Person Open DS/UK/13941 Townshend; Pete (19 May 1945); English singer songwriter and musician Townshend Pete 19 May 1945 English singer songwriter and musician Male Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend Bijou Drains Chiswick, Middlesex, England (born)

English Musician; Singer Songwriter White Son of Cliff Townshend (saxophonist in RAF Squadronaires band) and Betty Dennis (singer with Sydney Torch and Les Douglass Orchestras) Husband of Rachel Fuller (musician) Former husband of Karen Astley (fashion designer) Bisexual / Pansexual Awards, Honours and Legacy: In 1983, Townshend received the Brit Award for Lifetime Achievement; in 1990, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who; in 2001, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Who; and in 2008 he received Kennedy Center Honors. He and Roger Daltrey received The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA in 2016. Activism and Views: In 1967 Townshend had begun to explore spirituality. Townshend swiftly absorbed all of Meher Baba's writings that he could find; by 1968, he announced himself Baba's disciple. 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. Charity and Philanthropy: Townshend has woven a long history of involvement with various charities and other philanthropic efforts throughout his career. His first solo concert was a 1974 benefit show which was organised to raise funds for the Camden Square Community Play Centre. In 1979 Townshend donated his services to the human rights organisation Amnesty International when he performed three songs for its benefit show The Secret Policeman's Ball. Pete Townshend is an English multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter best known as the guitarist, backing and secondary lead vocalist, principal songwriter, co-founder and leader of the rock band The Who. His career with the Who spans over 50 years, during which time the band grew to be one of the most important and influential rock bands of the 20th century. Pete Townshend is the main songwriter for the Who, having written well over 100 songs for the band's 12 studio albums, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus popular rock radio staples such as Who's Next, and dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilations such as Odds & Sods (1974). He has also written more than 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, as well as radio jingles and television theme songs. Although known primarily as a guitarist, he also plays keyboards, banjo, accordion, harmonica, ukulele, mandolin, violin, synthesiser, bass guitar, and drums, on his own solo albums, several Who albums and as a guest contributor to an array of other artists' recordings. He is self-taught on all of the instruments he plays and has never had any formal training. 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. 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Townshend (2020) International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHSkeyte 3/14/2014 Rachael.Fragola 3/1/2022 a6d0bed5-de83-45a2-b804-075ed86570f2