Page updated September 1, 2020. Here's a selection of events from September. Look through all the years for even more!

September 1948 (73 Years Ago)

On the 16th, Kenney Jones is born in London.

September 1961 (59 Years Ago)

Around this time, John runs into Roger who recruits him as bass player in his group The Detours. Pete starts a 2-year introductory course at Ealing Technical College and School of Art. Meanwhile, Keith takes night classes in electronics at Harrow Technical College. Their future manager Kit Lambert returns to England after the disastrous Brazilian expedition that led to his friend's death.

September 1962 (58 Years Ago)

On the 6th, The Detours get a feature article in the Acton Gazette and Post, their first ever press mention, in a review of the Gala Ball of the 1st. The paper says the "Detours" jazz group provided "the gist of the twist."

Pete starts his second year of art school. It is during this year that Pete makes friends with fellow students Richard Barnes (who will name The Who) and Tom Wright, who will turn Pete onto grass as well as record after record of U.S. jazz, blues and R&B.

September 1963 (57 Years Ago)

On the 7th, Melody Maker runs an ad for Marshall Amps listing the Detours as clients. Marshall will go on to create the stackable cabinet setup at Pete's request that will become the standard for the rock era.

September 1965 (55 Years Ago)

On the 10th, Life magazine prints an article on The Beatles. Ringo, asked if The Beatles are a "pop-art" band, says that would be The Who. "It's a new group. When they play they slowly smash their instruments to bits."

On the 13th, Ringo unknowingly makes a contribution to that band as his wife Maureen gives birth to their son Zak Starkey. Thirty-one years later, Zak will become The Who's primary drummer.

On the 25th, The Who arrive in Denmark to begin their first Danish tour with a 9pm show at the Folkets Hus in Elsinore then rush 20 miles to Copenhagen to play the KB Hallen at Midnight, this set with loaner equipment from the Swedish band The Lee Kings. According to a member of The Namelosers, a Swedish pop band, Roger bursts into the dressing room after the second show and headbutts Keith in the nose because Keith had been playing too loud.

The next night The Who play an 8pm show at the Aarhus Hallen in Aarhus...or rather they attempt to. The audience pelts the opening acts with bottles and trash and turns into a rioting mob by the time The Who take the stage. The band makes it through half of one song before fleeing for their lives as the audience storms the stage and smashes the instruments. Pete later calls it "the best concert we ever played in Denmark."

Backstage Roger angrily blames the others for the group's problems calling them "pillheads," at the time an accurate description. Roger grabs Keith's supply of speed tablets and flushes them down the toilet. Keith goes for Roger's throat. Security has to be called in to remove the singer's pummeling fists from the drummer. Nevertheless they all rush to Aalborg, taking the Fredrikstorv stage to play a 9:30pm show.

A sullen Who travel back to the U.K. where Pete, John and Keith demand that Roger be kicked out of the Who. The managers talk them into allowing Roger to continue for now while they look for another singer.

September 1966 (54 Years Ago)

Photo: Chris Morphet

Wednesday is spent at the Locarno Ballroom in Stevenage (7th) and Friday at the Pier Pavilion in Felixstowe (9th). The latter show and the car ride to it are filmed for the French television programme Seize Millions de Jeunes.

Disc and Music Echo says The Who are halfway through recording their new album that will include the songs "Disguises," "Happy Jack" and "King Rabbit." In the same issue Pete says that he was the first guitarist to deliberately use guitar feedback and he is upset when he hears credit given to The Beatles or The Yardbirds.

Roger is interviewed in the Record Mirror of the 17th and says The Who have already recorded the tracks "So Sad About Us," "Heat Wave" and his favorite track "Disguises," all intended for The Who's forthcoming LP. Pete reviews The Beach Boys' landmark album Pet Sounds in the same issue of Record Mirror. Despite his recent remarks (2011), at the time he didn't care for it calling it "too remote and way-out. It's written for a feminine audience."

On the 24th, former Animal Chas Chandler lands in the U.K. with his new American discovery, guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Sometime during the next few days, according to John, Jimi gives a performance at a local club accompanied by John on bass. Perhaps he tells The Who's managers because, on the 27th, they attend a Hendrix performance at the Scotch of St. James Club. Chandler has heard about Lambert & Stamp's Track Records startup (Hendrix originally wanted to sign with Decca because The Who were on Decca in the U.S.). After hearing Hendrix play, Lambert & Stamp try to talk him into letting them be his managers but Chandler, naturally, refuses so they sign Hendrix as their first act for Track.

With the U.S. tour cancelled and no British shows lined up, The Who return to the studio for more LP work. During this period they record "Showbiz Sonata," an instrumental track credited to Keith Moon but with melody filched by John from a track off The Man From Interpol soundtrack album. It is later retitled "Cobwebs and Strange."

On the 30th, "I'm a Boy" hits its official U.K. chart peak at #2. Jim Reeves' "Distant Drums" keeps it from the #1 spot.

September 1967 (53 Years Ago)

On the 8th, Bill Kerby of the Los Angeles Free Press interviews Roger. Kerby says, "If I were an agent, I wouldn't book Jesus Christ doing a guest set with The Beatles to come on after The Who."

The Herman's Hermits' tour reconvenes at the Convention Center in Anaheim, California on the 8th where The Sundowners and The Strawberry Alarm Clock appear before The Who. Both Pete and John smash their instruments at this show. The tour winds up with a last show in Hawaii at the Honolulu International Center Arena. While there Keith tries to surf for the first and last time. He manages to stand up for a few seconds before falling off and getting hit in the head by the flying board.

On the 15th, The Who tape their appearance on the U.S. variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at CBS Studios, Los Angeles. They mime to "I Can See For Miles" and a newly-recorded version of "My Generation" with a little scripted banter with host Tommy Smothers in between.

"My Generation" was to have concluded with an instrument smashing and the usual flashpots going off behind the amps but Keith bribes a stagehand into packing his bass drum with explosives. The explosion blows out the front of the drum kit directly into Pete's head, catching his hair on fire and permanently damaging his hearing. A cymbal knocked backward by the blast hits Keith in the arm, opening a gash. The entire melee airs on the 17th and later opens The Who's film The Kids Are Alright. This was The Who's only appearance on a major U.S. television variety show.

On the 17th, The Who return to London after two months in North America. John borrows $100 to fly home first class. Two months of touring opening for The Herman's Hermits paid The Who $40,000. By the time they return home they have burned through all that and are now $5000 in debt.

On the 18th, Decca releases "I Can See For Miles" backed with one of the August takes of "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hands". Decca gives the single a huge push, rushing the single to stores to capitalize on the Smothers Brothers appearance and sending 250,000 color portraits of the band to radio stations. It becomes the biggest hit single of their career in the U.S. reaching #9 in the Billboard charts and #8 in Cash Box as well as hitting #1 on many regional charts.

September 1968 (52 Years Ago)

Around this time photos are taken by Australian photographer Barry Peake of The Who gathered around a psychedelic bus. Pete later says he was told by Decca/MCA that the pictures were to promote the single "Magic Bus" when the label knew they were for the non-band-approved U.S. compilation album Magic Bus - The Who On Tour.

On the 19th, The Who begin what will ultimately become six months of recording sessions for Tommy. One of the songs, definitely recorded around this time during sessions in IBC Studio A, London, are various takes of Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues," then intended for the rock opera. The takes come out after the release of Tommy, the first on the 1969 Track Records compilation The House That Track Built.

On the 28th, "Magic Bus" hits its U.S. chart peak at #25 in Billboard.

September 1969 (51 Years Ago)



Photo: Barry Plummer

On the 13th, The Who appear at The Belfry in Sutton, Coldfield with The Herd opening then on the 21st, Fairfield Hall in Croydon. There is no support on this last gig so The Who provide an extended set. The hall provides excellent acoustics and Pete later calls this The Who's best live performance of Tommy. Alan Lewis, attending this show for Melody Maker, agrees saying The Who are the band to which all others must now be compared. Elton John is in the audience.



Photo: Laurens van Houten

On the 29th is the first of Who manager Kit Lambert's attempts to ram Tommy down the throats of the highbrows by having The Who perform it at famous opera houses and concert halls. The Who's show at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is partly filmed and broadcast on the show Journaal for Dutch television while the entire concert is simulcast on AVRO radio. Bootlegs of this simulcast have been released under a wide variety of titles.

September 1970 (50 Years Ago)

On the 12th, Record Mirror reports that 1.3 million copies of Tommy have been sold in 8-track format.

Also on the 12th, The Who launch a tour of the Continent beginning at the Münsterland Halle in Muenster, West Germany. On the 13th, they are at the Oberrheinhalle in Offenbach. At the show Pete announces the title of The Who's soon-to-be-released album as "6 ft. Wide Garage, 7 ft. Wide Car." It's a reference to the use of Pete's garage studio Eel Pie for the recording of the songs. The album is never released.

On the 14th, U.S. Vice-President Spiro Agnew gives a speech to fellow Republicans at a fundraising dinner at The Sahara in Las Vegas. He denounces rock music for promoting drug use, singling out "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "The Acid Queen".

Photo: Barrie Wentzel

Meanwhile Keith and his friend Viv Stanshall drop by the Track Records offices to take promotional pictures for the release of Stanshall's new single "Suspicion" which features Keith on drums and John on bass. For no particular reason, they dress up as Nazis and stay in uniform for a week, visiting a German beer cellar in London then renting a German car and traveling through London's Jewish district with Keith seig heiling out the sunroof.

On the 26th, "See Me Feel Me" backed with "Overture From Tommy" hits the U.S. charts. The 16-month old A-side is released to cash in on the popularity of the movie Woodstock and becomes one of The Who's biggest U.S. hits reaching #12 in Billboard and #8 in Cash Box.

Starting on the 28th and ending on the 30th, Pete writes out the scenario for The Who's next project, the film Lifehouse. "OVERTURE: The farmers — Life — Beauty — Celebration, LIFEHOUSE: The City — Rock — Youth against finance — Individuals working for the whole, GLORIFICATION: They disappear — they triumph, leaving everyone behind." He sends a copy to co-manager Chris Stamp along with details on how the members of The Who would fit into the movie and how filming might be handled.

September 1971 (49 Years Ago)

The 6th was the scheduled start date for the filming of Tommy by Universal Pictures. The deal fell through after the studio rejected Who manager Kit Lambert's script.

On the 9th, International Times magazine publishes a statement attacking the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" for its negative view of the Revolution. "...the danger in the new single seems to be that it fails to differentiate between the megalomanias and the courageous individual who is prepared to stand up and voice the sentiment 'fuck you' to authority."

A Who conference is held at Roger's home in Burwash, Sussex. The meeting is filmed in colour by Richard Stanley and Chris Morphet as The Who talk about the possibility of a Who movie. In many of the scenes, Pete talks about his fears that The Who is becoming a cabaret act with stage business that is overshadowing their music. Several such scenes, appearing in black-and-white, will later be used in the movie The Kids Are Alright.

Photo: Gijsbert Hanekroot

On the 18th, two months after George Harrison held a similar event at Madison Square Garden, The Who hold a benefit concert for Bangladesh at the Kennington Oval Cricket Ground in London. The Who's roadies wear cricket uniforms and Keith plays the drums at one point with a cricket bat. The opening acts are The Faces, Mott the Hoople, Atomic Rooster, Quintessence and others. Thirty-five thousand attend and £15,000 is raised with £9,148 coming directly from the Who. The concert is recorded but unlike Harrison's show is never released after negotiations between the various groups break down.

On the same day Who's Next hits #1 in the British charts; one of only two official #1's for The Who in Britain. Meanwhile, "Won't Get Fooled Again" peaks at #15 on the U.S. Billboard charts, repeating in the same position the next week.

On the 23rd, International Times prints Pete's response to the attack on "Won't Get Fooled Again". He describes the song as "...mainly a song which screams defiance at those who feel that any cause is better than no cause, that death in a sick society is better than putting up with it or resigning themselves to wait for change."

On the 25th in Melody Maker, Pete calls for the audience to become more involved with the performers. He also believes that although the equipment may change, rock will stay pretty much the same. In the same issue a fan attacks The Who for their high ticket prices calling them capitalists hiding behind a banner of anti-materialism. The letter is sparked by the outrageous ticket prices for The Who's upcoming tour, some as high as £3.50.

September 1972 (48 Years Ago)

The Who continue their European tour stopping at the Stadthalle in Vienna on the 2nd and the Deutsches Museum in Munich on the 4th. Munich is later released on bootlegs under the titles Live In Munich and Who Is This? The Munich concert coincides with the Olympics and The Who are honored as "Star of the Week" by the Munich Abendzeitung who declare them "extraordinary performers in the cultural and political field." By horrible coincidence, within hours of the concert Palestinian terrorists seize the living quarters of the Israel Olympic team. Eleven of the athletes are later murdered by the terrorists.

Photo: Michael Putland

On the 9th, The Who are the main performers at Fete de l'Humanité, an annual event sponsored by the chief newspaper of the French Communist Party. Four hundred thousand attend and the concert is filmed by Freddy Hausser. Pete takes Eric Clapton with him as part of his effort to get him off heroin and back in circulation. During The Who's set, Eric is mistaken for a fan and is escorted from the wings by one of the stage crew.

Pete meets with William David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech whose daughter is Eric Clapton's girlfriend and also a heroin user. Lord Harlech is organizing events commemorating England's entry into the Common Market and, as part of it, he and Pete set up a concert for Eric at the Rainbow Theatre in London. It is hoped that the pressure of preparing for a live show will force Eric to clean up.

On the 25th, The Who purchase an abandoned warehouse at 115 Thessaly Road in Battersea to turn into a recording studio and a storage shed for their thirty tons of touring equipment. It will eventually be named Ramport Studios.

On the 29th, Pete releases the album Who Came First as a solo album although it is primarily a compilation of demo tracks recorded over the past two years for The Who and previously released selections from the Meher Baba albums Happy Birthday and I Am. Most reviewers find it pleasant listening with Records and Recording magazine praising Pete for a religious album that is not insipid. The album reaches #30 in the U.K. In the U.S., Who Came First is not released until early November where it peaks at #69.

September 1973 (47 Years Ago)

On the 6th, a group meeting of The Who is held at the offices of Goodman, Michaels, and Rosten at Sparc House, 86 Gloucester Place, London. Roger announces that he has had an independent accounting survey made of The Who's managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp and has found significant mismanagement and fraud. Roger follows it with an ultimatum: either they go or he goes. This sparks a three-year financial war between The Who and their management and a long-simmering antagonism between Roger and Pete, the latter trying to delay the severing of ties to The Who's management for as long as he can.

On the 16th, the final stereo mix of Quadrophenia is put on 15ips tape.

On the 28th, Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert, recorded live that January with Pete on rhythm guitar, is released. It is mixed and produced by The Who's soundman Bob Pridden. In the Billboard charts it reaches #18, but fails to chart in the U.K.

Photo: Peter Butler

On the 29th, Keith's wife Kim, finally having had enough of his insane way of living, leaves him and takes their seven year old daughter, Mandy. It makes the London papers the next day.

September 1974 (46 Years Ago)

On the 28th, Keith's "Don't Worry Baby" backed with "Teenage Idol" is released in the U.S. It gets critically drubbed and hardly sells at all. Keith fires producer Mal Evans as if it were his fault.

September 1975 (45 Years Ago)

On the 16th the new Who album, originally to be entitled "Car Tunes" but with the title changed to The Who By Numbers, receives its final mastering at IBC Studios, London. John, referring to the album's generally downbeat tone, later says the title was changed because "basically the songs weren't the kind you'd play in the car unless you wanted to drive off a bridge."

September 1976 (44 Years Ago)

On the 18th, New Musical Express writes about an open letter Pete sent to his new neighbors saying that he won't ruin their neighborhood when he moves in.

On the 24th, Polydor Records releases The Story of The Who worldwide except for the U.S. and Canada. The "story" is a bit limited as none of the 1965 tracks produced by Shel Talmy are included and neither are any tracks from Quadrophenia. Nevertheless the album reaches #2 in the U.K. charts. To promote the album, The Sun runs a contest to "Win The Who's Pinball Machine" to be presented personally by John.

September 1977 (43 Years Ago)

On the 5th, Pete's album made in conjunction with Ronnie Lane, Rough Mix, is released in the U.S. The U.K. release follows on the 16th. Dave Marsh in Rolling Stone calls it a successful blend of spiritual feelings and art. Positive reviews also come from Phil McNeill in New Musical Express, John Swenson in Circus, David Sargent in Vogue, Steve Simels in Stereo Review and Billy Altman in Creem who calls it one of the year's best albums. It reaches #44 in the U.K. charts and #45 in the U.S.

On the 12th, Keith ends his three year on-and-off residency in Los Angeles for good. After his arrival in London he tries to go cold turkey from alcohol and drugs to prepare for the upcoming Who recording, but it prompts another seizure and he has to be hospitalized for a few days. When he comes out his beard of the recent year has been shaved off.

On the 19th, The Who reunite at Ramport Studios in London to begin rehearsals for the Who Are You album.

September 1978 (42 Years Ago)

Photo: Ron Galella

On the 6th, Keith and his girlfriend Anette Walter-Lax attend a party held by Paul McCartney at Peppermint Park, London. They share a table with the McCartneys, David Frost, John Hurt, and Kenney Jones.

At midnight, they attend the London premiere of the new film The Buddy Holly Story at the Odeon in Leicester Square where Keith and Anette are photographed as they enter. After 45 minutes, Keith tells Anette he wants to go home and they leave. Pictures of Keith leaving will be his last.

When they get home Anette cooks a meal of lamb cutlets. Keith goes to sleep watching a video of The Abominable Dr. Phibes. On the 7th, around 7:30am Keith wakes up and demands that Anette cook him a steak. He watches some more Phibes while he eats. After he finishes he goes right back to sleep. Anette awakes from the couch at 3:40pm and goes into Keith's bedroom finding him face down on the bed. She is unable to awaken him so she calls Keith's doctor Geoffrey Dymond who administers CPR, which also fails. Keith Moon is pronounced dead on arrival at Middlesex Hospital, Westminister. He is 32 years old.

Who manager Bill Curbishley's wife Jackie calls Keith at 5pm to set up a meeting and is the first of The Who camp to get the bad news. She calls Pete who then calls Roger. Pete: "He's gone and done it". Roger: "Done what?" Pete: "Moon". John is in the middle of an interview with reporters at his home when Pete calls him. He tries to keep the news to himself, but when asked about the future of The Who, John breaks down, sobbing.

On the same day, a new issue of Rolling Stone hits the stands with a cover story about The Who written by Dave Marsh. In an interview Keith talks about his new enthusiasm about The Who and the need to discipline his life.

On the 8th, twenty-four hours after Keith's death, Pete, John and Roger have a meeting at Shepperton Studios and afterwards, Pete puts out a press release stating that The Who will carry on without Keith. "We are more determined than ever to carry on, and we want the spirit of the group to which Keith contributed so much to go on, although no human being can ever take his place".

On the 9th, preliminary reports from the post mortem show that Keith died from an overdose of the drug Heminevrin. At the Knebworth Festival, Clem Burke of the group Blondie, kicks over his drum set at the end of Blondie's concert, announcing "That's For Keith Moon!" The Tubes end their set with a Who medley.

On the 10th, The Sunday Times of London says that Heminevrin should only be given to a patient while in hospital and wonders how Keith could have been prescribed self-administered tablets.

On the 11th, Keith's body is cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. The official inquest in his death is opened and immediately postponed for a week.

On the 13th, Pete, Roger and John attend Moon's funeral at Golders Green Crematorium. Also there are Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Keith's mom, ex-wife Kim and daughter Mandy. Anette collapses during the service and has to be helped away. Roger sends a floral tribute representing a champagne bottle through a television screen. Wreaths are also sent by Oliver Reed, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and Keith's favorite charity, Make Children Happy.

International Musician and Recording World has a Keith Moon interview as its cover story. In his last magazine interview, a quite sober Keith discusses how he plans to adapt his drumming to cope with the new synthesized drum kits and how the big band drummers of the swing era were a bigger influence on his style than rock 'n' roll drummers. He adds that work on The Who's films is keeping him busy. The last line, concerning future Who concerts, is "We've just got so much to do first".

On the 16th, Melody Maker reports on the many Who projects that were in the pipeline at the time of Keith's death, including a movie version of Lifehouse set to start filming in early 1979. New Musical Express reports that The Who will not seek a permanent replacement for Keith.

On the 18th, the coroner's inquest into Keith's death is held. It is determined that death was caused by an accidental overdose of prescribed Heminevrin tablets, that there had been a "minimal" amount of alcohol in his bloodstream, and that Moon was not in a suicidal state at the time of his death. There were 26 undissolved Heminevrin tablets found in his stomach out of a total of 32 Keith ingested that night.

On the 21st, principal photography begins on the film version of Quadrophenia.

September 1979 (41 Years Ago)

On the 10th, the new Who with Kenney Jones on drums and John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards and a horn section, makes its U.S. debut at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey. This show features the live premiere of John's "Trick of the Light". Another show follows there the next night.

Having prepped the show for Manhattan, The Who move to Madison Square Garden for a five night stand on the 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th. On the second night The Who are awarded the Gold Ticket for selling over 100,000 tickets at the venue.

A single from the soon-to-be-released Quadrophenia Soundtrack comes out internationally. A new John Entwistle remix of "5:15" does not reach the charts in the U.K. but in the U.S. it reaches #45 in Billboard, #53 in Cash Box. The flip side is a remixed "I'm One".

September 1980 (40 Years Ago)

On the 3rd and 4th The Who and manager Bill Curbishley quietly return to Cincinnati to give their depositions in a $1.2 million lawsuit brought by Todd Volkman, a survivor of the crush outside Riverfront Coliseum before The Who's 1979 concert. The depositions are held at the Cincinnati Club. The proceedings get very emotional with John reduced to tears at one point. Pete later says he found it odd that Volkman's attorney questions him as if he were some stereotypically moronic rock star. Another oddity is that just as the band are giving their testimony a group of women in a building across the street, visible only to those sitting in the chair to be questioned, begin parading around naked! The next day Volkman's attorney is interviewed in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He says that the 14 lawsuits against the Coliseum, the promoters and The Who could total "substantially over $100 million."

On the 20th, Roger's second single from his McVicar LP hits the U.S. charts. The gentle ballad "Without Your Love," a cover of a Billy Nicholls' song from Pete's Meher Baba tribute LP With Love, becomes Roger's biggest solo hit in the U.S. peaking at #20 in Billboard and #23 in Cash Box. The flip side is "Escape Part 2."

September 1981 (39 Years Ago)

Early in the month Pete nearly dies at The Club for Heroes, a trendy nightspot where the elite old guard meet the new synth bands ruling the pop charts. Partying with Paul Weller and Steve Strange, Pete goes to the bathroom and accepts an injection of heroin. He quickly passes out and is deposited in his car by the club's bouncer. Pete's driver quickly realizes that something is terribly wrong and races Pete to the hospital by which time he has stopped breathing and has a weak pulse. The doctors revive him, narrowly averting Pete dying almost to the day of the third anniversary of Keith Moon's death.

On the 24th, Pete writes to Who manager Bill Curbishley saying he needs time off. Bill writes back the next day: "I feel it is definitely for the best, and I think you need a complete break of two or three months. Some sailing, tennis, sunshine wouldn't go amiss, and no dope, booze or [nighclubbing]. No London or New York and most of all you have to mean it."

September 1982 (38 Years Ago)

Roger Daltrey tells Rolling Stone that the upcoming Who tour will be the last one as The Who need to step aside for newer acts.

On the 3rd, The Who's last studio album for the next 24 years, It's Hard, is released. The reviews are wildly uneven. Parke Puterbaugh in Rolling Stone calls it The Who's best work since Who's Next. Joining him in that assessment is Lloyd Sachs in Chicago magazine and John Milward in High Fidelity. On the other end of the scale is Lynden Barber in Melody Maker ("rock 'n roll menopause"), Kurt Loder in Musician ("pure blather") and Jon Pareles in The New York Times ("Adolescence mars The Who's new disk"). The album peaks at #11 in the U.K. and #8 in the U.S.

On the 4th, the first single from the new album, "Athena" backed with "It's Your Turn", hits the U.S. charts. It reaches #28 in Billboard and #31 in Cash Box. It is the last Who single to hit the American Top Forty.

On the 19th, MTV airs a film made to promote Pete's All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes. It contains several videos shot at Pete's home and in his neighborhood.

Photo: Philip Kamen

On the 22nd and 23rd, they play the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland with supporting act David Johansen. J.F.K. Stadium in Philadelphia is the next stop on the 25th (a previously announced show on the 24th is canceled due to lack of ticket sales). The supporting acts are Santana and The Clash.

On the 25th, The Who's last single of new studio material released in Britain for the next 22 years hits store shelves. "Athena" backed with "A Man Is A Man," peaks at #40.

September 1983 (37 Years Ago)

On the 8th, the first issue of "The Definitive WHO Newsletter", The Relay is mailed out from its home base in Pennsylvania. Nancy Langfeld, Caryn Rose and their crew will keep Who fans up-to-date through the pre-Internet years.

Rolling Stone reports that, except for one lawsuit, the Cincinnati concert disaster case of 1979 has been settled out of court. Details of the settlement are never publicly announced.

Pete has a meeting with Mo Ostin, chairman of Warner Brothers Records. Pete tells him he is incapable of writing another Who album and begs him to find a way to release The Who from their contract.

Pete and his wife Karen become co-chairpersons of Chiswick Family Rescue, a battered women's refuge. Making friends with some of the women, Pete will be horrified by stories of childhood sexual abuse that led them to lifelong trauma and psychological disturbance.

September 1984 (36 Years Ago)

Pete writes the screenplay for the White City mini-movie by videotaping himself devising the story live on camera.

September 1985 (35 Years Ago)

On the 25th, the first single from Roger's solo album Under a Raging Moon hits the charts in the U.S. The A-side, "After the Fire" is written by Pete who offers it to Roger after The Who fail to perform it at Live Aid. The B-side is "It Don't Satisfy Me" while the 12" version adds "Love Me Like You Do." The single peaks at #48 in Billboard and #59 in Cash Box.

September 1987 (33 Years Ago)

Photo: Caroline Forbes

On the 24th, The Who fanzine The Relay reports that Faber & Faber employee Pete is working with one of the publisher's clients, poet Ted Hughes, on a musical adaptation of Hughes' children's book The Iron Man. They also report that Pete has put aside a planned solo album, a dance album made up of originals and covers.

September 1988 (32 Years Ago)

On the 12th, John auctions off his Rolls Royce Silver Estate and some of his bass guitars at a Rock & Roll Auction at Sotheby's. John nets £30,000. As he leaves the auction with his girlfriend, he says he is disappointed that the Rolls went for only £13,500. He also sells 12 of his bass guitars but says he still has 160 more at home. Although not announced at the time, John is auctioning items to pay a massive tax bill that threatens to bankrupt him.

During this month, Pete and Who manager Bill Curbishley explore the possibility of recording a new Who album. "My first suggestion to Bill was to make a record with Chris Thomas producing, and maybe record songs not written by me but selected among the favourites John, Roger and I might bring to the table. Bill approached MCA Records, who still owned the majority of The Who's back catalogue. They offered $1 million for a new record, which didn't seem enough to me...Chris Thomas's manager asked for a high percentage and a very large advance. Bill Price's engineering would cost at least as much over a twenty-four week schedule, possibly more. Studio charges, even if we used Eel Pie at cut rates, would take care of what was left."

On the 22nd, Bill Curbishley reports back to Pete about what he has learned by asking his promoter friends in the States: "Bill told me that most American promoters he'd spoken to thought there was no need for a new Who album... They predicted The Who would be the number one ticket in 1989, overtaking Led Zeppelin... The offers of sponsorship were very good, which meant we could afford to have a larger band like the one I'd used with Deep End, which had created an immensely forceful sound, but at decibel levels less than half those produced by The Who."

On the 26th, Who fans who have been replacing their old vinyl with CD's get a cornucopia from MCA Records in the U.S. The Who Sings My Generation, A Quick One (Happy Jack), The Who Sell Out, Magic Bus, Odds and Sods, a single disc version of The Kids Are Alright, reissues of Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy and Who Are You and an MCA release of Who's Last all come out on CD in the U.S. In addition, MCA releases "My Generation"/"I Can't Explain"/"Happy Jack"/"I Can See For Miles" as a 3" CD single. Unfortunately, the sound quality on some of the discs is poor and MCA subsequently upgrades sound quality on some of the series.

September 1989 (31 Years Ago)

The North American 25th Anniversary Who tour wraps up with a Texas swing as The Who and friends play the Houston Astrodome on the 2nd and finish up at the Dallas Cotton Bowl on the 3rd. This final show is later bootlegged under the titles Magic Bus and Where Are The Kids. Supporting The Who at both shows are Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

On the 19th, Timothy White's Rock Stars radio program is broadcast featuring an interview with Pete. He airs a new demo called "Penny Drop". The interview, in print form the next year, will be the basis for the "Pete Is Gay" rumor.

September 1990 (30 Years Ago)

John heads off to Japan to play bass as part of a group called "Best." The rest of the group is Keith Emerson on keyboards, Joe Walsh and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitars, Simon Phillips on drums, Rick Lingstone lead vocals, and Hamish, Angus and Fergus Richardson backing vocals. One of John's contributions to the song line-up is a medley of "Boris The Spider" and "Theme from Jaws." They perform at Yoyogi No.1 Gymnasium in Tokyo on the 23rd, Yokohama Arena on the 26th and Koshien Stadium on the 30th. The Yokohama show is broadcast on local television and later released on DVD. This is the first time any member of The Who performs in Japan. The group plays a few dates the next month in Hawaii before calling it quits due to Joe Walsh having "personal problems".

September 1991 (29 Years Ago)

On the 11th, John makes his longtime girlfriend Maxene the second "My Wife" in a ceremony in Las Vegas. Their witness is an Elvis impersonator.

On the 13th, while Pete is on holiday with his family on the Isles of Scilly, he pitches over the handlebars of his bicycle on a bumpy road, stopping his fall with his right hand. The bones in his wrist and arm are badly broken and he has to be flown out for medical treatment. A metal plate is put in his wrist and he is told he may never play the guitar again.

September 1994 (26 Years Ago)

Late in the month Pete is interviewed in his Richmond home by Cass Browne of The Senseless Things for Mojo Magazine. Also during this month, Pete and Karen's 25-year marriage comes to a de facto conclusion as the two decide to separate but there is no public announcement for five years.

September 1996 (24 Years Ago)

On the 27th, the 2-CD set The Who: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 is issued by Essential/Castle in the U.K. and Columbia Legacy in the U.S. Despite an ecstatic blurb from Dave Marsh and the first official release of Tommy performed live by The Who with Keith Moon, the CD fails to chart in the U.K. and reaches only #194 in the U.S. The low sales lead The Who to cancel a previously-announced live boxset.

September 1997 (23 Years Ago)

On the 13th, Van-pires, a cartoon/live-action show featuring a main theme and songs by The John Entwistle Band, premiers on the U.S. Fox network.

During the month, Pete initiates meetings with future wife Rachel Fuller in order to hire her as an orchestrator, "or that was what I told myself."

September 1998 (22 Years Ago)

During this month, Pete has a 3-CD retrospective of his music solo and with The Who pressed. Known as the Windswept Pacific set, it is designed to promote Pete's songs for use in film soundtracks and commercials.

September 2000 (20 Years Ago)

On the 1st, a news report claims The Who were horrified after having been drawn as they currently look for the forthcoming U.S. cartoon show The Simpsons. They ask to be redrawn as they appeared in the mid 1970's.

On the 24th, after a week in the sun in Florida, Pete begins writing a radio play called The Boy Who Heard Music. The story climaxes at a benefit rock concert after New York City is attacked by terrorists.

On the 27th, Pete writes a long diary entry called "Dampa Tampa." Towards the end he levels a stinging attack on Rolling Stone for publishing an article listing all the times Pete had said he would never tour again with The Who: "Between 1982 when I left The Who (with Roger's uneasy blessing) and last year, there have been two reunions. Count them. Two. That is, one every nine years. Hardly a cynical exercise in comebacks whenever we needed to make money."

September 2001 (19 Years Ago)

On the 8th, Pete Townshend responds on his website to an angry letter by a fan denouncing him for allowing the song "Bargain" to be used selling Nissan SUV's: "...despite the enormous sums lavished on us, because of punitive U.K. taxes in our most exhaustively active years (98% at one point!), our fans didn't make us rich - not directly. If we are wealthy today it is because of the success of various major secondary 'Tommy' ventures, sponsorship during our 1982 Farewell and 1989 anniversary tours, TV and radio commercial and movie soundtrack licensing - and finally, back catalogue CD sales stimulated by the latter..."

On the 18th, Live At Leeds: Deluxe Edition is released in the U.S. with the U.K. edition released on the 25th. The double CD contains the entire concert except for several edits including the usual one taking "Spoonful" out of "Shakin' All Over." However, it does feature recently recorded overdubs on some of the Tommy selections and occasionally poor audio quality. Pete addresses fans' concerns over the quality of the release in a diary message on the 20th. The sound quality will be mostly corrected with the 2014 HD audio reissue.

On the 27th, Pete's website announces that The Who will perform at Madison Square Garden Oct. 20 as part of Paul McCartney's benefit concert for New York City's police, firefighters and their families.

September 2002 (18 Years Ago)

On the 11th, the Las Vegas coroner releases his final report on John Entwistle's death. He confirms that John suffered a heart attack after taking cocaine. His night's companion, stripper Alycen Rowse, remembers his last words as a request that she not let him sleep on his back since fellow rock stars Jimi Hendrix and John Bonham had died choking on vomit in their sleep.

Also on the 17th, President Bush appears to quote The Who in a speech at the East Literature Magnet School in Nashville, Tennessee. "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."

On the 23rd, CBS-TV premiers their first CSI: Crime Scene Investigation spin-off, CSI: Miami, this time using "Won't Get Fooled Again" as the theme. Star David Caruso's opening remark followed by Roger's scream will later become a popular meme on the Internet.

On the 25th, the Toronto Star comes up with the suggestion that, since The Who are missing their original bassist and drummer and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr aren't doing much, why don't they combine into one band? Meet The Whotles!

September 2005 (15 Years Ago)

On the 21st, Rachel Fuller begins an online web series called In The Attic. The first show features her and her friend Mikey Cuthbert talking and playing songs in an upstairs room at Pete's house. Pete, sweaty from a bike ride, joins for the second half and performs "Heart to Hang Onto". Another show transmits on the 28th.

On the 24th, Pete publishes "Chapter 1: Prologue — The Note" from The Boy Who Heard Music on his blog. Positive comments from fans in the blog will encourage Pete to begin writing more songs based on the story.

On the 25th, Pete debuts a new song "In The Ether," performing it with Rachel at The Poetry Olympics at the Royal Albert Hall, London. He sings the song in a guttural voice saying "I use funny voices...because I use funny voices." The program for the Poetry Olympics contains the lyrics for this song plus another song called "Wake Up and Hear The Music" that will later become "God Speaks of Marty Robbins" and join "In The Ether" on the album Endless Wire.

September 2006 (14 Years Ago)

The 14th is a busy day. Pete and Roger appear at Sirius Satellite Radio headquarters in New York to announce the new The Who Channel on Sirius, then it's over to Late Night with David Letterman to appear at the end of the show with the two performing "Man in a Purple Dress." It is the first appearance by an entity called "The Who" on a continuing U.S. television show since The Who's explosive performance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967.

September 2008 (12 Years Ago)

On the 9th, Roger Daltrey and Pete are announced as recipients of 2008 Kennedy Center Honors to be awarded at the White House. Pete responds, "This is a great thrill. Since The Who began in the early '60s we have loved American music and audiences and have made deep and lasting friendships with everyone involved in the industry there. Roger and I both feel our work in the United States has been as important as our work at home. Because our medium, rock music, is quintessentially American music with broad and deep international and multicultural roots, this honour is especially meaningful to us Brits." Roger Daltrey adds, "As a teenager growing up in the austerity of post war England, it was the music I heard emanating from America that gave me a dream to hang my life on. That dream was to make music and make it there. I am deeply touched at receiving this honour. The warmth and affection I feel from our US audience is humbling indeed. To be added to the list of past recipients of this award makes that dream come true."

September 2012 (8 Years Ago)

On the 25th, Mojo magazine reviews the forthcoming Pete autobiography Who I Am calling it "the most self-denigrating rock bio ever." Rolling Stone gives it four stars and says it "could be the most conflicted rock memoir of all time."

September 2013 (7 Years Ago)

On the 18th, guitarist Wilko Johnson of Dr. Feelgood, who has told he only has a few months to live, announces that he is teaming up with Roger to record a final album. The two had met at an awards show and Wilko had proposed the album which Roger accepted.

On the 18th, Roger makes a surprise appearance at the BIMM Brighton graduation ceremony at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. Roger is the first ever patron of the music education group and tells the graduates that they will have to fight for new ways to make a living in music citing, as has Pete, that iTunes control of the music industry will be their primary problem.

September 2014 (6 Years Ago)

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.

September 2015 (5 Years Ago)

New music releases: Hamilton - Original Broadway Cast; "Cake by the Ocean" - DNCE; "Die a Happy Man" - Thomas Rhett; "Same Old Love" - Selena Gomez

On the 11th, the 1972 album Tommy by the London Symphony Orchestra is reissue remastered and pressed on grey vinyl.

Also on the 11th, Alice Cooper releases his album Hollywood Vampires featuring a cover of "My Generation" with guitar by Johnny Depp and drums by Zak Starkey.

The Who were to have started the second leg of their Who Hits 50! North American tour at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego on the 14th. However, that and all the following dates of the tour are relisted as postponed.

On the 17th, Robert Ellis publishes his book The Who Images 1969-1979 through Repfoto's The Rock Library.

On the 18th, the reason for the postponed Who dates is revealed. Roger has been battling a case of viral Meningitis. The press release downplays the seriousness of the illness but Roger will later admit that he came close to losing his life to the disease.

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