How to Hire PETE TOWNSHEND For Your Event!
aka: Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend, Bijou Drains
Member of: the Who
Based in: England
Hire: Pete Townshend
GRAMMY award-winning Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is the 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. Due to his aggressive playing style and innovative songwriting techniques, Townshend’s work with the Who and in other projects has earned him critical acclaim.
In 1983, Townshend received the Brit Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in 1990, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who. Townshend was ranked No. 3 in Dave Marsh’s 1994 list of Best Guitarists in The New Book of Rock Lists.
In 2001, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Who.
– Hire Pete Townshend for your festival or concert plans. – (t,s)
In 2008, he received Kennedy Center Honors. He was ranked No. 10 in Gibson.com’s 2011 list of the top 50 guitarists and No. 10 in Rolling Stone’s updated 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
On 21 May 2016, he and Roger Daltrey received The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA.
Many rock guitarists have cited Townshend as an influence, among them Slash, Alex Lifeson, and Steve Jones.
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. Townshend’s roommate at Ealing Art College, Tom Wright, had a large record collection, and Townshend listened to and became influenced by R&B and rock & roll artists like Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, Booker T. & the MGs, Little Walter, and Chuck Berry.
Pete Townshend was also strongly influenced by cellist, Malcolm Cecil, who often damaged his cello during performances, along with Gustav Metzger, pioneer of auto-destructive art. 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. “We advanced a new concept”, he writes. “Destruction is art when set to music.” Townshend also cited Robbie Basho as a significant influence, saying, “I’ve totally been influenced by him. You can hear it in my work.”
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