Pete Townshend, guitarist for The Who and certainly one of the most awesome living Rock Stars ever in the universe of all time, was born on this day, May 19th, in 1945. I’m lucky enough (meaning that I am old enough now) to have seen The Who live in their prime before the death of Keith Moon. This was way back in March of 1976, at the Anaheim Stadium in Orange County, California where I grew up. I think the ticket was $12. I’d say that show is probably in the top three or four concert experiences of my life, and I do remember it was VERY LOUD, despite being held at an outdoor sports stadium with a capacity of over 55,000 people. My ears still hurt. In fact, according to Who legend, that concert is the one at which Townshend claims to have lost a good percentage of his hearing. “Happy Birthday, Pete!”
I LOVE LOVE LOVE PETE!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HIM!
You’ve tried to tell us it’s his birthday before. I won’t get fooled again! 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST!!! LOVE YOU PETE!!!
… and today he filled even 65 – Happy Birthday, Pete – one of the most influential musicians in rocks history … and beyond!
Best wishes, Lasseboo
The truth is that he claims to have lost most his hearing the night of the infamous Keith Moon bass drum explosion on The Smothers Brothers show on TV in 1967!!
Hey Jerry — Thanks for the comment. I believe that Pete cites the Smother’s Brothers Show incident as the noticeable “onset’ of damage to his hearing, though in the book Amazing Journey: The Life of Pete Townshend By Mark Wilkerson, Townshend cites the Anaheim Stadium concert as the “First tangible evidence of his hearing loss” (Pages 257 – 258). — G