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Townshend: 'Spokesman for a generation'
LONDON, England -- British guitarist, composer and a producer Pete Townshend is a founding member of one of the world's most rebellious rock bands and is hailed as "a spokesman for his generation." Since the 60s, The Who has forged a reputation for their theatrical stage shows -- including smashing their guitars and amplifiers -- and a string of hits, including "My Generation," "Substitute" and "Pinball Wizard." But amid the success and fame, the band has twice been rocked by tragedy. In June last year, bassist John Entwistle died aged 57 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In 1978, original drummer Keith Moon died from a drugs overdose. This year Townshend became the centre of controversy after admitting paying to enter a child porn Internet site for research. He denied being a pedophile but was later cautioned by police. (Full story) Townshend, 57, a married father of three, met his future bandmates Roger Daltrey and Entwistle at school in west London. In 1959, the trio formed a band, the Detours, with Townshend on guitar, Entwistle on bass and Daltrey on lead vocals. Three years later they hired Moon and released the single, "I'm the Face," before relaunching as The Who. Their first single and Townshend's first composition for the band, "I Can't Explain," reached the UK Top 10 in 1965. Huge hits followed in the UK including "My Generation," "Substitute," and "I'm a Boy." "Although I was well past my teenage troubles, our music was specifically designed to lubricate the passage from adolescence to adulthood," Townshend once said.
"Without questions, as a writer, that's where I was most successful. And, you know, I have never got close to that standard of writing again." But in the late 1960s as their fortunes increased in the U.S. with their biggest single hit "I Can See for Miles," the Who's career began to flag in the Britain. That record barely got into the Top Ten in Britain. Subsequent singles such as "Dogs" and "Magic Bus" did even less well. The album they released in December 1967, "The Who Sell Out," did not sell as well as their previous ones. During this downturn, Townshend turned to the teachings of Indian mystic Meher Baba. Townshend would become Baba's most-famous disciple and his following work would reflect what he learned from Baba's teachings. One such idea was that those who can perceive earthly things are unable to perceive the world of God. From this Townshend devised a story of a boy who becomes deaf, dumb and blind and removed from such earthly perceptions can then see God. When cured he becomes a messiah figure. The story eventually become known the world over as "Tommy" and was released as an album in May 1969. It was a last ditch effort to save the band and give them a hit and material for their stage show and was later to become a successful film. In October 1975 The Who released their seventh album, "The Who By Numbers," with the tracks "However Much I Booze," "Dreaming From The Waist" and "Blue Red and Grey" reflecting Townshend's personal battles at the time. In 1980, two years after Moon's death, Townshend launched his solo career with his first solo album, "Empty Glass." Further projects followed. In 1983, Townshend became associate editor at publishers Faber & Faber, and in 1985 he published a collection of stories, "White City." In 2001 he received a lifetime achievement award at the Ivor Novello Awards in London.
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