The Who vocalist Roger Daltrey was born 75 years ago in the West London suburban district of Acton in England. He formed The Who with schoolmates Pete Townshend and John Entwistle as well as drummer Keith Moon in 1964. One year later they scored their first hit with their debut single “I Can’t Explain” and went on to sell over 100 million records. The Who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.
Daltrey’s powerful pipes were the perfect vehicle for Townshend’s insightful lyrics and emotion-laden music. The Who revolutionized rock with their auto-destructive performance art, rock operas such as Tommy and Quadrophenia and a string of beloved hits. While Moon died in 1978 and Entwistle passed in 2002, Roger and Peter continue to lead The Who through the present. The band will embark on the North American portion of the Moving On tour starting May 7 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Roger also found success as a solo artist and actor. “After The Fire,” “Giving It All Away,” “Walking The Dog” and “Under A Raging Moon” are among his most well-known solo songs. Last year, Daltrey released a solo album entitled As Long As I Have You. His acting career has included appearances in over 30 films and he’s lent his voice to a number of children’s movies and TV shows. Additionally, Daltrey has produced a handful of films such as the theatrical version of Quadrophenia.
On October 29, 2006 The Who performed at the intimate The Roundhouse in London as part of BBC’s Electric Proms series. Nearly 50 minutes of the concert was broadcast on the BBC including hits such as “I Can’t Explain,” “Who Are You,” “Baba O’Riley” and “Pinball Wizard.” The airing also contained a handful of songs from their new-at-the-time album Endless Wire: “Endless Wire,” “They Made My Dream Come True,” “Mirror Door” and “Tea & Theatre.” While Endless Wire is currently The Who’s most recent album, the band is expected to release a new album soon to coincide with their 2019 tour. Watch the full show that appeared on BBC below:
Setlist/Runtimes
- 00:38 – I Can’t Explain
- 02:52 – Who Are You
- 10:00 – Endless Wire
- 13:22 – My Generation
- 21:10 – They Made My Dream Come True
- 22:41 – Mirror Door
- 27:00 – Baba O’Riley
- 32:27 – Pinball Wizard
- 38:44 – See Me, Feel Me
- 45:01 – Tea & Theater
