The Who are one of the most celebrated rock bands of all time, and guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend is someone who bears a great deal of responsibility for the band's popularity and success. Born in London at the end of the Second World War, Townshend was able to have the support of his professional musician parents when it came to pursuing his musical dreams at a young age. Fascinated by blues and surf guitar, he quickly took up the instrument and became quite proficient. Like the Beatles, The Who were originally a 'skiffle' band that Townshend had formed with friend John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey, although they quickly moved more towards the rock and roll end of the spectrum.
Releasing their first record in 1965, The Who were lead by Pete Townshend's blazing guitar antics. British crowds were both dazzled and shocked by Townshend's wild and unorthodox approach to performing. Far from the staid, reserved guitarist that was common in most rock groups of their era, Pete Townshend would seemingly whip the songs out of his guitar with his furiously fast windmilling hand that swung over and over across his strings. This patented maneuver would soon be joined by another of the musician's trademarks - destroying his equipment. In a display of animalistic energy that would be adopted by rock bands even decades later, Townshend would angrily smash his guitar apart at the end of a show, frequently joined by his band mates in a carnage of instrumental destruction.
While it was his onstage performances that vaulted him into the top tier of rock and roll guitarists, Townshend was also revered as an extremely talented songwriter who shouldered most of the load for the The Who. It was his artistic vision that allowed them to create landmark works like 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia', using rock and roll to tell a story as vivid as any painted by a classical aria. He was also a guitar pioneer who was among the first to explore the sonic possibilities of guitar feedback, although his experiments with high volume lead him to also be amongst the first to speak out regarding the hearing loss that frequently affects professional musicians.
After The Who broke up, Pete Townshend continued to write and perform music on his own, releasing many solo albums and became involved producing films and bringing 'Tommy' to Broadway. He is currently touring with the remaining members of The Who.
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