Page updated Sep. 20, 2024
January 2017
New music releases: "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran; "Congratulations" - Post Malone featuring Quavo; "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars; "Castle on the Hill" - Ed Sheeran
On the 1st, The White Hart in Acton catches fire. The pub was one of the major performance venues for The Detours from February 1963 through their early years. The fire had been started by a candle placed too close to a Christmas tree.
On the 19th, Pete is interviewed in Music Week and says he is optimistic about recording a new Who record. "We’ve tried a lot to make records together, very much like the Stones. They did their blues album, which has done very well. So now everyone’s suggesting The Who should do the same! Roger and I have had a few occasions where we’ve tried to write and record together but we are more optimistic than ever before, because Roger has grown such a lot; he’s developed creatively, hugely." He also says he is working on a new Scoop collection.
On the 28th, Rachel Fuller appears on Rise and Shine breakfast show on English Harbour Radio and breaks the news that she and Pete were married the month before.
February 2017
New Music Releases: "Believer" - Imagine Dragons; "Something Just Like This" - The Chainsmokers and Coldplay; "Body Like a Back Road" - Sam Hunt; "Stay" - Zedd and Alessia Cara
On the 7th, Pete writes a letter to the Tannoy speaker manufacturing firm in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire addressing his concern that potential layoffs could affect the quality of their products. The letter is also given to the press. Unfortunately, the firm in Scotland is closed with manufacturing moved to China.
On the 17th, Rouge Wave releases their album Cover Me for Record Store Day. It contains a cover of "Let My Love Open the Door".
On the 18th, billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Tudor holds a fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida to benefit the Everglades Foundation. Roger is brought in to perform Who hits with an assist from Jimmy Buffett. When not performing, Roger is by the sea and sand working on his tan.
March 2017
New Music Releases: ÷ - Ed Sheeran; "XO Tour Llif3" - Lil Uzi Vert; "Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man; "Drowning" - A Boogie wit da Hoodie featuring Kodak Black
On the 2nd, the press reports that Gustav Metzger, the Austrian artist whose theories on "self-destructive art" inspired The Who's guitar smashing, has passed away in London.
On the 3rd, Rick Wakeman releases a 3-CD boxset of performances from his mid-80s television show Gas Tank featuring John Entwistle performing "Twist and Shout" and "Go America" from March 1983.
On the 15th, the press announces that Pete has written a new song for an upcoming touring production of The Who's Tommy using actors with disabilities. The song, "Acid Queen 2", is added to Act 2 and concerns "how you deal with fame when it's faded."
On the 16th, Roger and Wilko Johnson give a wildly energetic blues set at the biennial Roundhouse Gala in Camden. The event is a charity benefitting disadvantaged young people gain skills and experience in the arts.
On the 30th Rolls-Royce unveils a Wraith designed by Roger to resemble the cover of Tommy.
On the 30th, for the 100th concert held for the Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, The Who perform Tommy. It was originally announced as an acoustic performance but Pete told The Independent: "I couldn't get the acoustic to sound big enough." John Button plays bass for a touring Pino Palladino.
April 2017
New Music Releases: "Despacito (Remix)" - Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber; "Unforgettable" - French Montana featuring Swae Lee; "Thunder" - Imagine Dragons; "I'm the One" - DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne
The Who perform a second night at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust on the 1st, then head out for a U.K. tour at the Echo Arena in Liverpool (3rd), Manchester Arena (5th), The SSE Hydro in Glasgow (7th), Sheffield Arena (10th), and Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham (12th).
On the 19th, Pete is back the Royal Albert Hall performing in Symfunny No. 2: An Evening of Music and Comedy Raising Funds for Parkinson's UK.
On the 22nd, for Record Store Day UK, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, featuring Sean Lennon, release a 10" EP with a cover of "Boris the Spider".
On the 23rd, Bang Showbiz reports that Pete says he doesn't care about a Quadrophenia movie sequel but is frustrated that it would tell what happened to Jimmy afterwards: "When I wrote the album it was very important that you should not know or I should not tell you what happens to Jimmy at the end. That should be your decision."
On the 30th, Solid Hex releases their EP PSA with a cover under the title of "Eminem's Front".
June 2017
New Music Releases: "Bodak Yellow" - Cardi B; "Young, Dumb & Broke" - Khalid; "When It Rains It Pours" - Luke Combs; "Wild Thoughts" - DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
On the 2nd, The Who Live at The Isle of Wight 2004 blu-ray and 2 CD set is released.
On the 5th, Red Planet publishes Richard Houghton's book The Who: I Was There, a collection of 400 fans' accounts of seeing The Who live.
On the 6th, Pete is interviewed in The Boston Globe about a planned autumn tour of Classic Quadrophenia in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. Another interview on the subject is in People magazine on the 20th.
On the 15th, A blue plaque honouring John Entwistle is placed at the Royal British Legion, Gloucester by BBC Gloucestershire for BBC Music Day.
On the 19th, Pete says he knew four Spanish families that lived in Grenfell Tower. Three members of those families died in the fire that killed many of its residents. Since the blaze, Pete has been writing checks for the victims and even replaced a piano a young girl had lost.
On the 21st, a single by Artists for Grenville of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is released. Both Pete and Roger take part in the charity recording. It goes to #1 and as they are listed as "The Who", it becomes The Who's first official #1 single in the U.K. Pete will go on to write the powerful "Street Song" about the disaster for 2019's album WHO.
On the 27th, Adam Clayton of U2 reveals that Pete visited him while he was in rehab for alcoholism.
July 2017
New music releases: "New Rules" - Dua Lipa; "Sorry Not Sorry" - Demi Lovato; "Praying" - Kesha; "Beautiful" - Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello
On the 13th, The Who return to North America for more touring, starting at the Festival D'été de Québec in Quebec City. Afterwards they play CMAC in Canandaigua, New York (16), MGM National Harbor in National Harbor, Maryland (18), Modegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut (20), Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey (20), and Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan (25).
On the 19th, The Who stop by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to perform "I Can See For Miles" and "You Better You Bet".
On the 24th, Roger visits teen cancer patients at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Roger presents the facility with a signed guitar to be displayed in the hospitals' new 7th floor inpatient unit.
On the 29th, The Who play the first date of a two-week residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
August 2017
New music releases: "Havana" - Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug; "Silence" - Marshmello featuring Khalid; "I Get the Bag" - Gucci Mane featuring Migos; "Bank Account" - 21 Savage
The Who continue their residency at The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas on the nights of the 1st, 4th, 7th, 9th, and the 11th.
On the 2nd, the book The Who on The Who: Interviews and Encounters edited by Sean Egan is published.
On the 13th, The Who are at the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
The Who wrap up this North American tour at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's in Stateline, Nevada on the 16th.
It is reported on the 31st that Roger sold his bespoke Tommy album-decorated Rolls Royce Wraith for £208,945. The money goes to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
September 2017
New music releases: "Perfect" - Ed Sheeran; "Rockstar" - Post Malone featuring 21 Savage; "Die for You" - the Weeknd; "Let You Down" - NF
On the 2nd Pete Townshend's Classic Quadrophenia with singer Alfie Boe, Billy Idol as The Bellboy and orchestral accompaniment is performed at the Tanglewood shed where The Who performed in 1969 and 1970. After that comes a two-night stand at another 1970 Who venue, the Metropolitan Opera in New York on the 9th and 10th. The mini-U.S. tour ends on the 16th at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
On the afternoon before the Tanglewood show Pete, Alfie Boe, and Billy Idol hold a fundraiser at the Cancer Center at Berkshire Medical Center's Hillcrest campus raising $25,000.
On the 8th, The Waterboys release their album Out of All This Blue featuring the song "The Hammerhead Bar" about a visit to John Entwistle's home.
On the 19th, Pete Facebooks from São Paulo on the eve of rehearsals for The Who first tour of South America. "The obvious problem for me working in The Who is that I am constantly playing music I wrote a long time ago – most of it over 35 years ago. I’m lucky in many ways, but there is a little piece of me that has an unusually loud voice. When I’m on stage it sometimes says '...you were so brilliant young Pete...'. At other times it says '...when are we going to play something difficult...?"
On the 20th, Roger launches his Cuvée Roger Daltrey champagne at the home of Interfood businessman João Cury in São Paulo to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Pete, meanwhile, finally admits that he married long-time girlfriend Rachel Fuller the previous December. Fuller had already spilled the beans earlier in the year.
On the 21st, The Who open their South American tour at Allianz Park in São Paulo, Brazil. On the 23rd they open for Guns 'n Roses at the Rock in Rio Festival at Barra Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro.
On the 24th, Pete says on Facebook that he has donated $150,000 to people of Barbuda whose island was devastated by a recent hurricane.
Still opening for Guns 'n Roses, The Who finish up Brazil on the 26th at Anfiteatro Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre. On the 29th, they are in Chile performing at Estadio Monumental in Santiago.
October 2017
New music releases: "Meant To Be" - Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line; "Jocelyn Flores" - XXXTentacion; "I Fall Apart" - Post Malone; "MotorSport" - Migos with Nicki Minaj and Cardi B
The Who finish their first South American tour on the 1st as they open for Guns 'n' Roses at Estadio Único De La Plata in Buenos Aires. Prior to the show Pete and Roger meet with Charly Garcia, the dean of Argentinian rock. Pete later writes a diary entry on the trip: "I have loved playing stadiums again. Being a support band to Guns N Roses also means we play just 90 minutes which I love because I can start as I mean to finish: FLAT OUT. We've also built a little fire under G&R."
On the 6th, Pete writes again on Facebook, saying how he has taken an acting part in his wife Rachel's musical The Seeker. Pete is planning to take the role of "The Ferryman" based on a song he wrote in 1976. "I’m not known for my acting, and I have always said I can’t do it – but recently I realised that I have been acting all my life, pretending to love being on stage in a rock band. At various stages of my career with the Who I have appeared happy, joyful, miserable, bored, in the zone, out of the zone, up my own arse and five feet up in the air... none of these states has ever reflected what I have really been feeling at the time. I have been doing my job as a musician (which comes naturally to me) and acting whatever part I think needs to be put over at the time." Due to Covid, the musical is not released or staged until 2024.
On the 13th, Eagle Rock issues the DVD Tommy Live at The Royal Albert Hall, a recording of The Who's March 30th performance.
On the 15th, Walmart launches their "Be Who You Want This Halloween" promotion using "Who Are You" as the music.
On the 18th, Roger inducts Alan Edwards at the PRWeek Awards at Grosvenor House in London. Roger recalls Alan during his early days working on The Who's account: "From sleeping on the couch in the office when he started work for the great Keith Altham, Alan's enthusiasm and dedication to the job hasn't changed in 40 years. He's the guv'nor."
Roger's enthusiasm for work continues unabated as on the 26th, he is in Mexico performing at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen. On the 30th, he is at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. Leslie Mendelson opens.
On the 27th, the 5-CD set Maximum A's and B's is released.
November 2017
New music releases: "Heaven" - Kane Brown; "You Are the Reason" - Calum Scott; Reputation - Taylor Swift; Diamonds - Elton John
On the 1st, Pete presents the Artist Loyalty award to long-time Who manager Bill Curbishley at the 2017 A&R Awards in London.
Roger cannot attend as he is continuing his solo tour of North America on the 1st at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. Additional dates are at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, Florida on the 3rd with Edgar Winters opening, and the Avalon Ballroom Theatre at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario on the 6th and 8th.
On the 11th The Mirror reports that The Who have negotiated to take over Sir Elton John's residency at the Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. They are expect to get £250,000 per night.
Roger is back in London on the 13th as 600 people gather to witness the unveiling of "The Adoration Trilogy: In Search of Apollo" in the Raphael Gallery of the Victoria & Albert Museum. The photo collage is created by British photographer Alistair Morrison who, with the aid of Roger, took pictures of 60 legendary men of rock and pieced them together in one image using digital technology. Alice Cooper, John Paul Jones, Donovan, Kenney Jones, Peter Frampton, Bill Wyman, Peter Gabriel, Sir Tom Jones, Paul Weller, Sir Ray Davies, Carl Palmer, Chris Farlowe and Sadie Frost join Roger at the unveiling. The project benefits Teen Cancer Trust and The Who's charity Teen Cancer America.
On the 16th, Billy Corgan decries in an interview the lack of interest in new music by living rock legends: "It's no longer 'I hope I die before I get old.' Pete Townshend was just through Chicago doing 'Quadrophenia' with Eddie Vedder and an orchestra, right? So these works live on. But Pete Townshend is one of the greatest living songwriters in the world, there should be more interest in his new work than the past. It should be proportionate - that's going to be my argument until the day I die. I think people will one day kick themselves that they didn't take more advantage of these great living artists - and I mean LIVING in capital letters - and use that vitality. Pete Townshend should be documenting, and I'm sure he is, he should be documenting every stage of his life, not just when he put on skinny trousers. You know what I'm saying?"
Speaking of new Pete Townshend music, Elkie Brooks says in an interview on the 26th that Pete has written a new song for her which will be on her next album. Unfortunately, it appears that to date, her recording of the song has not yet been released.