Page updated Jan. 1, 2020
January 2014
New music releases: "Let It Go" - Idina Menzel; "Rather Be" - Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne; "Or Nah" - Ty Dolla $ign featuring Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard; "Odio" - Romeo Santos featuring Drake
Pete Townshend talks about his as-yet-unproduced musical Floss in the new issue of Uncut magazine: "The solo album I'm working on at the moment is so dark I'm hoping that when people have finished listening to it they'll kill themselves. It's called FLOSS. It's going to be a very serious, very long opera. I'm pretending to be Sting. There won't be any lutes. No, it's not dark, really. It's just very, very focused and serious. The idea is that we're all terrified. We're living in terror, we're living in anxiety, discomfort and the fear that we have is for the future, the fear for our children's future. We're worried about the planet, we're worried about terrorism, being able to sustain life as we love it, we're afraid we can't guarantee peace. It ends with an interactive art installation. I'm hoping that will last a couple of years. I started working on it in 2008 and I'm hoping a series of songs from it will come out next May or June."
On the 27th, is the release of The Small Faces' boxset Here Come the Nice featuring a forward by Pete.
On the 29th, The Who's drummer before Keith Moon, Doug Sandom, publishes his memoir, The Who Before The Who on Kindle. The hardback is released in February.
February 2014
New music releases: "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX; "Waves (Robin Schulz Remix)" - Mr. Probz; "This Is How We Roll" - Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan; "Ain't It Fun" - Paramore
On the 16th, Pete Townshend is interviewed at the Ealing Music and Film Festival. He confirm's Roger Daltrey's remark that The Who will be recording a new album around the end of the year.
On the 25th, Roger Daltrey sings for a performance of Wilko Johnson at Shepherd's Bush Empire. Bob Geldof and Top Gear's Richard Clarkson and Richard Hammond are in the audience. At the time, Wilko had been informed that he would be dying soon of pancreatic cancer. It turns out later to have been a misdiagnosis.
On the 27th, Roger and Wilko hold a press conference at the Brewery in London to promote their forthcoming joint album. The following day, Roger appears on Chris Evans' Breakfast Show on Radio 2.
March 2014
New music releases: "Chandelier" - Sia; "Summer" - Calvin Harris; "Play It Again" - Luke Bryan; "Car Radio" - Twenty One Pilots
On the 3rd, it is reported that the mysterious celebrity backing plans for a model railway museum in Ashford, Kent, is Roger Daltrey. "The great thing about model railways is you can be doing a bit of woodwork, a bit of painting, a bit of this, a bit of that, and having fun with your mates and you can listen to the radio."
On the 10th is the DVD release of the documentary Sensation: The Story of Tommy in the U.K. The U.S. release follows on the 11th and the Japanese release on the 12th.
On the 19th, Wilko Johnson and Roger release the music video for their new version of "Keep It to Myself".
The following evening, Wilko, Roger, and their band perform during "An Evening with Suggs and Friends" at Porchester Hall, London. It is a benefit for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
On the 24th is the release of the album Going Back Home credited to Wilko Johnson / Roger Daltrey. On the same day Roger appears on BBC One's The One Show and later Roger signs copies of the album at the HMV store in London.
On the 26th, Roger and Wilko perform at the Royal Albert Hall during the yearly Teenage Cancer Trust concerts. In addition, Roger joins Paolo Nutini and together they perform "Cherry Blossom".
On the 30th, Going Back Home premiers at #3 on the U.K. charts and #1 on the download charts.
Also on the 30th, Pete pens a reminiscence of his late friend and album partner Ronnie Lane in The Sunday Times.
April 2014
New music releases: "Stay with Me" - Sam Smith; "Trap Queen" - Fetty Wap; "Problem" - Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea; "Sing" - Ed Sheeran
On the 2nd through the 7th, Roger Daltrey is on The Moody Blues Cruise 2014 leaving from Grand Turk Island, Nassau.
On the 7th, the Ep Good People by The Peppercorn Queen et The Fat Lambs is released featuring a cover of "Dreaming From the Waist".
On the 8th comes the U.S. release of the Wilko Johnson/Roger Daltrey album Going Back Home. It does not make it onto the Billboard charts.
On the 10th, Roger speaks at the Teen Cancer America benefit dinner in Los Angeles.
On the 13th, Roger attends the Verizon IndyCar Series race in Long Beach to raise awareness of Teen Cancer America. He announces a new TCA initiative, the Road Rebellion Tour and is driven at speed by Mario Andretti in a two-seater.
Also on the 13th, the soundtrack for Showtime's final season of Californication is released featuring a new remix of Pete's "Let My Love Open the Door".
During the month, NEGA launches its second series of The Simpsons' 25 of the Greatest Guest Stars figurines with The Who.
On the 16th, Pete announces The Who's 50th Anniversary tour in Billboard. Additionally, he says The Who are planning a new album. "I'll be pulling some songs out of 'Floss' to give to Roger to see if we've got enough to make an album. It might be a big waste of time, but I'm hoping there will be an album."
On the 22nd, Ted Neeley releases an EP called Rock Opera with a cover of "See Me Feel Me".
On the 24th, the Daily Mail reports that a new documentary about The Who's former managers, Lambert & Stamp, has been pulled from the London Film Festival. It is reported that Pete and Roger have "some issues that are being addressed."
Also on the 24th, Roger is honored for his charity work at the Music Week Awards. Pauls Weller and McCartney both praise him with Sir Paul saying, "I've been watching the progress for years now and you're doing a fantastic job. "I know the kids appreciate it so much. So, Mr Daltrey - Roger - Sir, well done."
Meanwhile on this day in the U.S., references are made to The Who's late bass player John Entwistle. One of his 1965 Danelectro basses is featured on the show Pawn Stars and in West Hollywood a tribute concert to both John and Keith Moon called "The Ox & The Loon" is held at The House of Blues. Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley performs and the John Entwistle Bass Legend Award is presented to Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister.
On the 28th, Roger, Brian May, and Bill Wyman are at the Royal Albert Hall for the unveiling of a mural by Sir Peter Blake. Entitled "Appearing at the Albert Hall", the mural resembles the cover Blake designed for The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
On the 30th, Pete premiers a new song, "It Must Be Done", on this evening's episode of FX's series The Americans. The song is based on a melody provided by the show's composer Nathan Barr with Pete providing lyrics, vocals, and lead guitar.
May 2014
New music releases: In the Lonely Hour - Sam Smith; "A Sky Full of Stars" - Coldplay; "Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)" - OMI; "Wiggle" - Jason Derulo featuring Snoop Dogg
On the 6th, Roger Daltrey is in New York at SiriusXM headquarters to appear on Mojo Nixon's show on the Outlaw Country channel. He is there to talk about his new album with Wilko Johnson.
Six days later, Roger is back in London, attending the Radio Academy Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
On the 13th, the various artists CD I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson is released featuring a cover of "A Quick One While He's Away" by Saint Motel.
Roger continues more album promotion on the 16th with an appearance on Steve Wright's show on BBC Radio 2. The next day he is on Pete Mitchell's show on Absolute Radio.
June 2014
New music releases: X - Ed Sheeran; "All About That Bass" - Meghan Trainor; "Maps" - Maroon 5; "Don't Tell 'Em" - Jeremih featuring YG
On the 2nd, Roger Daltrey attends the Health Lottery Tea Party hosted by Simon Cowell at the Savoy Hotel, London.
On the 10th, the Quadrophenia: Live in London DVD and CD released. The Deluxe Edition comes with 2 Blu-rays of the show, 2 CD's of the audio, a Blu-ray audio of the entire album in 5.1 mix and the original 1973 stereo mix, a sticker, booklet and button all in a circular tin designed to look like a Vespa headlight. HMV London personnel dub it "the biscuit tin". The CD peaks at #118 in the U.S.
On the 13th, Brenda Earle Stokes releases her CD Right About Now featuring a cover of "Let My Love Open the Door".
On the 14th, Roger and Pete Townshend reunite with Kenney Jones for their first performance together since 1988. They play a five song set at a festival held at the Hurtwood Park Polo Club. Dubbed the "Rock'n Horsepower" festival, the concert benefits UK Prostate Cancer. It was put together by Kenney Jones who had been suffering with prostate cancer over the last year. Other performers include Mick Hucknall, Jeff Beck, Procul Harum, Mike + The Mechanics, Alvin Stardust, Nik Kershaw and John Parr. Others attending the Rock 'n' Horsepower event included Ruby Wax, Colin Salmon, Jane Seymour and Penny Smith.
The Spanish group Los Retrovisores releases their EP En el Surco featuring a cover of "I Can See For Miles" as "Te Veo a Millas".
On the 20th, Going Back Home by Wilko Johnson and Roger receives Gold certification from the BPI.
On the 21st, Roger joins Paul Weller at the Bedgebury Live Festival organized by The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum. Roger and Paul perform "Substitute" and "I Can't Explain".
On the 20th, Pete and Roger hold a press conference to announce plans for their "The Who Hits 50!" tour. The venue for the presser is Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club where The Who premiered Tommy for the press 45 years earlier. Roger dubs the tour "the beginning of a long goodbye." Pete adds, "We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we're lucky to be alive and still touring. If I had enough hairs to split, I would say that for 13 years since 1964 The Who didn't really exist, so we are really only 37." The two then perform an acoustic set of "Substitute", "Bargain", "The Kids Are Alright", and "Won't Get Fooled Again".
After the press conference, Roger puts on his good suit to attend a reception for the Best of Britain's Creative Industries at The Foreign Office.
July 2014
New music releases: "Bang Bang" - Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj; "Break Free" - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd; "Black Widow" - Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora; "Hot Nigga" - Bobby Shmurda
On the 8th, Roger Daltrey performs at a tribute to lyricist Tim Rice at London's Southbank Centre. Other performers include Gemma Arterton, Rufus Wainwright, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Andrew Lloyd-Webber.
On the 10th, A two-day symposium on Quadrophenia is held in Brighton beginning with a showing of the movie at the Duke of York Cinema and a talk afterwards by director Franc Roddam, Simon Wells, author of the book Quadrophenia: A Way of Life and novelization author Alan Fletcher.
On the 21st, Roger visits Ashford Borough Council to push for a model railway museum in Ashford. Roger confirmed earlier this year he is supporting a scheme to transform the old Klondyke Railway Works site in Ashford's Newtown.
On the 26th, Roger and his solo band do a set at the end of the RBC, an annual pharmacy business conference hosted by Cardinal Health.
On the 28th, Roger performs a solo show benefitting Teen Cancer America and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts open.
On the 30th, the press reports that director Simon West (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Con Air) is working with The Who to develop a dramatic TV mini-series about the London music scene of the 1960s called Mods and Rockers. To date, nothing further has been heard about the project.
August 2014
New music releases: "Shake It Off" - Taylor Swift; "I'm Not the Only One" - Sam Smith; "Don't" - Ed Sheeran; "Cigarette Daydreams" - Cage the Elephant
On the 6th, a press release reports that The Who are "seeking radio and TV performances, home movies of gigs, bootleg material, photos and memorabilia to be used in anniversary releases". Some of the material will be used in pre-concert slide shows.
On the 13th, death metal band OnSlaughter releases their album A Pain in the Neck with a cover of "I Can't Explain".
September 2014
New music releases: "Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran; "Shut Up and Dance" - Walk the Moon; "I Don't Fuck with You" - Big Sean featuring E-40; "Let It Go" - James Bay
On the 2nd Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey reunite with drummer Zak Starkey at Porchester Hall, Bayswater, London to perform a medley of "See Me Feel Me" and "Baba O'Riley" before a select group of Who fans. The performance airs on the 5th during the international charity telecast Stand Up For Cancer.
On the 18th, Mark Blake releases his excellent biography of the early Who, Pretend You're in a War: The Who & The Sixties through Aurum Publishers.
On the 24th, The Who's first new song since 2006, "Be Lucky", premiers on The Chris Evans Show. The Pete composition is based on a saying of Roger's and contains mentions of AC/DC and Daft Punk.
On the 30th, is the guest of honour at a Health Lottery event benefitting Merton Mercap. He and Richard Desmond, owner of the Daily Express also attend a drumming workshop paid for by the Health Lottery to benefit young people with learning disabilities.
October 2014
New music releases: 1989 - Taylor Swift; "Lips Are Movin'" - Meghan Taylor; "Runaway (U & I)" - Galantis; "G.D.F.R." - Flo Rida featuring Sage the Gemini and Lookas
On the 6th, Roger Daltrey is on hand to honor teen cancer patient Stephen Sutton at The Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards.
On the 10th, Roger presents graduation certificates to young people who had completed the Heathfield Works programme that helped them find work through education and training.
On the 16th, Roger begins four days at a Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. Proceeds go to The Who's charity Teen Cancer America.
On the 23rd, Pete Townshend attends the recording of the backing vocals for the orchestral version of Quadrophenia. Those vocals are provided by the London Oriana Choir and are recorded at AIR Studios, London.
On the 25th, Roger was to have performed an "intimate evening" at McCallum Theatre, Palm Springs, California but the event is cancelled.
On the 26th, a pair of interviews with Pete and Roger appear in The Mail on Sunday. Roger: 'Where are the artists writing with any real sense of angst and purpose? There are no movements at the moment: we had mod and then there was punk, but it's so hard to start a movement now. Unless it's ISIS... Here we are with the world in the state it is in and we've got One Direction.'
On the 27th, The Who Hits 50! is released as a download or 2-CD set in the U.S. It peaks at #93 in the Billboard charts.
On the same day, Canadian musician John Malone releases a cover of "Boris the Spider" as an iTunes single.
On the 28th, BBC One's The One Show airs a new interview with Pete and Roger conducted by Cerys Matthews.
That evening, Roger is a co-host for the Strowger Trust Fundraiser for Teen Cancer America in Los Angeles.
November 2014
New music releases: "Uptown Funk" - Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars; "Blank Space" - Taylor Swift; "Post to Be" - Omarion featuring Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko; "Time of Our Lives" - Pitbull and Ne-Yo
On the 1st, Pete Townshend writes "The Who Jukebox" for the website thewho.com, a collection of liner notes for The Who's 11 studio albums and three songs from each.
On the 3rd, the compilation collection The Who Hits 50! is released in the U.K. as a 2 CD set or download. It peaks at #15 in the British charts.
On the 4th, HD Tracks and iTunes quietly release a completely remixed and remastered edition of Live at Leeds (Deluxe Edition) with the tracks in the correct running order and correcting many of the issues with the 2001 release.
On the 10th, The Who, Trinifold Management, Universal Music, and developer Immersive announce a virtual reality Who app appearing on smart phones and tablets and later on Facebook's Oculus Rift headset. "You strap on the Oculus Rift headset and a pair of headphones, then find yourself flying through a world based on familiar The Who images, from bullseyes and magic buses to a Soho doorway. Lyrics from the songs flash up as you swoop through the environment, and at one point virtual instruments - bass, drums, guitar and keyboard - hover in the air ahead of you, with each turned up in the audio mix if you turn your head to look at it."
On the 11th, The Who Hits 50! tribute night in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust is held at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. The touring Who band backs Eddie Vedder, Liam Gallagher, Geddy Lee and other stars as they performed Who songs. Roger Daltrey closed out the performances. Although Pete participates in the rehearsals, he does not show up to the tribute.
On the 12th, Roger appears at The Goldhawk Club in Shepherd's Bush to promote the Who virtual reality app. Wearing the appartus while perched atop a scooter, Roger confesses that he never actual drove a scooter in his life and that the ace faces of the old Mod days always drove mini vans.
On the 14th, "Baba O'Riley" receives Silver certification by the BPI despite never having been released in the U.K. as a single.
On the 16th, The Who receive a blue plaque from The Heritage Foundation (U.K.) unveiled at The Goldhawk Club. A reception is held afterwards at the Marriott Hotel Regents Park.
On the 17th, HD Tracks and iTunes release a completely new stereo remix of the album My Generation with missing parts from the surviving tapes "recreated" by Pete and Roger.
On the 18th, the Paul McCartney tribute album The Art of McCartney is released featuring Roger singing "Helter Skelter", the McCartney song that was inspired by a remark by Pete in a music magazine.
Also on the 18th, Pete announces that he has given his blessing to a modern remix of 15 classic Who songs with the intent of using them in television commercials. Pete: "A lot of work [went] into these, especially because the respect shown by the remixes to the original songs and song shapes. I know that makes remixing harder, and less fun for them, but a lot of fun for me."
And also on the 18th, Milow The Girl releases a cover of "Eminence Front" as a single.
On the 23rd, The Who kick off their The Who Hits 50! tour at the Yasalam After-Race Concert at du Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It is The Who's first concert in the Middle East.
On the 24th, the official video for The Who's new single "Be Lucky" is premiered.
On the 25th, the Wilko Johnson/Roger Daltrey album Going Back Home is released in a 2-CD deluxe format.
Two following dates for The Who at the O2 in Dublin (26th) and Odyssey Arena in Belfast (28th) are postponed. The U.K. tour starts on the 30th at SSE Hydro in Glasgow with rarity inclusions "Slip Kid" and "A Quick One While He's Away".
On the 29th, a newly married couple, Susan and Carl Smith, get the surprise of their lives when Roger crashes their wedding reception. Staying at the hotel for the next day's concert, Roger heard about the wedding reception and dropped by on a whim, congratulating the couple, taking photos with them and even singing "I Can't Explain" to the delight of the guests.
December 2014
New music releases: "No Role Modelz" - J. Cole; "Earned It" - The Weeknd; 2014 Forest Hills Drive - J. Cole; "Girl Crush" - Little Big Town
On the 1st, Pete Townshend announces that he will release a re-imagining of Quadrophenia orchestrated by his partner Rachel Fuller. He plans to release it in June 2015 as Classic Quadrophenia on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Pete hopes that it will bring together "people who might not otherwise go to see a symphony orchestra perform without lights and fireworks and a movie screen."
The Who continue their 50th Anniversary Tour in the U.K. performing at First Direct Arena in Leeds (2nd), Capital FM Arena in Nottingham (5th), NIA in Birmingham (7th), Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle (9th), Echo Arena in Liverpool (11th), Phones 4U Arena in Manchester (13th), and Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff (15th). From there, Who activities are put on pause until March 2015.