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Pete Townshend was the guitarist and primary
songwriter for the Who from 1964 to 1982, also participating in
the group's occasional reunions after its formal breakup. Best-known
for his conceptual works, he wrote Tommy and Quadrophenia for
the band, as well as the bulk of its other material. He made his
first, tentative solo album, Who Came First, in 1972. Dedicated
to his guru, Meher Baba, it continued themes pursued in Who's
Next and like that album, contained material originally intended
for an abortive conceptual work, Lifehouse, and it sold modestly.
In 1976, he made a duo album, Rough Mix, with Ronnie Lane, formerly
the bassist in the Small Faces. Townshend's first full-fledged
solo effort was Empty Glass (1980), which sold a million copies,
reached the Top Five, and featured the Top Ten hit "Let My Love
Open the Door," as well as the minor hits "A Little Is Enough"
and "Rough Boys." He followed it in 1982 with All the Best Cowboys
Have Chinese Eyes, which was less successful. Nevertheless, he
felt he could no longer write for the Who, and at the end of the
year, the group disbanded following a North American tour.
Townshend released Scoop, a two-disc compilation of demos, in
1983 (a second volume appeared in 1987). In 1985, he returned
to thematic efforts with the album White City - A Novel, which
included the Top 30 single "Face the Face." The same year, he
published a book of short stories, Horse's Neck. As part of the
White City project, he appeared in an accompanying film, for which
he organized a band called Pete Townshend's Deep End. The unit
played only a few gigs, but one was videotaped and recorded, resulting
in the 1986 album Pete Townshend's Deep End Live! In 1989, he
released an album based on poet Ted Hughes' children's story,
The Iron Man. The record featured guest vocals by John Lee Hooker
and Nina Simone, as well as two tracks featuring the three surviving
members of the Who. Simultaneous with the album's release, Townshend
embarked on a reunion tour with the Who, an event that overshadowed
The Iron Man, which enjoyed only modest sales.
In 1993, Townshend delivered Psychoderelict, another conceptual
work, to mixed reviews and poor sales. By that time, however,
he had successfully reinvented himself as a Broadway tunesmith
— the theatrical production entitled The Who's Tommy had become
a runaway hit, earning him a Tony Award and prompting him to pursue
more stage musicals. None of these came to fruition during the
rest of the 1990s, though, and by the end of the decade, he was
releasing live and archival recordings (notably the long-delayed
Lifehouse) through his website, www.eelpie.com, and planning another
reunion with the Who.
This bio courtesy www.allmusic.com
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