The Who

The Who is considered one of the most powerful rock bands of the 21st century. They started their band in London, England. The Who formed in 1964. They sold over 100 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Who can also be known as The Detours or The High Numbers.Band MembersThe Who developed from an earlier group called The Detours. From there they established their band as a part of the pop art and mod movements. The founding members of The Who were Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Daltrey was the lead singer, Townshend was a guitarist and singer, Entwistle was a bass guitarist, and Moon was a drummer. All of the band members grew up around London. Daltrey had a hard time fitting in at school and discovered rock and roll. He founded the Detours in 1959. Townshend's parents were very supportive of him since his dad played the saxophone and his mother had sung the entertainment division during World War II. Just like Townshend, Entwistle also liked rock and roll. He started to play the guitar but since he had large fingers, it was hard for him to play it.Early careerAfter the Detours became the Who, many things changed. Sandom left the band since he wasn't getting along with Townshend. After that, they didn't talk for many years. During a gig at Oldfield, the Who met Keith Moon. Townshend accidentally broke his guitar on stage and he was angered by the audiences laugh. This made him crush the guitar on stage but he picked up another one and continued to play. The next week when the band played again, the audience wanted to see a repeat of what Townshend did. This is how auto-destructive art became part of the Who's live shows.SuccessesThe Who had many successes. Their first single, â€Å"I Can't Explain† reached the UK top ten. Their next single called â€Å"My Generation† was released in October. Although it was originally supposed to be written as a slow blues Entwistle played a bass solo in it. In the end, it turned out to be a very powerful song. The Who's most successful solo release was a Daltrey solo album. Daltrey was a very good singer, but he also found success in acting. The Who also became the first rock and roll act to play Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Their fourth album, 1969's rock opera Tommy, was a commercial success.Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and AchievementsThe Who was inducted into the hall of fame in 1990. They even have a featured collection in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum which includes a drumhead from 1968. The Who also made it into the UK Music Hall of Fame. They had seven of their albums appear on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums which were in 2003. That made the Who have more than any other rock and roll band except four. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen. The Who even held a world record for being the world's loudest rock and roll bands!End of Career and DeathOut of the four founding members of the Who, Moon and Entwistle both died. Moon died in 1978 because of a drug overdose. Townshend, Daltrey, and Entwistle released â€Å"Who Are You† shortly after his death. The song was based on Moon's death. Sadly, Entwistle died 24 years later in 2002. He had a heart attack at Hard Rock Hotel due to cocaine. This made plans for a new album delayed.ConclusionThe Who has changed many lives with their energetic performances. They have influenced many people. They have even influenced the pop-punk band Panic! At the Disco. The Who have continued to play as a band even after 54 years of being together. They have won many awards for their great recordings. The Who are a very talented band that won many awards.