Townshend, << TOWN zehnd, >> Pete (1945-…), an English musician, was the founding guitarist and principal composer for The Who. The Who, an important English rock group, formed in 1964 in London and disbanded in 1982, though the group has reunited occasionally for live performances. Townshend recorded 13 albums with The Who. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Both with the group and on his own, Townshend has specialized in rock operas and in concept albums, recordings in which all the songs are related. Townshend composed the rock operas Tommy (1969) and Quadrophenia (1973). His solo concept albums include White City—A Novel (1985) and The Iron Man and PsychoDerelict (both 1993). His best-known songs include “My Generation” (1965), “Pinball Wizard” (1969), and “Let My Love Open the Door” (1980).
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend was born on May 19, 1945, in London. After The Who disbanded, he worked as an editor for a publisher, who published his collection of stories, Horse’s Neck (1985). Townshend was the musical director for the motion-picture version of Tommy (1975) and the stage production on Broadway (1993). He wrote a memoir, Who I Am (2012), and a novel, The Age of Anxiety (2019).
