Pete Townshend facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend (2012).jpg
Townshend in 2012
Background information
Birth name Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend
Also known as Bijou Drains
Born 19 May 1945 (1945-05-19) (age 75)
Chiswick, London, England
Genres Rock, hard rock, power pop, progressive rock, British beat, jazz
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter, composer, musical arranger, author
Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards
Years active 1962–present
Labels Track, Polydor, Atlantic, Atco, Decca, Rykodisc, Warner Bros.
Associated acts The Who, Deep End, Ronnie Lane, Thunderclap Newman

Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English rock musician, songwriter and author best known as the founder of the band The Who.

Beginning in 1961, he studied graphic design at Ealing Art College. At Ealing, Townshend studied with future Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and future Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

Townshend is the primary songwriter for The Who and has written over one hundred songs for the band's eleven studio albums including the rock operas "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" and the popular rock radio staple "Who's Next." Although known mainly as a guitarist he is also an accomplished singer and keyboard player and has played many other instruments including: banjo, accordion, bass guitar and drums.

Townshend has also written many newspaper and magazine articles, books, book reviews, essays and scripts. Townshend was ranked #3 in Dave Marsh's list of best guitarists in "The New Book of Rock Lists" and #50 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

He and Roger Daltrey received The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA on 21 May 2016.

Images for kids

  • Pete Townshend and Keith Moon 1967

    Townshend (with Moon, rear right) backstage before a gig at Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Ludwigshafen, Germany on 12 April 1967

  • Pete Townshend Windmill-(jha)

    Townshend's "windmill" technique

  • Pete Townshend in Hamburg

    Pete Townshend performing in Hamburg, Germany in August 1972

  • Pete Townshend - Phyllis Keating

    Pete Townshend in concert, 2008.

  • BouncingTownshend

    Townshend leaping into air in concert

  • Pete Townshend 2007

    Townshend playing a Fender Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster

  • Pete-Townshend in Austin

    Townshend performing in Austin, Texas, as a supporting guest of friend and former Small Faces/Faces musician, Ian McLagan in 2007


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