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Quick Facts
- NAME: Pete Townshend
- OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Drummer, Guitarist, Pianist
- BIRTH DATE: May 19, 1945 (Age: 68)
- EDUCATION: Ealing Art College
- PLACE OF BIRTH: London, England, United Kingdom
- Originally: Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend
- AKA: Bijou Drains
- AKA: Pete Townshend
- AKA: Peter Townshend
- AKA: Pete Dennis Blandford Townshend
- ZODIAC SIGN: Taurus
Best Known For
Pete Townshend is best known as the guitarist and songwriter for the band the Who as it grew to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960 and '70s.
Videos see all videos
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The Who - Full Biography (45:17)
The Who - Full Biography
The Who were the godfathers of punk, the pioneers of rock opera, and among the first rock groups to integrate synthesizers.
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Play NowPete Townshend. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:26, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169.
Pete Townshend. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169 [Accessed 21 May 2013].
"Pete Townshend." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 05:26 http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169.
"Pete Townshend," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169 [accessed May 21, 2013].
"Pete Townshend," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169 (accessed May 21, 2013).
Pete Townshend [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169.
Pete Townshend, http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169 (last visited May 21, 2013).
Pete Townshend. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/pete-townshend-12103169. Accessed May 21, 2013.
He and the rest of the band were the subjects of the 2007 television documentary Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who and a 2008 special tribute concert. The concert was filmed and later aired on television as VH1 Rock Honors: The Who. In addition to the band,
other performers at the event included grunge rockers Pearl Jam and alternative rock favorites the Flaming Lips. Actor Sean Penn and comedian Adam Sandler also served as presenters at the tribute.
Personal Life
Divorced from first wife Karen Astley, Townshend has been with singer-songwriter Rachel Fuller for years. The two often collaborate on musical projects. They have worked together on the Web-based musical program “In the Attic” and the 2007 album Attic Jam. On the recording, Townshend performs with a variety of modern acts, including Death Cab for Cutie, the Zutons and the Fratellis. The recording serves as an example of Townshend’s lasting influence on later generations of rock musicians.
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