The Ferryman.


Lifehouse Who's Next

Who's Next / Life House Super Deluxe
10 CD's, Blu-ray with 5.1 mix, 89 unreleased tracks, 2 live concerts, a 100-page book and a graphic novel. Expensive but the final word on The Who's Lifehouse work.


A People's History of The Who

Richard Houghton's The Guitar Has Seconds to Live: A People's History of The Who
Hardback, published by Spenwood Books Limited.


The Who & Quadrophenia

Martin Popoff's The Who & Quadrophenia
Hardback, in folio jacket, published by Motorbooks


The Who Live at Wembley

The Who: with Orchestra Live from Wembley
#1 on the Classical Music Charts! Available now!


The Who Concert Memories Book

The Who: Concert Memories from the Classic Years, 1964 to 1976
Fans ecall the glory days of the greatest live act in rock music. By Edoardo Genzolini. Check out my entry on Page 260!


PeteTownshend.net

PeteTownshend.net
THE home for all things Townshend!


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