Pete Townshend of The Who

Pete Townshend (born Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend on May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer.

Townshend made his name as the guitarist and principal songwriter for rock band The Who. His career with them spans more than 40 years, during which time the band grew to be considered one of the greatest and most influential rock bands of all time, in addition to being "possibly the greatest live band ever."

Townshend is the primary songwriter for the group, writing over 100 songs on the band's eleven studio albums, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus dozens of additional songs that appeared as non-album track singles, bonus tracks on reissues and tracks on rarities compilations such as Odds and Sods.

Although known mainly for being a guitarist, he is also an accomplished singer and keyboard player, and has played many other instruments on his solo albums, and on some Who albums (such as banjo, bass guitar, drums).

Townshend has been a follower of the Indian religious guru Meher Baba, whose teachings require abstinence from drug use, something with which Townshend has had several public battles.

His solo career, while only sporadically active, gave him the chance to play with one of his heroes, John Lee Hooker, as well as other respected rock musicians such as Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Ronnie Lane, among others.

In addition to Townshend's musical activities, he has written newspaper and magazine articles, book reviews, essays, books, and scripts. He has also been a long-standing supporter of various charities and other philanthropic efforts.

Suffering from hearing loss as a result of extensive exposure to loud music through headphones and in concerts, Townshend helped fund the formation of Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers.

Townshend met and married Karen Astley in 1968, but the couple separated in 1994 and Townshend announced they would divorce in 2000. In 1997 he met Rachel Fuller, his current partner.

In 2003, he was the subject of international headlines, when he accepted a Police Caution for accessing a website alleged to advertise child pornography. (Investigative journalist Duncan Campbell later stated in a Guardian article that Townshend was "falsely accused of accessing child pornography.")

Despite this potentially career-ending controversy, in 2006, The Who released their first album of new material in almost 25 years, and launched a successful world tour.

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