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Best Known For
Roger Daltrey is a rock musician and singer who’s the former lead vocalist of The Who. He’s also a film and TV actor.
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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 NowRoger Daltrey. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:18, Jun 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574.
Roger Daltrey. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574 [Accessed 19 Jun 2013].
"Roger Daltrey." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 19 2013, 05:18 http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574.
"Roger Daltrey," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574 [accessed Jun 19, 2013].
"Roger Daltrey," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574 (accessed Jun 19, 2013).
Roger Daltrey [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574.
Roger Daltrey, http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574 (last visited Jun 19, 2013).
Roger Daltrey. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/roger-daltrey-391574. Accessed Jun 19, 2013.
Synopsis
Roger Daltrey was born on March 1, 1944 in London, England and co-found the iconic ‘60s rock band The Who, serving as lead vocalist. He performed as part of the group’s rock opera Tommy before embarking on a solo career with his 1973 self-titled debut album and follow-ups Ride a Rock Horse and One of the Boys. He’s also acted in film projects, including Legacy, Lisztomania, McVicar and Like It Is.
Early Life
Roger Daltrey was born on March 1, 1944, in London, England. As the lead singer of the Who, Daltrey has delighted and surprised rock music fans with his powerful and versatile voice for more than four decades. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood in London and attended school with future bandmates Pete Townshend and John Entwistle.
After finishing his schooling, Daltrey got a job as a steel worker and played in a band called the Detours. He got Entwistle to join the group as its bassist in 1961 and Townshend later became the group's guitarist. After a few name changes and with the addition of Keith Moon on drums, the group found success as the Who. They scored their first UK Top 10 single in 1965 with "I Can't Explain," and made their debut on the American charts in 1967 with "Happy Jack."
The Who's Success
As the Who's lead singer, Daltrey has brought many of Townshend's deftly crafted songs to life. He has shown great range as a performer, tackling rock anthems such as “My Generation” and more contemplative ballads such as "Behind Blue Eyes." Daltrey once explained his singing style to Rolling Stone magazine. "It's a very strange process. That's why I shut my eyes when I sing—I'm in another space, and the characters are living in me."
One of the band's biggest successes was the rock opera Tommy (1969), which tells the story of a boy who is deaf, blind, and mute. Through the songs on the recording, he evolves from an expert at pinball ("Pinball Wizard") to a messianic figure who regains his sight, hearing, and ability to speak ("I'm Free"). Daltrey went on to play this character in the 1975 film version of the opera.
Acting and Solo Releases
The following year, Daltrey played the lead character in the Franz Liszt biographical film, Lisztmania. He continued to seek out acting opportunities, starring in and producing McVicar (1981) about the famed bank robber. Daltrey also worked on the soundtrack, contributing the hit "Free Me." Later films include Lightning Jack (1994), Like It Is (1998) and Best (2001).
Over the years, Daltrey has also released several solo albums. His first album, 1973's Daltrey, featured such hit songs as "The Show Must Go On." Subsequent efforts, Ride a Rock Horse (1975) and One of the Boys (1977), failed to attract as much notice as his debut solo album. One of his later recordings, Under a Raging Moon (1985), was a modest success, featuring such hits as "After the Fire," which was written by Townshend.
For his work, Daltrey has received numerous awards.
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