Peter Dennis Townshend ( / tanznd /; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. "Destruction is art when set to music. It became a commercial smash, reaching number one in the UK, and spawned two successful hit singles, "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", that featured pioneering use of the synthesizer. Townshend is one of the key figures in the development of feedback in rock guitar. In the early days with the Who, Townshend played an Emile Grimshaw SS De Luxe and 6-string and 12-string Rickenbacker semi-hollow electric guitars primarily (particularly the Rose-Morris UK-imported models with special f-holes). 3 in Dave Marsh's 1994 list of Best Guitarists in The New Book of Rock Lists. At . While the Who were playing, Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman jumped the stage to complain about the arrest of John Sinclair. It could happen at any time. An equerry, Townsend worked as an aide to the king.. Married with two young boys, 29-year-old Townsend grew close to the family through the years, including George's two daughters Elizabeth and . [6] He and Roger Daltrey received The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA on 21 May 2016. The loving husband of Robin D. Petersen, owners and operators of Back Bay Farm in Ipswich. [59] The result was the rock opera Tommy, released on 23 May 1969 to critical and commercial success. The earliest public example of Townshend's involvement with charitable causes was in 1968, when Townshend donated the use of his former Wardour Street apartment to the Meher Baba Association. Introduction : Isabelle Townsend is a former advertising model, actress and theater artist. Townshend wrote a song, "I Can't Explain", as a deliberate sound-alike of the Kinks, another group Talmy produced. "[30] Dawson quit in 1962 after arguing too much with Daltrey, who subsequently moved to lead vocalist. [23], Townshend's brothers Paul and Simon were born in 1957 and 1960, respectively. SHE LOOKS LIKE HER! The debut of Townshend's stage version of Tommy took place at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse in July 1992. [65], Townshend began writing songs for another rock opera in 1973. [56], By 1968, Townshend became interested in the teachings of Meher Baba. Referring to that, in July 2011, Townshend wrote at his blog: "My hearing is actually better than ever because after a feedback scare at the indigO2 in December 2008 I am taking good care of it. The Who were the final performers at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London, performing a medley of "Baba O'Riley", "See Me, Feel Me", and "My Generation". [144][145] Townshend claimed he accessed the images as research in a campaign against child sexual abuse[146] specifically, to prove that British banks were complicit in channelling the profits from paedophile rings. However, after the news broke out . In 1989 during a radio interview, Townshend was mistakenly believed to have acknowledged his bisexuality, which he later clarified as actually a reference to gay friends.. . Townsend died of stomach cancer in 1995, at the age of 80, in Rambouillet, France. "Trauma is passed from generation to generation", he said, "I've unwittingly inherited what my father experienced. The two-year separation ended when Cliff and Betty purchased a house together on Woodgrange Avenue in middle-class Acton, and the young Pete was happily reunited with his parents. In Love With Meher Baba described Townshend's spiritual leanings. Townshend's solo breakthrough, following the death of Who drummer Keith Moon, was the 1980 release Empty Glass, which included the top-10 single "Let My Love Open the Door", and lesser singles "A Little Is Enough" and "Rough Boys". He also occasionally used Fender Jazzmasters on stage in 1967 and 1968[123] and in the studio for Tommy. [70] On 14 April 1974, Townshend played his first solo concert, a benefit to raise funds for a London community centre. Townshend remained the primary songwriter and leader of the group, writing over 100 songs which appeared on the band's eleven studio albums. [44], To capitalise on their recent single success, the Who's debut album My Generation (The Who Sings My Generation in the US) was released in late 1965, containing original material written by Townshend and several James Brown covers that Daltrey favoured. "[60], In 1970, the Who released Live at Leeds, which several music critics cite as the best live album of all time. The following year, the association was moved to another Townshend-owned apartment, the Eccleston Square former residence of his wife Karen. Peter Townsend, the dashing World War II fighter pilot who loved and lost Princess Margaret, has died after more than 30 years of self-imposed exile. At about this time, Townshend, who had been searching the past two years for a basis for a rock opera, created a story inspired by the teachings of Baba and other writings and expressing the enlightenment he believed that he had received from them, which ultimately became Tommy. He was ranked No. Rock icon pens memoir. Townshend began to feel alienated, and the project was abandoned after he suffered a nervous breakdown. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. I can't really see any way around the issue." So the interviewer kind of dotted the t's and crossed the i's and assumed that this was a coming out, which it wasn't at all. By Mehera Bonner Published: Sep 22, 2022. Townsend (center) with the royal family leaving St Paul's cathedral. Sunday would have marked the 92nd birthday of the Queen 's only sibling, her younger sister Princess . [13] Not long thereafter, he went to see Bill Haley perform in London, Townshend's first concert. [63] Much of the material intended for Lifehouse was released as a traditional studio album, Who's Next. [42] However, it was the release of the Who's third single, "My Generation", in November that, according to Who biographer Mark Wilkerson, "cemented their reputation as a hard-nosed band who reflected the feelings of thousands of pissed-off adolescents at the time. Peter Woolridge Townsend, air force officer, courtier, diplomat, writer: born Rangoon 22 November 1914; DFC and bar 1940; DSO 1941; Equerry to King George VI 1944-52, Deputy Master, HM Household . [50], The Who commenced their first US tour on 22 March 1967. It sowed a seed.". ROBERT TOWNSEND OBITUARY. [12] He enjoyed his family's frequent excursions to the seaside and the Isle of Man. The project was known as MEFA, or Meher Baba European Film Archive. 10 in Rolling Stone's updated 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. I first became introduced to the work of Robert Townsend unceremoniously when his family sitcom, The Parent 'Hood, premiered on The WB network in 1995. London, with the Royal family : King George VI, the Queen. He was a family practice physician in Syracuse his entire career; he was also a lifetime member of Temple Adath Yeshurun. Criterion Collection, Hollywood Shuffle, Robert Townsend. This release was followed in 1982 by All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, which included the popular radio track "Slit Skirts". Despite The Crown's depiction of a reunion in the 1990s, it is too simplistic to blame the late Queen . Not only was Townsend 16 years older than Margaret, but he was also a divorcee . In 1947, Margaretthe daughter of King George VI and the Queen Mother and younger sister to Queen . George Townsend, also known as Shredder, is a minor antagonist in Family Guy, only appearing in the episode "Short Cuts". Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend, born in November 1914, was a Royal Air Force officer. I have had assistance from younger forensic engineers and mastering engineers to help me clean up the high frequencies that are out of my range. [103] On 24 January 2012 Townshend sold the rights to all of his back catalog and much of his future work including Floss The Musical if it is ever completed. Margaret became enamored with Peter Townsend, a dashing World War II fighter pilot. Eventually, he got a divorce and planned to marry Princess Margaret. In addition to his . Townshend also wrote three sizeable essays for Rolling Stone magazine, the first of which appeared in November 1970. [139] According to The Sunday Times Rich List his assets were worth 40million as of 2009. Due to his aggressive playing style and innovative songwriting techniques, Townshend's works with the Who and in other projects have earned him critical acclaim. [14] At the time, he did not see himself pursuing a career as a professional musician; instead, he wanted to become a journalist. He was a writer, known for Passeport pour le monde (1959), L'invit du dimanche (1968) and This Week (1956). [35], Not long after the name change, drummer Doug Sandom was replaced by Keith Moon, who had been drumming semi-professionally with the Beachcombers for several years. [61] Townshend began writing material for another rock opera. Saint-Leger-en-Yvelines, France. Peter Townsend was born 1914 in Rangoon, Burma, and was educated at Haileybury School. Neil Young introduced him to an audiologist who suggested he use an in-ear monitor, and although they cancelled their spring 2010 touring schedule, Townshend used the device at their one remaining London concert on 30 March 2010, to ascertain the feasibility of Townshend continuing to perform with the Who.[150]. By 1953, Townsend had divorced his wife and proposed to the 22-year-old Princess. [151] He refused to let Michael Moore use "Won't Get Fooled Again" in Fahrenheit 9/11, saying that he watched Bowling for Columbine and was not convinced. [117] On the Who's The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour appearance in 1967, Townshend used a Vox Cheetah guitar,[118] which he only used for that performance; the guitar was destroyed by Townshend and Moon's drum explosion. Several of Townshend's essays have been posted online, including "Meher BabaThe Silent Master: My Own Silence" in 2001, and "A Different Bomb", an indictment of the child pornography industry, the following year. Townshend also released several albums dedicated to his spiritual mentor Meher Baba, listed on the discography page. As a result of his position with Faber and Faber, Townshend developed friendships with both Nobel prize-winning author of Lord of the Flies, Sir William Golding, and British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. 7 in the UK and 8 in the US. Pete Townshend opens up. Notable projects included editing Animals frontman Eric Burdon's autobiography, Charles Shaar Murray's award-winning Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix and Post-War Pop, Brian Eno and Russell Mills's More Dark Than Shark, and working with Prince Charles on a volume of his collected speeches. Whereas the other players like Jeff Beck and myself were playing more single note things than chords. [106] In a 2015 interview Townshend stated that the work was intended to be an art installation. Townshend has written more than 100 songs for 12 of the Who's studio albums. Townshend was ranked No. In March 2011, Roger Daltrey said in an interview with the BBC that Townshend had recently experienced gradual but severe hearing loss and was now trying to save what remained of his hearing: "Pete's having terrible trouble with his hearing. The Family Life of Old People. [15], Upon passing the eleven-plus exam, Townshend was enrolled at Acton County Grammar School. [9] The Townshends had a volatile marriage, as both drank heavily and possessed fiery tempers. Four years later, in December 1959, Peter Townsend married Marie-Luce Jamagne, with whom he had three children. In a 1974 Penthouse interview he stated that he recognised in practice he was a capitalist who was rewarded well for his work, but that his ideals were communist. In the late 1960s, Townshend began playing Gibson SG Special models almost exclusively. In 1989 Townshend began work on a novel entitled Ray High & The Glass Household, a draft of which was later submitted to his editor. These include concept albums, the rock operas Tommy (1969) and Quadrophenia (1973), plus popular rock radio staples such as Who's Next (1971); as well as dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilation albums such as Odds & Sods (1974). Notable artists and designers gave lectures at the college such as auto-destructive art pioneer Gustav Metzger. During the 1980s, Townshend mainly used Fenders, Rickenbackers and Telecaster-style models built for him by Schecter and various other luthiers. [93][94], From the mid-1990s through the present, Townshend has participated in a series of tours with the surviving members of the Who, including a 2002 tour that continued despite Entwistle's death.[95]. [111], Although he grew up in a household with jazz musicians, Townshend absorbed many of his ideas about performance and rock music themes during art school. In light of these influences, guitar smashing became not just an expression of youthful angst, but also a means of conveying ideas through musical performance. Further examples of Townshend's drug rehabilitation activism took place in the form of a 1984 benefit concert (incidentally the first live performance of Manchester band the Stone Roses), an article he wrote a few days later for Britain's Mail on Sunday urging better care for the nation's growing number of drug addicts, and the formation of a charitable organisation, Double-O Charities, to raise funds for the causes he'd recently championed. He's very good at his chord scene, too.[82]. When this established that millions of people were living in abject hardship, the shockwaves went beyond the academy, making Townsend a public figure - "the man who rediscovered poverty". In July 1983, Townshend took a position as an acquisitions editor for London publisher Faber and Faber. Townshend has also recorded several concert albums, including one featuring a supergroup he assembled called Deep End, with David Gilmour on guitar, who performed just three concerts and a television show session for The Tube, to raise money for his Double-O charity, supporting drug addicts. [96] The blog closed in October 2006, as noted on Townshend's website. Peter Townsend did eventually remarry, very happily, and became the father of a second family.. What happened to Townsend after Margaret? His first solo concert, for example, was a 1974 benefit show which was organised to raise funds for the Camden Square Community Play Centre. A production described as a Townshend rock opera and titled The Boy Who Heard Music debuted as part of Vassar College's Powerhouse Summer Theater program in July 2007. While Phillip did begin taking lessons in 1952, he was not instructed by Townsend.. Later on, the series shows Winston Churchill to be quite upset by the news that . If you're going to watch The Crown, here's what you need to know about the Queen's younger sister. Even after . [33] The Detours became aware of a group of the same name in February 1964, forcing them to change their name. The third article, "The Punk Meets the Godmother", appeared in November 1977. "Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy", a blow-by-blow account of the Who compilation album of the same name, followed in December 1971. He also used the Gibson ES-335, one of which he donated to the Hard Rock Cafe. A further limited release, With Love, was released in 1976. This 3200 system was modified to be of similar specification to the 9600, including the addition internally of FM voices, stereo Poly voices and with the large VPK keyboard. "The committee sees to it that it is open a couple of days a week, and keeps the bills paid and the library full", he wrote in a 1970 Rolling Stone article. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.[2][3]. May 19, 1945 (age 70. Upon their marriage, Antony was bequeathed the title 'Earl of Snowdon'. Townshend has also contributed to and authored many newspaper and magazine articles, book reviews, essays, books, and scripts, and he has collaborated as a lyricist and composer for many other musical acts. When the excited audience responded enthusiastically after he accidentally broke the head off his guitar on a low ceiling during a concert at the Railway Hotel pub in Wealdstone, west London, he incorporated the eventual smashing of his instrument into the band's performances. [46] Lambert encouraged Townshend to write longer pieces of music for the next album, which became "A Quick One, While He's Away". The second child of King George VI and the Queen Mother, and the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret first fell in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend at just 17 years old. Their lineup coalesced around Roger Daltrey on lead guitar, Townshend on rhythm guitar, Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom on drums, and Colin Dawson as vocalist. The show was earmarked as a benefit for the London-based Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, an organisation which helps children with autism and intellectual disability. People named Peter Townsend. It included several humorous jingles and mock commercials between songs,[54] and the Who's biggest US single, "I Can See for Miles". Browse 99 princess margaret peter townsend stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The "large clinic" Townshend was referring to was a drug treatment facility in London that he and drug rehabilitation experimenter, Meg Patterson, had devised, but the plan failed to come to fruition. Answer (1 of 3): Princess Margaret was madly in love with Peter Townsend, who was not only old enough to be her father (he was just a bit younger than her father, the late King George VI), he was also a divorcee. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. He's overrated in England, but at the same time you find a lot of people like Jeff Beck and Hendrix getting credit for things he started. Townshend figured prominently in the development of what is widely known in rock circles as the "Marshall stack". [19] Townshend and school friend John Entwistle formed a short-lived trad jazz group, the Confederates, featuring Townshend on banjo and Entwistle on horns. You can play something slowly and you press a switch and it plays it back at double speed. The album was subsequently titled A Quick One[47] and reached No. $105 Million. Net Worth. Townshend performed at a 1995 benefit organised by Paul Simon at Madison Square Garden's Paramount Theatre for the Children's Health Fund. So Sarah might be the chicest royal in the family. 80. Townshend has also attributed the start of his hearing loss to Keith Moon's famous exploding drum set during the Who's 1967 appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Pete Townshend. Around the time of Who's Next, he used a tweed Fender Bandmaster amp (also given to him by Joe Walsh in 1970[125]), which he also used for Quadrophenia and The Who by Numbers. [40], With the assistance of Lambert, the Who caught the ear of American record producer Shel Talmy, who had the band signed to a record contract. . PETER TOWNSEND OBITUARY. He was a pivotal role in the genre of rock music in the 1960s and 1970s. The commercially available video of the Kampuchea concert shows the two rock icons duelling and clowning[90] through Rockestra mega-band versions of "Lucille", "Let It Be", and "Rockestra Theme"; Townshend closes the proceedings with a characteristic split-legged leap.[91]. [41] A follow-up single ("Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"), credited to both Townshend and Daltrey, also reached the top 10 in the UK. Townshend published a semi-autobiographical story The Boy Who Heard Music as a serial on a blog beginning in September 2005. Townsend notably had a romance with Princess Margaret, Elizabeth's younger sister. PETER TOWNSEND OBITUARY. Peter Townsend (drummer) Family Background & Career. The Family Life of Old People: An Inquiry in East London. Pete Townshend was barely 20 years old when he and The Who recorded his classic 1965 song of youthful independence, "My Generation," with its defiant declaration: "Hope I die before I get . In a 1985 radio interview, he said: What I'm most active in doing is raising money to provide beds in clinics to help people that have become victims of drug abuse. [135], Townshend met Karen Astley, daughter of film composer Edwin Astley, while in art school. The Marshall stack was born, and Townshend used these as well as Hiwatt stacks. Queen Victoria Family. The tapes malfunctioned during a performance in Newcastle, prompting Townshend to drag soundman Bob Pridden onstage, scream at him and kick over all the amplifiers, partially destroying the malfunctioning tapes. and John Bonham", "Pete Townshend's Classic Quadrophenia With Billy Idol Announces U.S. Tour Dates (by Michael Gallucci)", "Pete Townshend Plots Short 'Classic Quadrophenia' Tour Townshend will revisit the Who's famous double album with an orchestra to reach "classical and pop music lovers alike" (by Elias Leight)", "Pete Townshend: The Rolling Stone Interview", "The Who Official Band Website Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon, Home", "The Who, and the Super Bowl's Evolving Halftime Show", "Roger Daltrey should write songs for next Who album", "Album Review: The Who Remain Blunt as Ever on Uneven WHO", "Pete Townshend on the Future of the Who", "Townshend Offers Update On New Solo Project WROR", "The Who's Pete Townshend plans new musical", "The Who Sell Out: Pete Townshend Gets Millions for Back Catalog", "An interview with Pete Townshend: 'I might retire from making money', "The Who's Pete Townshend announces debut novel, The Age of Anxiety", "Pete Townshend: "I wasn't trying to make beautiful music", "Guild F-612XL 12-string acoustic guitar | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear | Whotabs", "Takamine Guitars | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear | Whotabs", "Danelectro Guitars | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear | Whotabs", "10 Things You Gotta Do To Play Like Pete Townshend", "The Who's guitar is smash hit of Woodstock display", "The secrets behind Pete Townshend's tone on The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again", "Pete Townshend's Smashed Rickenbacker Takes More Than $78K at Auction", "Pete's Equipment, Harmony Sovereign H-1270 12-string acoustic guitar, Whotabs, Pete Townshend", "Fender Jazzmaster | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear", "Vox amplifiers | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear", "Pete's Gear: 1959 Fender Bandmaster Amplifier", "Pete Townshend: On Guitar-Smashing Regrets, Stylistic Evolution, and Becoming a Gear Aficionado", "1952 Fender Telecaster | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear", "ARP 2500 and 2600 synthesizers | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear | Whotabs", "In Love with Meher Baba, by Pete Townshend", "Pete Townshend: So Why Did a Guy Who Hates Pinball Write A Rock Opera About it?