History - The Who Official Website
History
THE STORY OF THE WHO 1944-2016
 
Roger Harry Daltrey born in Shepherds Bush, London.
 
John Alec Entwistle born in Chiswick, London.
 
1945
19 May
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend born in Chiswick, London. His father, Cliff, is a professional saxophonist and his mother, Betty, is a singer.
 
Keith John Moon born in Wembley, Middlesex.
 
1959
Pete and John form The Confederates, a trad jazz outfit, while at Acton County School. Pete plays the banjo and John the French horn. Roger attends the same school, a year ahead of them.
 
1961
September
Pete enrolls at Ealing Art School; art college being the classic training ground for British rock stars of the Sixties, while John works for the Acton tax office. Roger becomes a sheet metal worker, building his own guitars.  His group, The Detours, originally a skiffle group, formed at Acton County School, recruits John on bass guitar.
 
1962
Pete is added on guitar at John’s suggestion. Behind the drums is Doug Sandom and Colin Dawson is the up-front vocalist.
 
Keith, unknown to Pete, Roger and John at this point, starts the first of what he estimates to have been “23 jobs in two years”. He also plays drums with the group, Mark Twain & The Strangers.
 
1963
Rogers assumes the role of lead singer in The Detours after kicking out Colin Dawson. They become a hard working semi-pro rock’n’roll/R&B quartet on the west London circuit of pubs, clubs and ballrooms.
 
1964
February
The Detours change their name to The Who at the suggestion of Pete’s art school friend Richard Barnes. The Who acquire the managerial services of Helmut Gorden, a doorknob manufacturer from Shepherd’s Bush.
 
April
After an impromptu audition at the Oldfield Hotel in Greenford, west London, Keith Moon, who had been drumming for the past year in local Wembley group, Clyde Burns & The Beachcombers, joins The Who. The group had been using session drummer Dave Golding following the departure of Doug Sandom.
 
That same month, mod fanatic Peter Meaden becomes the group’s publicist, changes their name to The High Numbers and moulds them into a mod band.
 
3 July
‘I’m The Face/’Zoot Suit’ by The High Numbers is released by Fontana Records. It fails to chart.
 
August
Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp oust Meaden as The High Numbers’ management after Lambert sees them performing at the Railway Hotel, Harrow, the previous month.
 
August/September
The High Numbers are bottom of the bill during a series of Sunday concerts throughout Britain, promoted by Arthur Howes. On the bill in Blackpool on 16 August are The Kinks and headliners, The Beatles. The High Numbers also make their TV début on BBC-TV’s The Beat Room, broadcast 24 August.
 
September
Pete smashes his first guitar – by accident – at the Railway Hotel in Harrow. In his frustration he deliberately reduces it to splinters, thereby igniting the most exciting live act pop has ever seen. A week later at the same venue, Keith smashes his drum-kit to demonstrate solidarity.
 
October
The group audition for EMI Records at London’s Abbey Road Studios. They request more original material so Lambert and Stamp urge Pete to write his own songs.
The group sign with independent producer Shel Talmy’s recording company, Orbit Music.
 
The High Numbers become The Who again.
 
24 November
The group starts a 16-week residency at London’s Marquee Club. The shows soon become sell-outs, but the equipment smashing takes its toll on the group’s finances.
 
1965
15 January
‘I Can’t Explain’, produced by Shel Talmy, is released on Brunswick in the UK. After a struggle it reaches number eight in the UK charts.
 
29 January
The Who appear on the classic British TV show Ready Steady Go! for the first time.
 
The Who’s first BBC radio session on The Joe Loss Pop Show.
 
21 May
‘Anyway Anyhow Anywhere’ is released on Brunswick. Featuring uncontrolled feedback, it is a deliberate attempt to translate the group’s stage show to record. The Who promote it on the TV show Ready Steady Go! which later adopts it as their theme tune for a spell. The record reaches number 10 in the charts.
 
The Who play the Richmond Jazz Festival.
 
September/October
The Who tour Holland and Scandinavia for the first time. Roger is fired from the band by the other three for his dictatorial attitude. It will not be the first time that tensions within The Who, principally between Pete and Roger, cause disruption of group activities.
 
29 October
‘My Generation’ released and reaches number two in the UK, the nearest – along with ‘I’m A Boy’ in 1966 – The Who will ever get to the top spot in the British charts. Roger is quickly reinstated, and for the time being he adopts a more conciliatory attitude.
 
December
The Who’s first LP My Generation is released. It reaches number five in the UK LP charts.
 
Pete admits drug use on the BBC TV show A Whole Scene Going.
 
January
The Who are seen on US TV in a pre-recorded segment from London playing ‘I Can’t Explain’ and ‘My Generation’, on the last edition of Shindig!
 
4 March
The first of three versions of ‘Substitute’ is released. The song eventually reaches number five in the charts but Shel Talmy and The Who end up fighting in court over Talmy’s right to produce the group. Although ousted as the band’s producer, Talmy is awarded a substantial royalty on The Who’s recordings for the next five years, a crucial factor in the way The Who’s career will develop since in order to sustain themselves they must play live virtually all the time. Practice makes them perfect.
 
Keith marries model Kim Kerrigan.
 
Ready Steady Who EP released.
 
9 December
A Quick One, The Who’s second album, is released, reaching number four in the UK LP charts. It contains songs by all four members of the group and features Pete’s first ‘mini-opera’. ‘Happy Jack’ reaches number three in the UK charts.
 
1967
29 January
The Who perform two shows before London’s rock cognoscenti at London’s Savile Theatre. Support act is the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
 
25 March
The Who make their US début at Murray The K’s shows at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre, playing for ten consecutive days. ‘Happy Jack’ becomes their first US chart single, reaching number 24.
 
21 April
‘Pictures Of Lily’ is released on Lambert and Stamp’s newly formed Track Records label. It reaches number four.
 
 
June 18
The Who’s US concert schedule includes a definitive – and timely – performance at the Monterey Festival in California. On the return flight home Pete experiences a deeply unpleasant drug trip – and vows never to touch psychedelics again. Soon afterwards Pete becomes attracted by the teachings of Meher Baba, an Indian Perfect Spiritual Master, which will profoundly influence his life and writing.
 
John marries childhood sweetheart Alison Wise.
 
The Who support Herman’s Hermits on The Who’s first lengthy US tour.
 
Keith’s 21st birthday celebrations end in chaos at the Holiday Inn, Flint, Michigan.
 
18 September
‘I Can See For Miles’ released in the US. It reaches number nine – the Who’s highest single chart placing In America – and 10 in the UK, a big disappointment for Pete. “To me that was the ultimate Who record yet it didn’t sell,” said Pete at the time. “I spat on the British record buyer.”
 
October/November
UK tour followed by brief US visit. The Who Sell Out, their third LP, released. It reaches number 13 in the UK LP charts. It fails to chart in the US.
 
1968
January
Accompanied by The Small Faces, The Who tour Australia and New Zealand. After a run-in with officialdom Pete vows never to return.
 
The Who undertake their first headlining US tour.
 
Pete marries long time girlfriend Karen Astley, daughter of classical arranger Edwin ‘Ted’ Astley.
 
14 June
’Dogs’ is released and becomes the Who’s first serious flop on the singles chart. Their chart aspirations – and their finances – reach a low ebb. Only their growing reputation as a live band in America keeps them afloat financially, and under a constant ‘play live or die’ threat they become a top live attraction.
 
June/August
Back to the US for another headlining tour, during which Pete talks about his deaf, dumb and blind boy concept for the first time.
 
The Who play at the New York Singer Bowl with The Doors.
 
September
In the US, MCA release Magic Bus, The Who On Tour, a poorly conceived compilation album which becomes their first US Top 40 LP chart entry, reaching number 39.
 
The Who begin recording Tommy at IBC Studios in London.
 
20 November
At Liverpool’s Empire Theatre, at the conclusion of a short UK package tour, Keith and Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones play together on ‘Magic Bus’, The Who’s encore.
 
The Who continue recording Tommy at IBC Studios.
 
7 March
‘Pinball Wizard’ is released. It reaches number four in the UK and number five in the US.
 
1 May
Critics rave over Tommy after it is previewed live before the UK press at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London.
 
23 May
The Tommy LP is released, reaching number four in the US, staying on the charts for 47 weeks, and number two in the UK.
 
May/June
The Who play Tommy to ecstatic audiences across America. Its success turns the group’s finances around within a year and almost overnight they become, along with The Rolling Stones, the UK’s hottest live rock ticket.
 
June
‘Something In The Air’, by Thunderclap Newman, produced by Pete, reaches number one in the UK charts.
 
July 5
The Who close out a week of Pop Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
 
17 August
The Who perform at Woodstock. “Fucking awful,” is Pete’s retrospective opinion, but their performance seals their reputation as a the world’s most exciting live rock band.
 
Back in the UK, The Who appear at the second Isle Of Wight Festival.
 
Back to America for a lap of honour.
 
The Who’s tour of European Opera Houses opens at the London Coliseum.
 
1970
4 January
Keith’s chauffeur is killed in a tragic accident as the drummer leaves a discotheque at Hatfield, north of London.
 
The Who perform at Leeds University, recording the show for a live album.
 
‘The Seeker’ released. It reaches number 19 in the UK charts.
 
May
Live At Leeds released in a plain buff sleeve as an antidote to the elaborate packaging of Tommy. Still widely regarded as one of the finest ever live rock albums, it reaches number three in the UK and number four in the US.
 
7 June
The Who play two shows of Tommy at the New York Metropolitan Opera House. The long US tour that follows visits sports arenas for the first time.
 
The Who appear at the third Isle Of Wight Festival.
 
UK tour with The James Gang.
 
December 20
The Who perform Tommy in its entirety for the final time (apart from the reunion tour of 1989) at London’s Roundhouse, dedicating it to their support act, a newcomer called Elton John.
 
1971
January/March
The Who appear intermittently at London’s Young Vic Theatre during preparations for Pete’s aborted Lifehouse project.
 
March
The Who record the Lifehouse songs in New York with Kit Lambert, but the sessions are abandoned, along with the Lifehouse concept. Deeply frustrated, desperately overworked and at odds with Lambert, Pete suffers his first nervous breakdown.
 
April 26
Final Lifehouse concert which is recorded on the Rolling Stones Mobile and later released (in part) on the Deluxe Edition of Who’s Next in 2001.
 
May/June
The Who re-record most of the Lifehouse songs at Olympic Studios in Barnes with Glyn Johns producing. The songs will now make up an album to be titled Who’s Next and at seven unpublicised UK college gigs The Who preview material from the forthcoming LP.
 
25 June
‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ released. It reaches number nine in the UK charts and number 10 in the US.
 
Roger marries long standing girlfriend Heather Taylor.
 
August
Who’s Next released to rave reviews. It becomes the only Who album ever to reach number one in the UK, but stalls at four in the US. Despite the circumstances under which it was recorded, Who’s Next is now widely regarded as one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
 
29 July
The Who open their biggest US tour to date with two shows at the New York Forest Hills Tennis stadium. With no little justification, they are now unofficially dubbed ‘The World’s Greatest Live Rock’n’Roll Band’.
 
18 September
The Who top the bill at London’s Oval Cricket Ground in front of 35,000 fans, at a day- long concert to raise funds for Bangla Desh.
 
The Who tour the UK.
 
The Who play three nights at the newly opened London Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park.
 
Yet another long US arena tour.
 
Pete makes a pilgrimage to the tomb of Meher Baba in India.
 
16 June
‘Join Together’ released. It reaches number nine in the UK charts and number 17 in the US.
 
11 August
16-date European tour opens in Frankfurt, The Who’s only live appearances of the year and their last until October 1973.
 
9 September
The Who perform in Paris at the Fete de l’Humanite before 400,000 fans, their biggest ever audience.
 
25 November
‘Relay’, the third Who single in succession not to have been lifted from an album is released. It reaches number 21 in the UK and 39 in America.
 
December
Producer Lou Reizner’s orchestral version of Tommy released. Members of The Who join an all-star cast for a live performance of Reizner’s Tommy at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
 
1973
13 January
Pete masterminds Eric Clapton’s return to public performance with two shows at the Rainbow Theatre.
 
The Who record Quadrophenia at their own Ramport Studios in London.
 
‘5.15’ released. It reaches number 20 in the UK.
 
October/November
A ten-date tour introduces Quadrophenia to UK audiences. The Who perform with extensive backing tapes that do not always function properly.
 
Quadrophenia LP released in America.
 
20 November
Keith collapses during the opening concert of US tour in San Francisco. A member of the audience, Scott Halpin, takes over.
 
The Who and entourage spend seven hours in jail after wrecking a Montreal hotel suite.
 
The eventful 12-concert US Quadrophenia tour closes in Largo, Maryland.
 
The Who perform four London shows at the Edmonton Sundown.
 
1974
February
Following a seven-date French tour the troublesome Quadrophenia tapes are packed away for good. The work is not performed again in its entirety until 1996.
 
22 April
Filming of Tommy begins. The onerous task of producing the complex, synthesizer dominated soundtrack drives Pete to another nervous breakdown.
 
The Who play at Charlton football ground, south east London.
 
10-14 June
The Who play four less than satisfactory shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden which lead to Pete’s decision not to tour again in the foreseeable future. They do not perform live again until October 1975.
 
Odds And Sods, a collection of mostly previously unavailable Who tracks, is released.
 
 
31 May
‘The Who Put The Boot In’, The Who’s second concert at Charlton football ground earns them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘world’s loudest pop group’, with a 120-decibel reading at 50 metres. This is followed by shows at football grounds in Glasgow and Swansea.
 
A four-date US tour of outdoor stadiums closes at Miami on August 9.
 
October
A ten-date US and Canadian tour closes at Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens on October 21, the last occasion when Keith will play drums for The Who before a paying audience.
 
1977
20 January
After a day of business meetings and a drunken night out that culminates in him meeting Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook, Pete writes ‘Who Are You’.
 
July
The Who rehearse sequences for the bio-pic The Kids Are Alright at Shepperton Film Studios which they have purchased.
 
Rehearsals commence at Ramport Studios prior to recording Who Are You.
 
15 December
The Who play one show at Kilburn State Theatre which is filmed for The Kids Are Alright.
 
1978
25 May
The Who perform their last show with Keith before an invited audience at Shepperton Studios. It is filmed for inclusion in The Kids Are Alright.
 
14 July
‘Who Are You’ single released. It reaches number 18 in the UK charts and number 14 in the US.
 
Former Who publicist Peter Meaden found dead.
 
1 August
Who fans ‘Irish’ Jack Lyon, Steve Margo and Peter Johns organise a Who memorabilia exhibition at the ICA in The Mall, London, that is attended by Pete and Keith.
 
Who Are You LP released.
 
7 September
Keith dies in his rented Mayfair flat from an accidental overdose of pills he had been taking to combat alcoholism. An open verdict is recorded. The rock world mourns one of its favourite sons.
 
The Who vow to continue.
 
Production of the Quadrophenia film commences.
 
1979
January
It is announced that ex-Faces and Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones will replace Keith Moon as The Who’s drummer.
 
2 May
The Who return to the stage at London’s Rainbow with Kenney Jones and John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick on keyboards.
 
The Kids Are Alright LP and film released.
 
The film of Quadrophenia, starring Phil Daniels, is released.
 
The Who headline their own show at Wembley Stadium, their biggest ever UK appearance.
 
The Who play five straight nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
 
The start of a US tour for the new look Who.
 
3 December
Eleven fans die at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum during a fan stampede when the doors are opened before a Who concert.
 
The Who appear at Hammersmith Odeon during the Concerts for Kampuchea.
 
The Who undertake their longest ever UK tour.
 
5 March
The Who make a rare appearance on Top Of The Pops to promote their new single ‘You Better You Bet’, which reaches number nine in the UK and number 10 in the US.
 
Face Dances, The Who’s first LP without Keith Moon, released in UK.
 
The Who’s concert at Essen Grughalle is televised throughout Europe.
 
7 April
Kit Lambert, The Who’s original co-manager, dies at his London home. From the mid-seventies The Who have been managed by Bill Curbishley.
 
1 May
Phases – a boxed set package of nine Who albums from My Generation to Who Are You – is released.
 
The Who reform to perform without distinction at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.
 
1988
8 February
The Who receive a BPI Lifetime Achievement award during a live TV broadcast from London’s Royal Albert Hall. They perform live but are faded out in mid-number because the show overruns. This is the last time Kenney Jones will perform with The Who.
 
1989
June
The Who reform for a 25th anniversary tour, performing 43 dates throughout the USA starting 21 June, and continuing through July, August and September. Pete, Roger and John are augmented by numerous extra musicians and the dates include special performances of Tommy in New York and Los Angeles with guest artists.
 
6 October
The Who bring the same show to the UK for 10 shows including two special Tommy shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 31 October and 2 November, also with guest artists.
 
1990
18 January
The Who are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Keith is represented by his daughter Mandy.
 
1993
March
A musical production of Tommy opens to wild acclaim on Broadway in New York. Pete, as musical director, accepts numerous awards with laconic pride.
 
1994
March
The Who release a four-CD box set, Thirty Years of Maximum R&B. Q magazine in the UK describe it as the best box set ever assembled by any artist.
 
1995
February
Live At Leeds, remixed, remastered and containing extra tracks, becomes the first Who back catalogue LP to be re-released as a Deluxe Edition.
 
Deluxe remastered editions of A Quick One and The Who Sell Out are released.
 
September
Roger and John perform together with extra musicians during the first UK Who Fan Convention in Shepherd’s Bush, London.
 
Who’s Next is reissued as a remastered edition with extra tracks.
 
1996
March
Tommy opens as a stage production in London. Pete and Roger are photographed together at the opening night party. A Deluxe remastered edition of the Who’s original Tommy LP is released.
 
29 June
Pete, Roger and John reunite with extra musicians to perform Quadrophenia at an open air show in London’s Hyde Park. Also featuring Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, the event is in aid of The Pricne’s Trust charity. A remastered edition of The Who’s original Quadrophenia LP is released.
 
Five consecutive nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
 
13 October
The Quadrophenia show hits the road in America, visiting 21 American and Canadian cities over a six week period. The Who By Numbers and Who Are You reissued as remastered Deluxe editions with extra tracks and 24 page booklets.
 
6-7 December
Pete, Roger and John, together with the extra musicians, perform Quadrophenia before sell out audiences at London’s Earls Court Arena and at the Nynex Arena in Manchester on 11 December.
 
1997
April/May
The Quadrophenia tour visits 13 cities in continental Europe with the final show being held on 18 May at Wembley Arena, London.
 
The Quadrophenia tour visits 20 US cities.
 
1999
October/November
The Who perform five US concerts, including a charity event at the House of Blues in Chicago.
 
Two shows at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London.
 
2000 
1 February
The Who BBC Sessions CD released, containing 26 recordings by The Who made for BBC radio shows between 1965 and 1975.
 
June/July/August/September/October
A two-leg US tour, the second of which climaxes with four shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
 
October/November
An 11-date British tour winds up at London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 27 with an all-star Teenage Cancer Trust charity gig featuring Nigel Kennedy, Paul Weller, Eddie Vedder, Bryan Adams, Noel Gallagher and Kelly Jones alongside The Who.
 
2001
21 February
The Who receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award at a ceremony at the Staples Center, Los Angeles.
 
20 October
The Who steal the show at The Concert For New York in aid of the victims of the September 11 Twin Towers tragedy, at Madison Square Garden.  Jon Carin played keyboards in place of John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick. Pete, Roger and others join Paul McCartney to sing ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Freedom’ during the finale of the concert.
 
2002
January
The Who plays two shows in Portsmouth and one in Watford as warm-ups for two charity concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on 7 & 8 February. The shows, which are filmed, will be John’s last appearances with The Who.
 
10 June
The five members of the 21st Century Who gather at Pete’s Eel Pie Studio in Twickenham to rehearse for the upcoming American tour.
 
27 June
On the eve of the Who’s US tour, John Entwistle dies from a heart attack in his hotel room in Las Vegas. Two shows are immediately cancelled.
 
1 July
Despite John’s death The Who elect to continue with the remainder of their tour, opening at the Hollywood Bowl with Pino Palladino on bass alongside Roger, Peter, Zak Starkey on drums, John Bundrick on keyboards and Simon Townshend, Pete’s younger brother, on second guitar.
 
The six-piece Who undertake a further 26 US concerts.
 
2004
March
The Who play three shows at London’s Forum and one at London’s RAH, their first UK concerts with Pino Palladino on bass.
 
April
The first Who singles box set is released, containing 12 CD singles from ‘I Can’t Explain’ to ‘Real Good Looking Boy’/’Old Red Wine’, which is released simultaneously this same month, all packaged in rare picture sleeves and including a 16-page booklet.
 
The Who perform in the grounds of Knebworth House in the UK.
 
17 June
The Who return to Leeds University to play a concert in the Refectory, the same venue they performed on February 14, 1970, at which the legendary Live At Leeds LP was recorded. Pete and Roger unveil a plaque in the group’s honour.
 
June/July
The Who perform a series of concert throughout the UK and continental Europe, several of them at major outdoor festivals.
 
17 July
The Wire And Glass EP is released, containing six new Who recordings as a taster for the forthcoming Endless Wire album.
 
September/October –
The Who perform 18 concerts throughout the US and Canada including two at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
 
30 October
Endless Wire, the first album of new material to be released by The Who since It’s Hard in 1982, is released. It was recorded at Pete Townshend’s home studio and Eel Pie Oceanic between autumn 2002 and summer 2006.
 
November
A 20-city US and Canadian tour opens with two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
 
The Who play a 14-city North American tour.
 
Teenage Cancer Trust show at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
 
May/June/July
A 28-city UK & European tour of festivals and arena concerts includes The Who’s first appearance at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival on June 24. The Who headline on the Sunday evening, the traditional spot for legendary bands, and though torrential rain pours down during their set it fails to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm.
 
The summer touring concludes in Helsinki.
 
8 October
To mark the 60th anniversary of the VW minibus, The Who perform in Hanover to 40,000 VW owners. The set includes ‘Magic Bus’.
 
5 November
Pete and Roger attend the premiere of the movie (2 x DVD set) Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who at the Odeon Cinema in Kensington High Street. The Who’s first official website ( www.thewho.com ) is launched.
 
19 December
Roger makes a surprise appearance in New York with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Nassau Coliseum and Izod Arena, performing ‘Behind Blue Eyes’, ‘Pinball Wizard’ and ‘See Me, Feel Me’/’Listening To You’.
 
2008
14 April
Pete and Roger play a rare six-song acoustic set to close Teenage Cancer Trust week at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
 
Pete Townshend scoops three BMI Awards for his music for the CSI TV series.
 
12 July
The VH1 Rock Honors Tribute 2008 celebrates The Who with a concert on the campus of UCLA. The Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips and Incubus perform Who songs and Pearl Jam steal the first part of the show with their impassioned performances of ‘Love Reign O’er Me’ and ‘The Real Me’. The second part of the show features a performance by The Who.
 
The Who play nine US concerts
 
The Who play five shows in Japan, including two nights at the Tokyo Budakan.
 
14, 15 & 17 December
The Who round off the year’s touring with three shows at the Indigo 02 in London.
 
Pete and Roger are awarded Kennedy Centre Honours in Washington from President George W. Bush.
 
2009
21 March – 4 April
The Who play one show in New Zealand and six in Australia – their first full tour ‘down under’ for over 40 years – including a show at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
 
21 May
Pete and Roger reprise their short acoustic set at a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit at the Emirates Stadium
 
The Who headline the Jingle Bell Ball ast The )s Arena in London.
 
2010
7 February
The Who perform the half time Superbowl show at the Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, playing a mash-up style set of ‘Pinball Wizard’, ‘Baba O’Riley’, ‘Who Are You’, See Me Feel Me’ and ’Won’t Get Fooled Again’.
 
30 March
The Who perform Quadrophenia with guest vocalists Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Kasabian’s Tom Meighan at a Teenage Cancer Trust show at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
 
Roger’s tour heads to the Far East.
 
17 April
The 40 Anniversary Super De Luxe Collectors Edition of Live At Leeds is released, including two additional CDs of The Who’s performance at Hull City Hall the day after the famed Leeds concert.
 
12 August
The Who perform a three-song set during the closing ceremony at the Olympic Games in London: ‘Baba O’Riley’, ‘See Me Feel Me’ and ‘My Generation’ which climaxes with a spectacular firework display while the group play on amid dancers and athletes.
 
Who I Am, Pete’s long awaited biography published.
 
The Who open a 22-concert US Quadrophenia And More tour at Sunrise in Florida.
 
24 November
Chris Stamp, who co-managed The Who with Kit Lambert during their formative years, dies in New York.
 
2013
28 January
The US Quadrophenia And More tour continues, opening at Anaheim in California and continuing until 28 February at Madison Square Garden in New York.
 
8 June
The UK ‘Quadrophenia And More tour opens at Dublin and will continue until 8 July at Wembley Arena, also taking in shows at Paris and Amsterdam.
 
11 November
The Super De Luxe Edition of Tommy is released as a 4-CD collection contained in an 80-page hardback book with an extensive essay by Richard Barnes, enclosed in a hard slipcase.
 
2014
30 June
Pete and Roger announce The Who Hits 50! tour during a brief lunchtime appearance at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. “This is the beginning of the long goodbye,” Roger is quoted as saying.
 
25 September
‘Be Lucky’, the Who’s first new single since ‘Real Good Looking Boy’ on 2004, is released.
 
23 November
The opening show at The Who Hits 50! tour takes place at the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in the United Arab Emirates.
 
30 November – 15 December
The Who play eight UK cities on their The Who Hits 50! tour but shows in London have to be postponed due to Roger’s health. For this tour three additional keyboard players, Loren Gold, Frank Simes and John Corey, augment Pete and Roger and their now regular touring band of Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino and Simon Townshend.
 
2015
22 & 23 March
Two London shows at the O2 Arena rescheduled due to Roger’s illness, followed on 26 March by a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit show at the Royal Albert Hall.
 
6 April
The Brunswick Singles Box 1965-1966 consisting of eight replica 7” vinyl singles from ‘I Can’t Explain’ to ‘La La Lies’ (including also ‘I’m The Face’/’Zoot Suit’) released.
 
15 April
The Who Hits 50! tour opens in US in Tampa, the first of 21 shows, closing at Forest Hills in New York on 30 May.
 
Shows at Belfast, Dublin and in London’s Hyde Park.
 
28 June
The Who play the Sunday night at the Glastonbury Festival for the second time.
Isolated UK shows during the rest of the year include the V Festival and the O2 Arena.
 
5 July
Pete debuts his Classic Quadrophenia at the Royal Albert Hall, London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Ziegler with the London Oriana Choir and featuring Alfie Boe, Billy Idol and Phil Daniels.
 
14 August
The Reaction Singles Box 1966 consisting of 15 replica 7” vinyl singles from ‘Pictures Of Lily’ to ‘5.15’ is released.
 
The Who: The Official History book by Pete and Roger with Ben Marshall published.
 
30 October
The Track Singles Box 1967-1973 consisting of 15 replica 7” vinyl singles from ‘Pictures Of Lily’ to ‘5.15’ is released.
 
2016
13 February
The Who Hits 50! Tour kicks off 2016 with a one-off gig at Wembley Arena, London.
 
27 February
The Who Hits 50! tour resumes in the USA having been postponed due to Roger’s illness, opening in Detroit and continuing, with a break in April, through until the end of May.
 
17 June
The Polydor Singles Box 1975-2015 consisting of 15 replica 7” vinyl Who singles from 1975 to 2015 released.