Updated June 20, 2023
January 1994
New music releases: Kickin' It Up - John Michael Montgomery; Jar of Flies - Alice in Chains; Under the Pink - Tori Amos; "Without You" - Mariah Carey
In his diary for the entry on the 6th, Pete says he has finally returned to teetotalling after his 1993 descent into alcoholism. Around this time he also breaks up with his New York mistress Lisa Marsh (who had urged him to get help) via letter.
On the 12th, Roger and Adam Faith are guests on BBC1's Pebble Mill promoting Faith's new album.
Playboy magazine's February issue hits the stands featuring Pete as their main interview. He expresses regret for not stopping The Who's 1979 tour after the Cincinnati disaster, calls Who fans who objected to his taking Tommy to Broadway "purists" who "think they own the Who," calls Roger, "the abusive thug of an older brother I never had," discusses his return to drinking during the Psychoderelict tour after twelve years of sobriety and declares all rock 'n' roll to now be "toothless." "...Maybe there is some music with teeth, but I haven't heard it. They are all pretending. The bands out there don't scare me and they don't scare anybody else." Pete also denies that he ever claimed to be bisexual, saying it was an interviewer's mistake over his own vague way of speaking. "I don't want to deny bisexuality as if I were being accused of child molestation or murder, as if it were some crime or something to be ashamed of, because that would be cruel to people who are gay. But I was bitter and angry at the way the truth had been distorted and decided never to do any interviews again. Not because I had been manipulated but because I didn't trust myself to be precise about what I was saying."
Pete tries to back out of his promise to perform at Roger's upcoming orchestral rock Carnegie Hall concert. Roger, in Pete's words, "goes ballistic" and Pete quickly backs down. It is the start of what will be one of the roughest years between the two bandmates.
February 1994
New music releases: Dookie - Green Day; "Streets of Philadelphia" - Bruce Springsteen; Reality Bites (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists; Pronounced Jah-Nay - Zhané
On the 14th, The Iron Man theatrical production in London closes "with tickets still selling well".
Also on the 14th, New York magazine says that Roger is scheduled to speak this week on careers in music at the Professional Performing Arts School. It is part of a "Grammy in the Schools" program.
The soundtracks to Tommy and Quadrophenia are released for the first time on CD in Britain. The next month they are released in the U.S.
The Australian group You Am I release their single "Berlin Chair" with a flip side cover of "I Can't Explain."
On the 17th, Roger and his wife Heather attend a performance of the play Blood Brothers at the Music Box theater in New York.
On the 23rd and 24th, Pete, Roger and John Entwistle are reunited, somewhat, at Carnegie Hall as part of Daltrey Sings Townshend: A Celebration, an all-star-assisted Roger performance of Pete's songs with an orchestra led by Michael Kamen. Although Roger and John perform together, Pete performs his two numbers, "And I Moved" and "Who Are You," without either of his former bandmates. The three do not appear together on stage until the finale, a performance of "Join Together," where Roger and all the guest stars group on stage.
Other guests include The Spin Doctors doing "I Can't Explain," Alice Cooper doing "I'm A Boy," Linda Perry doing "Dr. Jimmy," Lou Reed doing "Now And Then," Roger, Sinead O'Connor and The Chieftans doing "Baba O'Riley" and "After The Fire," and Eddie Vedder performing "Let My Love Open The Door," "Squeeze Box," "Naked Eye," and "My Generation." A compilation of the two shows is cablecast that weekend as a pay-per-view special. Eddie Vedder's performances are edited out, according to Roger, "because he's a star."
On the 25th, Roger and the Spin Doctors perform "Substitute" on The Late Show with David Letterman.
March 1994
New music releases: The Division Bell - Pink Floyd; Superunknown - Soundgarden; Not a Moment Too Soon - Tim McGraw; Live at the Acropolis - Yanni
On the 1st, The Who's Tommy wins the 1993 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
On the same day, Roger's 50th birthday, he receives a letter informing him that he has a daughter named Kim Binks that he has never met and she has given birth to his grandchild, Liam. Kim's mother is Lydia, a woman Roger lived with for a short time in the 1960's and now only vaguely remembers.
Also early in the month, Pete and his wife Karen enter couples therapy in a last-ditch effort to save their marriage.
Rolling Stone reports on the forthcoming 4-CD retrospective boxset and a planned 80-minute version of Live At Leeds. They also say that Pete is telling friends he intends to take The Who on a 30th anniversary tour that summer.
On the 11th, Lightning Jack, a comedy western starring Paul Hogan and Cuba Gooding, Jr. is released. Cowboy John T. Coles is played by Roger.
The Disney Channel runs an exclusive special, The Who's Tommy: The Amazing Journey, later released on home video.
Vital Music Records releases a single "Tommy in Seven Minutes" with 12 bands playing a few seconds each of the songs from the Who rock opera. Lunachicks, John S. Hall, Dogbowl, Alice Donut, Uncle Wiggly, Smack Dab, and Iron Prostate are amongst the bands.
On the 18th, Pete is interviewed on ITV Meridian's New Music.
On the 27th, The New York Times Magazine, in advance of the release of the 30 Years Of Maximum R&B boxset, carries an article called "Déjà Who" humorously criticizing the band for the many repackagings of their original recordings.
April 1994
New music releases: Throwing Copper - Live; Smash - The Offspring; Parklife - Blur; All 4 One - All-4-One
On the 13th, an exhibit of photos taken by Pete Townshend's old art school friend Tom Wright is held at The Center for American History at The University of Texas in Austin. Wright was The Who's official photographer from mid-1967 through 1968. The exhibit continues through April 29th.
On the 29th, Roger Daltrey and Pete's brother Simon Townshend perform "Baba O'Riley" and "Summertime Blues" at a memorial concert for Mick Ronson and the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
Meanwhile, on the 30th, Pete performs at a private party at the West Bank Café in New York City. The party is in honor of the first anniversary of the Broadway musical The Who's Tommy.
May 1994
New music releases: The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Elton John and Hans Zimmer; Seal [II] - Seal; Ill Communication - The Beastie Boys; "Love Is All Around" - Wet Wet Wet
Pete Townshend's Empty Glass is released as a gold CD.
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.
June 1994
New music releases: Forrest Gump: The Soundtrack - Various Artists; Purple - Stone Temple Pilots; Who I Am - Alan Jackson; When Love Finds You - Vince Gill
Pete returns to New York to work on the Tommy CD-Rom, oversee the Toronto production of Tommy and re-ignite his affair with Lisa Marsh.
Roger's "Daltrey Sings Townshend" tour was to have begun on the 25th at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada, but, after tickets have already been printed, the tour is delayed after John sustains a hand injury.
Around the same time, the newest issue of Goldmine Magazine (July 8) hits the stands containing a long talk with Roger. The bad feelings caused by Pete's refusal to participate in a 30th anniversary tour and the then lawsuit over payments from the Tommy musical lead Roger to give the bitterest interview of his career. He says Pete "used" him and John on the recording of The Iron Man, and treats them "like fucking toilet paper," that when The Who broke up that "was the end of John's life" and calls Kenney Jones drumming "fucking awful".
July 1994
New music releases: Cracked Rear View - Hootie and The Blowfish; "Kiss from a Rose" - Seal; "I'll Make Love to You" - Boyz II Men; Voodoo Lounge - The Rolling Stones
On the 4th, the first release from The Who reissue program, the 4CD, 5-hour long box set Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B is released. It goes to #48 in the U.K. charts and #170 in the U.S. Billboard charts. Released at the same time is an over 2-hour video collection with the same name and packaging featuring new interviews with Pete, Roger and John and performances from 1965 to 1989.
On the same day a CD from Roger's Carnegie Hall concerts from February, with performances by Pete and John and other special guests is released in the U.K., the following day in the U.S. A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who sells poorly.
John is interviewed in Guitar World. The article mentions he currently lives in a "stylish 1920's dwelling underneath the Hollywood sign" with his wife Maxene. His other house in Los Angeles is about to revert to his "soon to be ex-wife."
On the 16th, the Spin Doctor's new single "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast" hits the charts. The CD single includes a cover of "I Can't Explain."
Pete spends the middle of the month in Los Angeles, overseeing the touring company of The Who's Tommy and the assembly of the forthcoming Tommy CD-Rom. On the 15th, he and John attend a charity performance of the theatrical work at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.
On the 22nd, he is interviewed for Rolling Stone in San Francisco. He tells them he would give his permission for Roger and John to tour without him as The Who.
On the 29th, the Who tribute CD Who Covers Who is released in the U.S. nearly a year after its U.K. release.
Roger begins his orchestral celebration tour of the music of Pete Townshend at Red Rocks in Denver on the 30th. His band consists of John on bass, Pete's brother Simon on guitar and Zak Starkey on drums. The highlight of the show is an abridged version of Quadrophenia. Before the show Roger and John are interviewed about the new Who boxset. Roger shows his attitude towards it by turning the boxset upside down and dumping the contents on the ground.
August 1994
New music releases: II - Boyz II Men; Definitely Maybe - Oasis; "Juicy" - The Notorious B.I.G.; The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 - The Three Tenors
MCA Records planned to release The Who's complete 1969 Woodstock set on CD this month but Pete refuses permission.
On the 2nd, Roger and John perform "You Better You Bet" on The Tonight Show with Simon Townshend and Zak Starkey.
On the 5th Roger's "A Celebration of the Music of Pete Townshend" tour continues with a performance at the Fox Theater in Detroit followed by the Kings Wood Music Theatre in Toronto (7th), the Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, New York (9th), the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland (13th), the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Chicago (23rd) and the Great Woods Amphitheater in Mansfield, Massachusetts (28th). John plays bass on the tour along with Pete's brother Simon on guitar and Zak Starkey on drums.
On the 9th, S.W.A.T. releases its CD Deep Inside A Cop's Mind with a Who cover entitled "We Can See For Miles."
On the 11th, Roger is on the Howard Stern radio show.
On the 13th, Pete attends an event at Club USA in New York.
ICE magazine reports that a new bootleg copy of The Who's 1968 Fillmore East performance entitled Shakin' All Over is making the bootleg rounds. It is reported as coming from the master two-track tape.
Q Magazine runs interviews with Pete, Roger and John about select tracks on the new 30 Years Of Maximum R&B boxet. Record Magazine also features the boxset as a cover story.
Starting on the 15th, PBS stations in the U.S. begin airing a specially edited version of the 30 Years Of Maximum R&B video containing new interviews with Keith Richard, Bryan Adams and Chris Barron of The Spin Doctors.
On the 18th, Roger does a call-in interview on WBCN-FM Boston.
Back in Europe, Pete races the 1957-built yacht Pazienza in the classics rallies.
September 1994
New music releases: Monster - R.E.M.; Ready To Die - The Notorious B.I.G.; Under the Table and Dreaming - Dave Matthews Band; four - Blues Traveler
Roger and John continue with the orchestral Daltrey Sings Townshend tour performing in Cleveland at the Richfield Stadium on the 1st, the Grandstand State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota on the 3rd, Liberty Memorial in Kansas City on the 4th, Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia on the 10th and the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia on the 11th.
On the 12th, Roger is staying at the Mark Hotel in New York City when he is awakened by the sound of his next-door neighbor Johnny Depp trashing his hotel room during a fight with his girlfriend Kate Moss. Depp is arrested after smashing two 17th Century paintings, a glass tabletop and a few shelves. Roger is unimpressed telling a reporter The Who could have managed that much damage in a few seconds.
Also on the 12th, Paul Weller releases the video Live Wood in the U.K. featuring a cover of "Magic Bus".
Roger and John were to have appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman on the 13th but it is cancelled after Roger has respiratory tests that morning at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He is complaining of having trouble breathing.
Roger and John pick up the tour again on the 15th performing at the Polaris Amphitheater in Pittsburgh followed by Chastain Park in Atlanta on the 17th (where it pours rain throughout the Quadrophenia medley).
The rest of Roger's tour, with the next date in South Florida, is cancelled due to Roger's health problems.
Late in the month Pete is interviewed in his Richmond home by Cass Browne of The Senseless Things for Mojo Magazine. Also during this month, Pete and Karen's 25-year marriage comes to a de facto conclusion as the two decide to separate but there is no public announcement for five years.
On the 27th, Disney releases the home video The Who's Tommy: The Amazing Journey.
On the 29th, Pete calls in to WBCN-FM in Boston for their "Totally Townshend" morning show. He says he met with Roger the day before. Roger was there seeking Pete's approval for a Keith Moon biopic. On the same day, Pete is interviewed by the BPI Entertainment Wire: "'I feel pretty good at the moment about the Who. I've gone through a confusing period, made some mistakes. It's hard to live with the deaths of Keith, Kit Lambert and the kids in Cincinnati. But I've forgiven everybody, including myself. I'm just very, very grateful to have survived, to survive the chaos of that time."
October 1994
New music releases: "All I Want for Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey; Cross Road - Bon Jovi; Greatest Hits - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; No Need To Argue - The Cranberries
On the 7th Roger and John return to play the last dates for the "Daltrey Sings Townshend" tour. They are the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California (7th), the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas (9th), the Fresno Fairgrounds (12th), Palm Springs (13th) and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles (15th). For John's 50th birthday on the 9th, Roger sings "Happy Birthday" to him.
While in Los Angeles, John convinces long-time side girlfriend Lisa Pritchett-Johnson to accompany him back to Quarwood. She will remain there until after John's death.
Pete is also the lead interview in this month's Guitar World. He declares rock music "very, very important and very, very ridiculous."
On the 24th, the first Internet resource for Who knowledge, The Hypertext Who, is established by Wes Biggs at the University of Southern California.
November 1994
New music releases: Crazysexycool - TLC; MTV Unplugged In New York - Nirvana; Hell Freezes Over - The Eagles; Miracles: The Holiday Album - Kenny G
Roger and John's lawsuit with Pete over money due from The Who's Tommy comes to an end as their attorneys request an additional $75,000 to proceed.
On the 10th, Pete attends the 7th Annual Silver Clef Awards Dinner at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records is the award recipient.
The Troggs issue a new version of "Wild Thing" as a single in the U.K. with vocals by Oliver Reed. The single is dedicated to Keith Moon.
Starting this month, bootleg copies of Pete's Quadrophenia demos first appear in the back of Goldmine magazine under the title It's A Quad.
On the 28th, just in time for Christmas, the video The Rockers Are Alright is released in Europe. It is a poorly edited collection of interviews about The Who interspersed with clips from The Kids Are Alright.
December 1994
New music releases: The Hits - Garth Brooks; "Big Poppa" - The Notorious B.I.G.; Sixteen Stone - Bush; Second Coming - The Stone Roses
MCA Records announces that the recently released 30 Years of Maximum R&B boxset will soon be followed by a complete revamping of The Who's back catalog beginning with Live At Leeds.
On the 17th, Roger appears on the Channel 4 show Don't Forget Your Toothbrush performing "Pinball Wizard" and "I'm A Man".