The Who

Latest about The Who

LEFT: Pete Townshend of The Who performs live on stage at the Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey on 10th September 1979. Townshend plays his Wine Red Gibson Les Paul Deluxe guitar number 1. RIGHT: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin performs on stage at Oude Rai on 27th May 1972 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He plays a Gibson Les Paul guitar.
Pete Townshend reveals why he avoided Led Zeppelin: “They were trying to pinch our audience”

By Martin Kielty Published

The Who guitarist says he eventually discovered “some fucking great stuff” in Zeppelin’s catalog — but explains why he struggled to connect with heavy metal, including Black Sabbath

Guitarists
LEFT: The Who, Pete Townshend in concert circa 1969 at the Isle of Wight Music Festival, England . RIGHT: Screengrab of YouTube video about man who caught Townshend's guitar
Pete Townshend’s rescued 1969 SG is coming out of retirement

By Phil Weller Published

Caught amid the chaos of the Who’s infamous 1970 New York show, the guitar remained with the fan who saved it for more than 50 years. Now it will be loaned out to big-name players.

Guitarists
The Who pose for a press call, July 1971, Surrey, United Kingdom, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey.
The Who’s lost Who by Numbers tapes were hiding in plain sight

By Phil Weller Published

A musical detective uncovered the original multitracks for The Who by Numbers, along with Pete Townshend’s demos and more than 50 years of Who history

Albums, Singles & New Releases
INDIO, CA - OCTOBER 16: Musicians Pete Townshend (L) and Roger Daltrey of The Who perform onstage during Desert Trip at The Empire Polo Club on October 16, 2016 in Indio, California.
Roger Daltrey says the Who are rehearsing again: “It sounded great”

By Elizabeth Swann Published

Daltrey drops a surprising update less than a year after he and Pete Townshend completed the Who’s farewell tour — plus, Zak Starkey is back behind the kit

Guitarists
Pete Townshend of The Who performs live on stage at the Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey on 10th September 1979. Townshend plays his Wine Red Gibson Les Paul Deluxe guitar number 1.
Pete Townshend on the Who's real lead guitar player

By Christopher Scapelliti Published

Townshend and John Entwistle said their inadvertent switching of lead guitar and bass roles confused fans — but it defined the Who's sound

Guitarists
LEFT: Bob Dylan at Live Aid during Live Aid Concert - July 13, 1985 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ()CENTER: Pete Townshend of The Who performs on stage at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium on July 13th, 1985 in London, United Kingdom. RIGHT: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin performs at Live Aid at Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 13, 1985.
For Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and Bob Dylan, Live Aid was a case of bad vibes for a good cause

By Gary Graff Published

We look back at a few of the big guitar moments from the global music event, held 41 years ago this weekend

Guitarists
LEFT: Pete Townshend performing live onstage July 31, 2004. RIGHT: Angus Young of AC/DC performs during their "Black Ice" Tour Opener on October 28, 2008 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Pete Townshend on the one thing that has kept Angus Young and AC/DC from evolving

By Christopher Scapelliti Published

The Who guitarist still called Young “one of my favorite guitar players” but used AC/DC to illustrate a point he'd been making ever since he built one of rock's first home studios

Guitarists
LEFT: Peter FRAMPTON, performing live onstage, playing Gibson Les Paul Custom. RIGHT: Pete Townshend of The Who plays his 1975 Gibson Les Paul deluxe #9 guitar on stage, September 1979.
“I think I want you to play with the Who now.” Peter Frampton on Pete Townshend’s career-saving invitation — and the silence that followed

By Gary Graff Published

As his new documentary premieres, Frampton recalls the moment Townshend invited him to replace him in the Who — only to leave him waiting by the phone as his career hit rock bottom.

Guitarists
Portrait of the Who, taken in 1968. (from left) Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle
Roger Daltrey says the Who invented metal before Black Sabbath

By Phil Weller Published

The singer says the Who's pioneering use of volume, feedback and Marshall amps laid the foundations for metal years before Black Sabbath arrived.

Makers
THE WHO UK rock group with Pete Townshend on Ready, Steady, Go, in 1966.
Pete Townshend on the woman who preoccupied him and Jimmy Page at the Who’s “I Can’t Explain” session

By Christopher Scapelliti Published

Townshend was surprised to find Page hired for the Who's landmark recording — but both guitarists were distracted by talk of their shared girlfriend

Music
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