Daltrey, Roger
Roger Daltrey
Singer
“The Who is the band that refused to die before it I got old,” stated Dave Marsh in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll. From their formation in the 1960s to their recent reunion tour, the Who have embodied some of the most basic elements of rock and roll—chaotic performances, destructive onstage behavior, and record-breaking noise levels— as well as taken music in new directions with trend-setting concept albums and rock operas. In a business where bands typically go through many personnel changes and rarely last for more than a few years, the Who are also remarkable for their stability and longevity. For more than twenty years, the group’s lyrics have been effectively shouted out by vocalist Roger Daltrey.
Daltrey, bassist John Entwhistle, and guitarist Pete Townshend all grew up in the same neighborhood, a working-class section of London known as Shepherd’s Bush. By the early 1960s, the three were playing together in a band called the Detours, which performed rhythm and blues and covers of early Beatles songs in local dance clubs. Late in 1963, the Detours hooked up with managers Pete Meaden and Helmut Gordon, who encouraged the band to cater to the British “mods”—young people dedicated to amphetamines, Vespa scooters, American rhythm and blues, and stylish clothing. Drummer Keith Moon joined the group, which had been renamed the High Numbers, and punched up their sound with his manic playing. They built up quite a following in the mods’ favorite clubs, but their only recording, “I’m the Face,” failed to sell.
Meaden and Gordon were soon replaced by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, two young filmmakers who discovered the band while looking for a movie subject. They were as much intrigued by the frantic crowds that came to hear the High Numbers as they were by the group’s music. They carefully calculated ways in which the band could heighten its appeal, suggesting that they revert to a gimmicky name they had used in the past— the Who—and prodding them to make destruction a part of their act. Under their tutelage the Who began putting out “soul music pilled-up and riotous, played with none of the elegant perfection of the Rolling Stones, but with all the zealotry of garage-band amateurs,” wrote Marsh. When Townshend began smashing his guitars onstage, and Moon kicked over his drum set, the mods loved it, and this type of flamboyance “saved the Who, who would never have gotten far trying to play R & B with the propriety of the Bluesbreakers or the Stones.” They took volume to new levels (eventually being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s loudest band). Daltrey, who had “the mug, the posture, and the demeanor (permanently chipped shoulders) of a budding thug/aspiring John Dillinger,”
For the Record…
Full name Roger Harry Daltrey; born March 1, 1944, in London, England.
Founding member, with John Entwhistle, of rhythm and blues/dance band the Detours, early 1960s; founding member of the Who (originally called the High Numbers) with Entwhistle, Keith Moon, and Pete Townshend, 1965—; solo artist, 1973—. Has also appeared in films, including Tommy, McVicar, Lisztomania, Sextet, and The Legacy.
Addresses: Record company —Atlantic Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019.
developed a commanding stage presence. He “twirled his mike like a lariat, marched in place, danced silly steps, stuttered, swaggered, screamed; he pounced on the crowd, half stand-up comic, half assailant.”
The Who released their first single, “I Can’t Explain,” in 1965, but it didn’t really take off until they appeared on the British music show “Ready Steady Go!” with their screaming mob of fans from the London clubs. From then on success was theirs. Yet, from the very first, the Who mocked their own popularity, with album titles such as The Who Sell Out. Despite their tongue-in-cheek attitude, they were real innovators. Their second album included a ten-minute mini-opera that eventually led to the first full-scale rock opera, 1969’s Tommy. This story of a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball champion was considered pretentious by some, but was hailed as a masterpiece by many others, and it brought wealth, artistic respectability, and international fame to the Who. A second rock opera, Quadrophenia, explored the tortured inner lives of the mods the Who had once exploited to build their fame.
When The Who by Numbers was released in 1975, the group was as popular as ever, but its members, particularly Townshend, seemed to be undergoing an identity crisis. The most famous line from their first album had been “Hope I die before I get old,” but they hadn’t died, and they were uncertain as to what to do next. The group didn’t record for three years while its members worked on individual projects. Daltrey had already released a solo album and appeared in the title role of the film version of Tommy. In 1975 he portrayed classical composer Franz Liszt in Ken Russell’s Lisztomania. He later acted in Sextet, The Legacy, and McVicar, a film biography of train robber John McVicar. He also developed the script for McVicar from the robber’s autobiography. His solo albums received mixed reviews, with some critics commenting that Daltrey seemed to need Pete Townshend’s lyrics to reach his peak.
The Who returned as a unit in 1978 with Who Are You?, but only a month after the long-awaited album was released, drummer Keith Moon was found dead in his apartment, overdosed on a drug which, ironically, had been prescribed to curb his alcoholism. The Who’s future was thrown into doubt; but after much deliberation, Daltrey, Entwhistle, and Townshend decided to try to replace Moon and carry on. Kenny Jones of Small Faces was recruited, noted session man John “Rabbit” Bundrick joined the group on keyboards, and “finally, the Who came back onstage, with live shows that were more formal and less spontaneous but retained all of the old power and more of the enthusiasm than anyone had a right to expect,” wrote Marsh. Unfortunately, the return of the Who was overshadowed by a tragedy that occurred when they played Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum: eleven concertgoers were crushed to death in a rush for seats. The group put out four more albums, but announced their official breakup in 1983 after the release of It’s Hard.
Although Who fans had hopes of a reunion tour in 1985, when the group agreed to perform at the Live-Aid benefit concert, it wasn’t until 1989 that all the members agreed to participate. Daltrey, Townshend, and Entwhistle hit the road with fifteen musicians to back them up on “The Kids Are Alright 1989 Tour.” “Extraordinary is the only word that comes to mind,” Boston Globe reviewer Steve Morse wrote of the much-anticipated show. “The Who thoroughly aced their exam, …scoring in the upper 99th percentile on song selection, visuals, sound mix, performance, crowd rapport, and just about anything else you might want to judge a show by…. It was the best stadium show this writer has ever seen.”
Selected discography
Albums with the Who
My Generation, Decca, 1966.
Happy Jack, Decca, 1967.
The Who Sell Out, Decca, 1968 (released in England as A Quick One).
Magic Bus—The Who on Tour, Decca, 1968.
Tommy, Decca, 1969.
Direct Hits, Track, 1969.
Live at Leeds, Decca, 1970.
Who’s Next, Decca, 1971.
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, Decca, 1971.
Quadrophenia, MCA, 1973.
Odds and Sods, MCA, 1974.
Portrait, Polydor, 1975.
The Who by Numbers, MCA, 1975.
Who Are You?, MCA, 1978.
The Kids Are Alright, MCA, 1979.
Quadrophenia (soundtrack), Polydor, 1979.
Face Dances, Polydor, 1981.
Hooligans, MCA, 1981.
Phases, Polydor, 1982.
It’s Hard, Polydor, 1982.
Who’s Last, Polydor, 1985.
Two’s Missing, Polydor, 1987.
Solo albums
Daltrey, MCA, 1973.
Ride a Rock Horse, MCA, 1975.
One of the Boys, MCA, 1977.
McVicar (soundtrack), Polydor, 1980.
Best of Roger Daltrey, Polydor, 1981.
Best Bits, MCA, 1982.
Parting Should Be Painless, WEA, 1984.
Under a Raging Moon, Atlantic, 1985.
Can’t Wait to See the Movie, Atlantic, 1987.
Sources
Books
Hardy, Phil, and Dave Laing, Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, McDonald, 1987.
Jahn, Mike, Rock: From Elvis Presley to Rock and Roll, Rolling Stone Press, 1976.
Miller, Jim, editor, Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, Rolling Stone Press, 1983.
Periodicals
Audio, February, 1986.
Boston Globe, July 13, 1989; July 15, 1989.
Boston Phoenix, July 21, 1989.
People, August 3, 1987.
Rolling Stone, February 28, 1985; August 27, 1987.
—Joan Goldsworthy
Daltrey, Roger 1944-
Daltrey, Roger 1944-
PERSONAL
Full name, Roger Harry Daltrey; born March 1, 1944, in Hammersmith, London, England; son of Harry and Irene Daltrey; married Jacqueline (Jackie) Rickman, 1964 (divorced, 1968); married Heather Taylor (a model), 1971; children: (first marriage) Simon; (second marriage) Rosie Lea, Willow Amber, Jamie; two other children.
Addresses:
Agent—Gold/Marshak/Liedtke & Associates, 3500 West Olive Ave., Suite 1400, Burbank, CA 91505; Talentworks, 3500 West Olive Ave., Suite 1400, Burbank, CA 91505; Conway Van Gelder Ltd., 18-21 Jermyn St., 3rd Floor, London, SW1Y 6HP, United Kingdom; Special Artists Agency, 9464 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 890, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Office—WEA/Atlantic, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019-6908.
Career:
Actor, singer, composer, musical director, and producer. The Who (rock band, previously known as The Detours and High Numbers), lead singer, 1965—; recorded as a solo artist, 1983—; appeared in numerous television commercials, including Bulova Watches and American Express; previously worked as construction worker and sheet metal worker.
Awards, Honors:
Golden Globe Award nomination, best acting debut in a motion picture—male, 1976, for Tommy; Grammy Award nomination (with others), best music video, 1991, for The Who Live, Featuring the Rock Opera Tommy; inducted (with The Who) into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1990; Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (with The Who), 1995; awarded Commander of the British Empire, 2005; inducted (with The Who) into UK Music Hall of Fame, 2005.
CREDITS
Film Appearances:
(With The Who) Monterey Pop, 1969.
(With The Who) Woodstock (also known as Woodstock-3 Days of Peace and Music), Warner Bros., 1970.
La Fete aujourd'hui, la fete demain, 1972.
Tommy Walker (title role), Tommy (also known as "Tommy" by The Who and The Who's "Tommy"), Columbia, 1975.
Himself, Ride a Rock Horse, 1975.
Franz Liszt, Lisztomania, Warner Bros., 1975.
(With The Who) The Kids Are Alright, New World, 1979.
Clive Jackson, The Legacy (also known as The Legacy of Maggie Walsh), Universal, 1979.
John McVicar (title role), McVicar, Crown International, 1980.
Himself, Profiles in Rock, 1981.
Himself, Concert for Kampuchea, 1981.
Himself, The Who Rocks America 1982, 1982.
(With The Who), Ready Steady Go, Volume 1, 1983.
Bitter Cherry, 1983.
Himself, Cool Cats—Twenty-five Years of Rock 'N' Roll Style, 1983.
Producer, Pop Pirates, 1984.
Roger, Murder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce, 1984.
(With The Who), Ready Steady Go, Volume 2, 1985.
(With The Who), Rock 'N' Roll Goldmine: The Sixties (also.
known as Casey Kasem's Rock 'N' Roll Goldmine: The Sixties), 1986.
Himself, The Magic Years, Vol. 1 (also known as The Foundations), 1987.
Himself, The Magic Years, Vol. 2 (also known as Live Killers in the Making), 1987.
Himself, The Magic Years, Vol. 3 (also known as Crowded in Glory), 1987.
(With The Who), Rolling Stone: The First Twenty Years, 1987.
Jeb Macklin, The Little Match Girl, 1987.
The barrister, The Hunting of the Snark, 1987.
Colin, Gentry, 1987.
(With The Who), The Who: Who's Better Who's Best, 1988.
(With The Who), The Who Live at Giants Stadium, 1989.
Street singer, Mack the Knife (also known as The Threepenny Opera), 1989.
Keith Gibson, Cold Justice, 1989.
Terry Clark, Buddy's Song, 1990.
Himself, An Irish Evening: Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast, 1991.
Blade, If Looks Could Kill (also known as Teen Agent), 1991.
Voice of Barnaby, The Real Story of Happy Birthday to You, 1992.
The Who's Tommy, the Amazing Journey, 1993.
John T. Coles, Lightning Jack, 1994.
Himself, Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who (also known as Celebration: The Music of the Who and Daltrey Sings Townshend), 1994.
(With The Who), The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 3 (also known as Britain Invades, America Fights Back), 1995.
(With The Who), The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 4 (also known as Plugging In), 1995.
(With The Who), The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 6 (also known as My Generation), 1995.
Champions of the World, 1995.
Bad English I: Tales of a Son of a Brit, 1995.
(With The Who), The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (documentary), Abkco Films, 1996.
(With The Who), Listening to You: The Who at the Isle of Wight Festival (documentary), 1996.
(With The Who), Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (documentary), Castle Music Pictures, 1997.
(With The Who), Legends: The Who (documentary), 1997.
Kelvin, Like It Is, First Run Features, 1998.
Classic Albums—The Who: Who's Next (documentary), ILC Music, 1999.
Himself, British Rock Symphony (documentary), WLIW-21, 1999.
Pixelon's iBash, Pax, 1999.
The Messiah XXI, Ndb TV, 2000.
My Generation, PolyGram, 2000.
The Who Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Image, 2000.
Rodney Marsh, Best, Optimum Releasing, 2000.
Nehemiah Peoples, Chasing Destiny, Artist View Entertainment, 2000.
The Chemical Wedding, 2001.
Ben, .com for Murder, Kinowelt, 2002.
One Who Day, Radical, 2002.
Argon the dragon, The Wheels on the Bus Video: Mango and Papaya's Animal Adventures (video), Starlight, 2003.
Tommy and Quadrophenia Live: The Who (video), Warner Music Vision, 2005.
Argon the dragon, The Wheels on the Bus Video: Mango Helps the Moon Mouse (video), Starlight, 2005.
The Who: Music in Review-The Moon Years (video), 2006.
Jimmy, Johnny Was, Sony, 2006.
My Generation: Who's Still Who, Spitfire, 2007.
Film Producer:
McVicar, Crown International, 1980.
Buddy's Song, 1990.
Film Executive Producer:
Quadrophenia, 1979.
Film Musical Director:
Quadrophenia, 1979.
Buddy's Song, 1990.
Television Appearances; Series:
One of the Boys, 1977.
Terry Clark, Buddy, 1986.
How to Be Cool, 1988.
Host, Extreme History with Roger Daltrey, History, 2003.
Television Appearances; Movies:
Howard Storm, Forgotten Prisoners: The Amnesty Files (also known as Forgotten Prisoners), TNT, 1990.
Vlad/Jamie Blood, Vampirella, Showtime, 1996.
King Janos, Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula, 2000.
Surgeon's assistant, Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, Channel 4, 2005.
Television Appearances; Miniseries:
William Dampier, Pirate Tales, 1997.
King Boric, The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (also known as Kampf der kobolde and Leprechauns), NBC, 1999.
Television Appearances; Specials:
Listening to You: the Who at the Isle of Wight, 1970.
Cucumber Castle, 1970.
Roger Daltrey, 1983.
Macheath, The Beggar's Opera, BBC, 1983, then PBS, 1984.
Dromios, The Comedy of Errors (also known as BBC Television Shakespeare: "The Comedy of Errors"), BBC, then PBS, both 1984.
Live Aid, 1985.
Driving Force '86, 1986.
The Noel Edmonds Show, ABC, 1986.
Rock 'N' Roll Goldmine: The Sixties, 1986.
Rolling Stone Presents Twenty Years of Rock & Roll (also known as Rolling Stone: The First Twenty Years), 1987.
Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary: It's only Rock 'N' Roll, HBO, 1988.
(With The Who), MTV Rocumentary: The Story of the Who, 1988.
Fox Presents "Tommy" Performed by The Who, Fox, 1989.
Tommy Walker, Mr. Walker, Mrs. Walker, narrator, and specialist, The Who Live, Featuring the Rock Opera Tommy, 1989.
Two Rooms: A Tribute to Elton John & Bernie Taupin, 1991.
Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (also known as A Concert for Life: A Tribute to Freddie Mercury), 1992.
The Chieftains in Concert with Roger Daltrey and Nanci Griffith, PBS, 1992.
Voice of Barnaby the stableboy, The Real Story of Happy Birthday to You, HBO, 1992.
"Forever Ambergris," Tales from the Crypt, HBO, 1993.
(With The Who), The Who's Tommy, the Amazing Journey, Disney Channel, 1993.
Woodstock Diary, 1994.
The Who: Thirty Years of Maximum Rhythm and Blues, 1994.
The Tin Woodsman, The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True, TNT, 1995.
Roger Daltrey: The Music of The Who, Disney Channel, 1995.
Jimmy, Mastercard Masters of Music Concert for the Prince's Trust, 1996.
William Dampier, Pirate Tales, TBS, 1997.
British Rock Symphony, 1999.
ABC 2000, ABC, 1999.
Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story, 2000 and 2001.
Host, Rockstock, 2000.
(With The Who), Piped Dreams, 2000.
The Concert for New York City, VH1, 2001.
2001: The Year in Music, VH1, 2001.
The Rise of the Celebrity Class, BBC, 2004.
Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of ‘Smile’, Showtime, 2004.
Live 8, 2005.
Movie Music Mania, ITV, 2005.
Rock n' Roll Fantasy Camp, The Learning Channel, 2006.
Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:
Presenter, MTV 1st Annual Video Music Awards, MTV, 1984.
The American Music Awards, ABC, 1986.
3rd Annual DVD Exclusive Awards, FX Channel, 2003.
Television Appearances; Episodic:
"Shindig Goes to London: Part 2," Shindig!, 1965.
Popside, 1966.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, 1967.
Beat-Club, 1967, 1968, 1969.
Top of the Pops, 1965-1981.
The John Denver Show, 1973.
Fracois Arconciel, "The Alchemist," Crossbow (also known as Guillaume Tell and William Tell), 1987.
Danny Bingham, "Can't Say N-N-No," Midnight Caller, 1991.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "The Hunters," Highlander, 1993.
Dalton, "Forever Ambergris," Tales from the Crypt, HBO, 1993.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "Star-Crossed," Highlander, 1995.
Tax, "Big Girls Don't Fly," Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 1996.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "Till Death," Highlander, 1996.
Colonel Angus Rickman, "The Exodus: Parts 1 & 2," Sliders, 1997.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "The Stone of Stone," Highlander, 1997.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "Unusual Suspects," Highlander, 1997.
Himself, "Pauline and Linda Get a Bite," Jobs for the Girls, 1997.
Wetten, dass …?, 1997.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1998.
"Keith Moon," Behind the Music, 1998.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "To Be," Highlander, 1998.
Hugh Fitzcairn, "Not to Be," Highlander, 1998.
Larry Moore, "Cracked Up," The Bill, 1999.
Nobby Clegg, "Between a Rock Star and a Hard Place," Rude Awakening, 1999.
Nobby Clegg, "Bosses, Burglars & Back Street Babes," Rude Awakening, 2000.
Nobby Clegg, "On the Rocks with a Twist of Limey," Rude Awakening, 2000.
Nobby Clegg, "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," Rude Awakening, 2000.
Nobby Clegg, "Untitled," Rude Awakening, 2000.
Voice of himself, "A Tale of Two Springfields," The Simpsons (animated), 2000.
Father Dennis Del Toro, Witchblade, TNT, 2001.
Mr. Wilkinson, That '70s Show, Fox, 2001.
Host, "Soul Man," Strange Frequency, VH1, 2001.
Madame Sesostris/Father Dennis Del Toro, "Hierophant," Witchblade, TNT, 2001.
Breakfast with Frost, BBC1, 2002.
Mr. Wilkinson, "That '70s Musical," That '70s Show, FOX, 2002.
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (also known as The Late Late Show), CBS, 2003.
"Pete Townshend: Can't Explain," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2004.
Top Gear (also known as Top Gear Xtra), BBC, 2004 and 2006.
"The Priest & the Beast," The Mighty Boosh, BBC, 2005.
Mickey Dunn, "Living Legend," CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as C.S.I., CSI: Las Vegas, and Les Experts), CBS, 2006.
Parkinson, BBC, 2006.
Mick Keating, "Once Upon a Time on the Westway," The Last Detective, ITV, 2006.
Television Appearances; Pilots:
Host/Devil, Strange Frequency, VH1, 2001.
Stage Appearances:
Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1998.
Radio Appearances:
Judas, Jesus Christ Superstar, BBC, 1996.
RECORDINGS
Albums (with The Who):
Instant Party, 1965.
Ready Steady Who EP, 1965.
My Generation, 1965.
A Quick One (Happy Jack), 1966.
The Who Sings My Generation, Decca, 1966.
Happy Jack, Decca, 1967.
The Who Sell Out, Decca, 1967.
Live at Fillmore East, 1968.
Furious Prelude, 1968.
Magic Bus—The Who on Tour, Decca, 1968.
Tommy, Decca, 1969.
Live in Amsterdam, 1969.
The Who/The Strawberry Alarm Clock, 1969.
The Greatest Rock Sensation, 1970.
Live at Leeds, Decca, 1970.
Who's Next, Decca, 1971.
Meaty, Beaty, Big, and Bouncy (greatest hits), Decca, 1971.
Who Did It, 1971.
The Best of the Who, 1971.
Golden Double Album, 1971.
Exciting, 1971.
The Who Pop Giants, 1971.
Pop Heroes, 1971.
Collector's Item, 1972.
Tommy, Pt. 2, 1972.
Perfect Collection, 1973.
Quadrophenia, MCA, 1973.
Tales from the Who, 1974.
Magic Bus/My Generation, 1974.
Odds & Sods, MCA, 1974.
Who's Next/Odds & Sods, MCA, 1974.
A Quick One (Happy Jack)/The Who Sell Out, 1974.
Tommy (original soundtrack), Polydor, 1975.
The Who by Numbers, MCA, 1975.
Best of 1964-1974, 1975.
The Story of the Who, 1976.
Who Are You, MCA, 1978.
Musical Biography with Alison Steele, 1978.
The Kids Are Alright (original soundtrack), MCA, 1979.
Who Are You/Live at Leeds, 1980.
Face Dances, Warner Bros., 1981.
Filling in the Spaces, 1981.
Filling in the Gaps, 1981.
Phases, 1982.
It's Hard, Warner Bros., 1982.
Who's Next/Who by Numbers, 1982.
Live at Leeds/Who Are You, 1982.
Hooligans, MCA, 1982.
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy/Who by Numbers, MCA, 1982.
Who's Greatest Hits, MCA, 1983.
Dance to Keep from Crying, 1983.
Rarities, Vol. 1: 1966-1968. 1983.
Rarities, Vol. 2: 1970-1973, 1983.
Who's Last, 1984.
Who's Missing, MCA, 1985.
The Who, 1985.
Two's Missing, Polydor, 1987.
This is My Generation, 1988.
Who's Better Who's Best, 1988.
American Tour 1973, 1989.
Live in Amsterdam, 1989.
Tommy Live, 1989.
Join Together, MCA, 1990.
Talkin' 'Bout Their Generation, Baktabak, 1993.
Rarities 1966-1972, Vol. 1-2, Polydor, 1994.
Quadrophenia Demos, 1994.
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B, MCA, 1994.
Live at Leeds, MCA, 1995.
My Generation: The Very Best of the Who, MCA, 1996.
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, Legacy, 1996.
Who Are You, Polydor, 1996.
It's Hard, MCA, 1997.
Face Dances, MCA, 1997.
Music Must Change, 1998.
Who's Zoo Two!, 1998.
Closer to Queen Mary, 1998.
Woodstock, 1998.
20th Century Masters-The Millenium Collection: The Best of The Who, 1999.
BBC Sessions, 2000.
The Blues to the Bush, 2000.
The BBC Sessions, 2000.
High Numbered: More BBC and TV Sessions 1965-1970, 2001.
Who's Next, MCA, 2001.
Live at Leeds, MCA, 2001.
The Who Sell Out, 2002.
The Ultimate Collection, UTV, 2002.
My Generation, MCA, 2002.
Maximum Who: The Unauthorized Biography of the Who, 2002.
The Ultimate Collection, 2002.
Who's Next, MCA, 2003.
Singles, 2003.
Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Steamhammer, 2003.
Tommy, Geffen, 2003.
Ultimate Collection, 2003.
First Singles Box, Universal, 2004.
Singles Box, Vol. 1, Universal, 2004.
Then and Now: 1964-2004, 2004.
Put Downs and Sends-Ups Tour, 2004.
The Early Collection: Magic Bus,/Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy/Who's Missing, 2004.
Quick One (Happy Jack), Polygram, 2004.
Then and Now: 1964-2004. Geffen, 2004.
High Numbers Live: 1964, 2005.
Rarities, Vol. 1/Vol. 2, Universal, 2005.
A Quick One (Happy Jack), Classics FR, 2005.
A Quick One (Happy Jack), Classics FR, 2006.
Direct Hits, Classics FR, 2006.
Tommy, Universal, 2006.
Endless Wire, 2006.
I'm a Boy, Universal, 2006.
Special Box Set, 2006.
Wire & Glass, Polygon, 2006.
I'm a Boy/Exciting, 2007.
Also recorded Who's Missing (1965-72).
Albums (as a solo artist):
Daltrey, MCA, 1973.
Ride a Rock Horse, MCA, 1975.
Lisztomania (original soundtrack), A&M, 1975.
One of the Boys, MCA, 1977.
McVicar (original soundtrack), Polydor, 1980.
Best Bits (greatest hits), MCA, 1983.
Parting Should Be Painless, Atlantic, 1984.
Under a Raging Moon, Atlantic, 1985.
Can't Wait to See the Movie, Atlantic, 1987.
Rocks in the Head, 1992.
Albums (Other):
Recorded (with others) The Chieftans: An Irish Evening.
Videos:
Ride a Rock Horse, 1975.
The Kids are Alright, Pioneer, 1979.
Quadrophenia, 1979.
Tommy, 1982.
Who Rocks America, 1983.
Who's Better, Who's Best: The Videos, 1988.
Live: Featuring Rock Opera Tommy, Sony, 1991.
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live, MCA, 1994.
Who's Tommy: The Amazing Journey, Walt Disney Video, 1994.
The Rockers are Alright, 1994.
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, 1998.
The Vegas Job: Reunion Concert Live in Vegas, 1999.
Classic Albums: The Who-Who's Next, 1999.
Who's Next, 2000.
Quadrophenia, 2001.
Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Image, 2001.
Host, The Who Weekend, VH1, 2002.
Brian Wilson: On Tour, Sanctuary, 2003.
The Old Grey Whistle Test: Vol 2, BBC, 2003.
Narrator, Yesspeak, Classic Pictures, 2003.
Early Years, 2004.
Tommy, Geffen, 2004.
The Who Live in Boston, Rhino, 2004.
The Singer and the Song, Ventura, 2004.
The Who: Live in Boston, WSM, 2004.
Tangled Up in Who, 2005.
Tommy and Quadrophenia: Live, Rhino, 2005.
Alan Meets Roger Daltrey, 2005.
Live from Toronto, Immortal, 2006.
Purple Hearts and Power Chords: The Who on Film 1965-1969, 2006.
The Moon Years, 2006.
Live from Toronto, 2006.
Quadrophenia Live, Rhino, 2006.
Tommy Live, Rhino, 2006.
In Their Own Words, Classic Rock Legends, 2006.
Music Box Biographical Collection, Music Video Box, 2006.
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, Eagle Vision USA, 2006.
20th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Passport, 2006.
The Who: Live at Lyon, 2006.
The Who: The Vegas Job, Universal, 2006.
Music Videos:
Appeared in Barbra Streisand's "Emotion."
WRITINGS
Film Scores:
(Additional songs) Lisztomania, 1975.
(Uncredited) Quadrophenia, 1979.
(With The Who) The Kids Are Alright, 1979.
Buddy's Song, 1990.
(Additional songs) Chasing Destiny, 2000.
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals:
Entertainment Weekly, July 12, 1996, pp. 13.
The Independent, July 7, 1994, pp. 25.
New York Times, December 8, 1993, pp. C2; September 16, 1998, pp. B2.
People Weekly, February 28, 1994, pp. 84.
Time, November 16, 1998, pp. 133.
Daltrey, Roger
Roger Daltrey
Singer
"The Who is the band that refused to die before it got old," stated Dave Marsh in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll. From their formation in the mid-1960s to through several reunion tours, the Who embodied some of the most basic elements of rock and roll—chaotic performances, destructive onstage behavior, and record-breaking noise levels—and the group took music in new directions with trend-setting concept albums and rock operas. In a business where bands typically go through many personnel changes and rarely last for more than a few years, the Who were also remarkable for their stability and longevity. For more than 20 years the group's lyrics have been effectively shouted out by vocalist Roger Daltrey.
Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and guitarist Pete Townshend all grew up in the same neighborhood, a working-class section of London known as Shepherd's Bush. By the early 1960s the three were playing together in a band called the Detours, which performed rhythm and blues and covers of early Beatles songs in local dance clubs. Late in 1963 the Detours hooked up with managers Pete Meaden and Helmut Gordon, who encouraged the band to cater to the British "mods"—young people dedicated to amphetamines, Vespa scooters, American rhythm and blues, and stylish clothing. Drummer Keith Moon joined the group, which had been renamed the High Numbers, and punched up their sound with his manic playing. They built up a following in the mods' favorite clubs, but their only recording, "I'm the Face," failed to sell.
Meaden and Gordon were soon replaced by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, two young filmmakers who discovered the band while looking for a movie subject. They were as much intrigued by the frantic crowds that came to hear the High Numbers as they were by the group's music. They carefully calculated ways in which the band could heighten its appeal, suggesting that they revert to a gimmicky name they had used in the past—the Who—and prodding them to make destruction a part of their act. Under their tutelage the Who began putting out "soul music pilled-up and riotous, played with none of the elegant perfection of the Rolling Stones, but with all the zealotry of garage-band amateurs," wrote Marsh. When Townshend began smashing his guitars onstage and Moon kicked over his drum set, the mods loved it, and according to Marsh, this type of flamboyance "saved the Who, who would never have gotten far trying to play R & B with the propriety of the Bluesbreakers or the Stones." They took volume to new levels, eventually being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's loudest band.
The Who released their first single, "I Can't Explain," in 1965, but it didn't take off until they appeared on the British music show "Ready Steady Go!" with their screaming mob of fans from the London clubs. From then on, success was theirs. From the very first, the Who mocked their own popularity, with album titles such as The Who Sell Out. Despite their tongue-in-cheek attitude, however, they were real innovators. Their second album included a ten-minute mini-opera that eventually led to the first full-scale rock opera, 1969's Tommy. This story of a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball champion was considered pretentious by some, but was hailed as a masterpiece by many others, and it brought wealth, artistic respectability, and international fame to the Who. A second rock opera, Quadrophenia, explored the tortured inner lives of the mods, once exploited by the group to build their fame.
When The Who by Numbers was released in 1975, the group was as popular as ever, but its members, particularly Townshend, seemed to be undergoing an identity crisis. The most famous line from their first album had been "Hope I die before I get old," but they hadn't died and they were uncertain about what to do next. The group didn't record for three years while its members worked on individual projects. Daltrey had already released a solo album and appeared in the title role of the film version of Tommy. In 1975 he portrayed classical composer Franz Liszt in Ken Russell's Lisztomania. He later acted in Sextet, The Legacy, and McVicar, a film biography of train robber John McVicar. He also developed the script for McVicar from the robber's autobiography.
The Who returned as a unit in 1978 with Who Are You?, but only a month after the long-awaited album was released drummer Keith Moon was found dead in his apartment, overdosed on a drug which, ironically, had been prescribed to curb his alcoholism. The Who's future was thrown into doubt; but after much deliberation Daltrey, Entwistle, and Townshend decided to try to replace Moon and carry on. Kenny Jones of Small Faces was recruited, noted session man John "Rabbit" Bundrick joined the group on keyboards, and "finally, the Who came back onstage, with live shows that were more formal and less spontaneous but retained all of the old power and more of the enthusiasm than anyone had a right to expect," wrote Marsh. Unfortunately, the return of the Who was overshadowed by a tragedy that occurred when they played Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum: eleven concertgoers were crushed to death in a rush for seats. The group put out two more studio albums of new material, but announced their official breakup in 1983 after the release of It's Hard.
Although Who fans had hopes of a reunion tour in 1985 when the group agreed to perform at the Live-Aid benefit concert, it wasn't until 1989 that all the members agreed to participate in a tour. Daltrey, Townshend, and Entwistle hit the road with 15 musicians to back them up on "The Kids Are Alright 1989 Tour." "Extraordinary is the only word that comes to mind," Boston Globe reviewer Steve Morse wrote of the much-anticipated show. "The Who thoroughly aced their exam. … scoring in the upper 99th percentile on song selection, visuals, sound mix, performance, crowd rapport, and just about anything else you might want to judge a show by. … It was the best stadium show this writer has ever seen." The tour featured the band, this time with noted jazz and rock drummer Simon Phillips, performing Tommy in its entirety. In 1996 the group would re-form with drummer Zak Starkey on a live tour featuring complete performances of Quadrophenia. The group also gave an invigorated performance at the Concert for New York City benefit for the families of New York City Police and Fire Department members who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Another reunion tour in 2002 was nearly grounded when the band's erstwhile bassist, John Entwhistle, died on the eve of the tour's first show. Rather than pack it in, Daltrey and Townshend enlisted Pino Palladino and soldiered on. Townshend's arrest and subsequent dismissal on child pornography charges (he claimed he was conducting research for a book on his own experiences as a child sexual abuse victim) brought Daltrey and Townshend closer together. The duo wrote and recorded the understated and underappreciated first Who album in nearly 25 years, Endless Wire, released in 2006.
For the Record …
Born Roger Harry Daltrey on March 1, 1944, in London, England.
Founding member, with John Entwistle, of rhythm and blues/dance band the Detours, early 1960s; founding member of the Who (originally called the High Numbers) with Entwistle, Keith Moon, and Pete Townshend, 1965; solo artist, 1973-; appeared in films including Tommy, McVicar, Lisztomania, Sextet, and The Legacy; hosted History Channel television series Extreme History, 2003.
Awards: named Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 2005.
Addresses: Record company—Atlantic Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019.
Flying Solo
The volatile relationships within the Who prompted the members to go their separate ways for extended periods between erratic recording and touring schedules. During these periods the members worked on solo projects. Daltrey's self-named debut solo effort, for example, was a highlight of album-oriented rock radio upon its release in 1973. The album featured eight songs written by the then-unknown songwriting team of Leo Sayer and David Courtney, including "One of the Boys," "Giving It All Away," and "The Show Must Go On." While generally considered to be a less successful effort, Daltrey's 1975 follow-up, Ride a Rock Horse, had many fine moments but failed to yield hit singles. If Ride a Rock Horse underwhelmed audiences, 1977's One of the Boys inexplicably yielded slight notice, this time because performers such as Daltrey were considered "dinosaurs" by punk musicians and critics. The album featured tasteful performances by such guest instrumentalists as Eric Clapton, Mick Ronson, Rod Argent, and John Entwhistle and songs written by Paul McCartney, Murray Head, and Andy Pratt.
After the recording of the Who's Who Are You, the death of Keith Moon, a subsequent tour and flurry of film projects, including the Who documentary The Kids Are Alright, and a cinematic version of Quadrophenia, Daltrey dedicated his newfound financial resources to the film and soundtrack of McVicar, a biography of a notorious bank robber. On the strength of the single "Free Me," the album became the highest selling release in Daltrey's solo catalog. The album also featured a blistering opening cut, "Bitter and Twisted," proving that the "dinosaur" could out-rock punk's snottiest contenders. A dearth of interesting material plagued Parting Should Be Painless, Daltrey's first album after the Who officially hung up their spurs in 1984. He rebounded a year later, however, on an album conceived both as a tribute to Keith Moon and a meditation on the ravages of age, Under a Raging Moon. Townshend contributed a fine composition brilliantly sung by Daltrey, "After the Fire," and Bryan Adams contributed "Let Me Down Easy." The 1987 release, Can't Wait to See the Movie, was a disappointing follow-up as Daltrey offered mostly indistinguishable ballads and held back on the throttle of his typically muscular vocals. Rocks in the Head, released in 1992, found Daltrey once again in fine command of his voice and song selection. Many of the songs were co-written by Daltrey with guitarist Gerard McMahon.
In 2005 Daltrey was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year Honours List for his charity work, including the Teenage Cancer Trust. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who in 1990, Daltrey's inimitable vocal style has proven him possibly the best interpreter of Pete Townshend's lyrical forays into adolescent and middle-aged isolation, if not one of the best vocalists in all of rock music.
Selected discography
Albums with the Who
My Generation, Decca, 1966.
Happy Jack, Decca, 1967.
The Who Sell Out, Decca, 1968 (released in England as A Quick One).
Magic Bus-The Who on Tour, Decca, 1968.
Tommy, Decca, 1969.
Direct Hits, Track, 1969.
Live at Leeds, Decca, 1970.
Who's Next, Decca, 1971.
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, Decca, 1971.
Quadrophenia, MCA, 1973.
Odds and Sods, MCA, 1974.
Portrait, Polydor, 1975.
The Who by Numbers, MCA, 1975.
Who Are You?, MCA, 1978.
The Kids Are Alright, MCA, 1979.
Quadrophenia (soundtrack), Polydor, 1979.
Face Dances, Polydor, 1981.
Hooligans, MCA, 1981.
Phases, Polydor, 1982.
It's Hard, Polydor, 1982.
Who's Last, Polydor, 1985.
Two's Missing, Polydor, 1987.
Endless Wire, Universal/Republic, 2006.
Solo albums
Daltrey, MCA, 1973.
Ride a Rock Horse, MCA, 1975.
One of the Boys, MCA, 1977.
McVicar (soundtrack), Polydor, 1980.
Best of Roger Daltrey, Polydor, 1981.
Best Bits, MCA, 1982.
Parting Should Be Painless, WEA, 1984.
Under a Raging Moon, Atlantic, 1985.
Can't Wait to See the Movie, Atlantic, 1987.
Rocks in the Head, Atlantic, 1992.
Sources
Books
Hardy, Phil, and Dave Laing, Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, McDonald, 1987.
Jahn, Mike, Rock: From Elvis Presley to Rock and Roll, Rolling Stone Press, 1976.
Miller, Jim, editor, Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, Rolling Stone Press, 1983.
Periodicals
Audio, February, 1986.
Boston Globe, July 13, 1989; July 15, 1989.
Boston Phoenix, July 21, 1989.
People, August 3, 1987.
Rolling Stone, February 28, 1985; August 27, 1987.
Online
All Music Guide,http://www.allmusicguide.com (Feb. 22, 2007).