Roger Daltrey knocked out Keith Moon on September 26 1965

Roger Daltrey knocked out Keith Moon At the end of a European tour and was sacked from The Who. The band were playing two shows in one night in Denmark, when an argument broke about between all four band members. Daltrey was reinstated the following day.

The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey (lead vocals and harmonica), Pete Townshend (guitar, piano and backing vocals), John Entwistle (bass and backing vocals) and Keith Moon (drums).

They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction. The Who have sold about 100 million records, and have charted 27 top forty singles in the United Kingdom and United States, as well as 17 top ten albums, with 18 Gold, 12 Platinum and 5 Multi-Platinum album awards in the United States alone.

The Who rose to fame in the UK with a series of top ten hit singles, boosted in part by pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline, beginning in January 1965 with "I Can't Explain". The albums My Generation (1965), A Quick One (1966) and The Who Sell Out (1967) followed, with the first two reaching the UK top five. They first hit the US Top 40 in 1967 with "Happy Jack" and hit the top ten later that year with "I Can See for Miles". Their fame grew with memorable performances at the Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Isle of Wight music festivals. The 1969 release of Tommy was the first in a series of top ten albums in the US, followed by Live at Leeds (1970), Who's Next (1971), Quadrophenia (1973), The Who by Numbers (1975), Who Are You (1978) and The Kids Are Alright (1979).

Keith Moon died at the age of 32 in 1978, after which the band released two studio albums, the UK and US top five Face Dances (1981) and the US top ten It's Hard (1982), with drummer Kenney Jones, before disbanding in 1983 with Roger Daltrey.

They re-formed at events such as Live Aid and for reunion tours such as their 25th anniversary tour (1989) and the Quadrophenia tours of 1996 and 1997. In 2000, the three surviving original members discussed recording an album of new material, but their plans temporarily stalled upon Entwistle's death at the age of 57 in 2002. Townshend and Daltrey continue to perform as The Who, and in 2006 they released the studio album Endless Wire, which reached the top ten in the UK and US.

Retro History for September 26 The 50s 60s 70s 80s

Retro History For The Decade 1980

1989 Last Vietnamese soldier leaves Cambodia
1989 MPAA creates NC-17 rating for movies with adult themes
1989 Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze calls for total destruction of Soviet and U.S. chemical weapons
1988 Canada's Ben Johnson stripped of his 100-m gold failing drug test
1988 New York City's Rockefeller Center declared a national landmark
1988 Polish Communist Party picks propaganda chief Rakowski as new PM
1988 U.S. space shuttle STS-26 launched
1987 Padres Benito Santiago sets rookie hitting streak to 28 games
1986 RUN-DMC is 1st rap group to hit top 10 (Raisin' Hell)
1986 William Hubbs Rehnquist, sworn in as Chief Justice of Supreme Court
1986 Bobby (Patrick Duffy) returns to Dallas, his death is attributed to his wife Pam's bad dream (erases all of last season)
1985 Tunisia drops diplomatic relations with Libya
1984 5,251 turn out to see Phillies play New York Mets at Shea Stadium
1984 Berlin appeals court clears Paul McCartney in a paternity suit
1984 Britain and China initial agreement return Hong Kong to China in 1997
1984 Dutch Queen Beatrice opens University
1984 Phila's Juan Samuel sets record for steals by a rookie with his 72nd
1984 President Reagan vetoes sanctions against South Africa
1983 Ali Haji-Sheikh kicks New York Giant record 56 yard field goal
1983 Australia II wins America's Cup yacht race (1st non-U.S. winner)
1983 Cosmonauts Titov and Strekalov are saved from exploding Soyuz T-10
1983 Lebanon premier Chafiq Wazzan offers to resigns
1983 Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Inamori Golf Classic
1983 St. Louis Card Bob Forsch 2nd no-hitter beats Montreal Expos, 3-0
1982 "Doll's Life" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City after 5 performances
1982 Patty Sheehan wins LPGA SAFECO Golf Classic
1981 Houston Astro Nolan Ryan 5th no-hitter beats Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-0
1981 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear test
1980 Bomb attack on Octoberfest in Munich, 12 killed
1980 Cuban government closes Mariel Harbor ending "freedom flotilla"
1980 Soyuz 38 returns to Earth

Retro History For The Decade 1970

1979 1984 summer LA Olympic coverage sold to ABC for $225 million
1979 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1978 RR clerks go on strike, halting more than 2/3s of rail service
1978 NY District Court Judge Constance Baker Motley rules that women sportswriters cannot be banned from locker rooms
1977 Cleveland Browns play their 1st overtime game, beat Patriots 30-27
1977 Sir Freddie Laker begins cut-rate "Skytrain" service, London to NY
1976 China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor PRC
1976 Denver's Rick Upchurch returns 2 punts for TDs against Cleveland
1976 Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Carlton Golf
1976 Phillies clinch their 1st NL East Division title
1975 Phillies and New York Mets play a doubleheader that ends at 3:15 AM
1974 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1973 Concorde flies from Washington D.C. to Paris in 3h 33m
1973 Turkey's state of siege ends (after 2 years)
1973 Wilt Chamberlain signs with ABA San Diego Conquistadors
1972 American Museum of Immigration dedicated
1972 Norway rejects membership in European Common Market
1971 Jim Palmer is 4th Oriole to win at least 20 games this season
1971 Pam Higgins wins LPGA Lincoln-Mercury Golf Open
1971 WGBY TV channel 57 in Springfield, MA (PBS) begins broadcasting
1970 Judy Rankin wins LPGA Lincoln-Mercury Golf Open

Retro History For The Decade 1960

1969 Beatles release "Abbey Road" album
1969 Bolivia military coup under general Ovando Candia
1969 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear test
1968 1st broadcast of "Hawaii Five-O" on CBS-TV
1968 Marcelo Caetano elected premier of Portugal
1968 St. Louis Cardinals' Bob Gibson's 13th shutout, ends with 1.12 ERA
1968 Theatre censorship ends in Britain
1967 Dmitri Shostakovich's 2nd Violin concert, premieres in Moscow
1966 "Staten Island," 1st icebreaker to enter San Francisco bay
1965 Roger Daltrey knocked out Keith Moon At the end of a European tour and was sacked from The Who. The band were playing two shows in one night in Denmark, when an argument broke about between all four band members. Daltrey was reinstated the following day.
1965 11th LPGA Championship won by Sandra Haynie
1965 Minnesota gains its 1st AL pennant by defeating Washington, 2-1
1965 Queen Elizabeth decorates Beatles with Order of British Empire
1964 Braves (25) and Phillies (18) set record by using 43 players in 9 inn
1963 1st edition of New York City Review of Books
1962 Los Angeles Dodger Maury Wills becomes 1st to steal 100 bases (en route to 104)
1962 TV comedy series "Beverly Hillbillies" premieres on CBS
1962 Yemen Arab Republic proclaimed (National Day)
1961 "From the Second City" opens at Royale Theater New York City for 87 performances
1961 Roger Maris hits home run number 60 off Jack Fisher, tying Babe Ruth's record
1960 1st of 4 TV debates Nixon and Kennedy took place (Chicago)
1960 Fidel Castro gives a very long speech at the United Nations, 4 hours, 29 minutes
1960 Ted Williams last at bat is his 521st home run off Jack Fisher

Retro History For The Decade 1950

1959 Japan hit by typhoon Vera; about 5,000 die
1959 Milwaukee Braves Warren Spahn becomes winningest NL lefty
1959 San Francisco Giants Sam Jones 2nd no-hitter, beats St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0
1958 Columbia (U.S.) beats Sceptre (England) in 18th America's Cup
1958 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1957 "West Side Story" opens at Winter Garden Theater New York City for 734 performances
1957 Bernstein and Sondheim's musical "West Side Story," premieres in New York City
1957 Dag Hammarskjold re-elected Secretary-General of UN
1957 Musical "West Side Story," opens on Broadway
1957 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R.
1955 NY Stock Exchange worst price decline since 1929
1954 Japanese ferry boat Toya Maru sinks in Strait of Tsugaru, 1172 die
1954 KODE TV channel 12 in Joplin, MO (ABC) begins broadcasting
1954 KUTV TV channel 2 in Salt Lake City, UT (NBC) begins broadcasting
1954 Patty Berg wins LPGA Ardmore Golf Open
1954 Typhoon hits Japan - 5 ferryboats sink killing about 1,600
1954 WANE TV channel 15 in Fort Wayne, IN (CBS) begins broadcasting
1954 WCAX TV channel 3 in Burlington, VT (CBS) begins broadcasting
1954 A's defeats Yankees 8-6 in last game franchise will play in Philadelphia
1954 Yogi Berra plays his only game at 3rd and Mickey Mantle plays shortstop
1953 Billy Hunter is last St. Louis Browns player to homer in a game
1953 KERO TV channel 23 in Bakersfield, California (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting
1953 Polish government fires/imprisons Cardinal Wyszynski
1953 U.S. and Spain sign defense treaty (4 U.S. bases in Spain)
1952 Yankees clinch 4th straight and 19th AL pennant, beating A's 5-2
1951 Professor Youngblood demonstrates artificial heart in Paris
1950 Australia wins Davis Cup tennis tournament
1950 Because of forest fire in Br Columbia, blue moon appears in England
1950 Phils pitcher Jim Konstanty makes record 71st appearance of year
1950 U.N. troops in Korean War recapture South Korean capital of Seoul

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- Retro Rebirth

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Vintage Retro Music & Retro Pop Culture is our passion and what we LOVE. We keep it going everyday for the love of producing it for you to enjoy. Thanks for viewing. Much Peace! Roger Daltrey knocked out Keith Moon on September 26, 1965.

Keith Moon, drummer for Who, collapses

Keith Moon, drummer for Who, collapses and is hospitalized in Miami on August 11, 1976.

Keith Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who.

He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon".

Keith Moon joined The Who in 1964.

He played on all albums and singles from their debut, 1964's "Zoot Suit", to 1978's Who Are You, which was released three weeks before his death.

Keith Moon was known for dramatic, suspenseful drumming—often eschewing basic back beats for a fluid, busy technique focused on fast, cascading rolls across the toms, ambidextrous double bass drum work and wild cymbal crashes and washes.

Keith Moon's penchant for the wild life was not only outwardly detrimental; it began to take a toll on his health while he was still in his twenties, as well as on his drumming and his reliability as a band member. On the 1973 Quadrophenia tour, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, Keith Moon took a large mixture of horse tranquillisers and brandy. He passed out during "Won't Get Fooled Again" and again in "Magic Bus". Pete Townshend asked the audience, "Can anyone play the drums? – I mean somebody good". An audience member, Scot Halpin, filled in for the rest of the show. Pete Townshend later said in an interview that Moon had consumed large tranquilliser pills, meant to be shot at animals, with the brandy. During the band's recording sabbatical between 1975 and 1978, Keith Moon put on a great deal of weight. Nonetheless, John Entwistle maintained that Keith Moon and The Who reached their prime live peak during 1975 and 1976. That Who tour earned them Rolling Stone's 'red suspenders' for best live rock band.

Keith Moon's close friend Ringo Starr was seriously concerned about his lifestyle and told Moon that if he kept going the way he was he would eventually kill himself. Keith Moon simply replied "Yeah, I know.


Retro History for August 11 The 50s 60s 70s 80s

Retro History For The Decade 1980

1989 "Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child" premieres
1989 Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor complete 329 opening stand vs. England
1989 Voyager 2 discovers 2 partial rings of Neptune
1988 225 at bats after #299, Met Gary Carter is 59th to hit 300th home run
1988 Charlotte Colisieum in Charlotte North Carolina opens
1988 Meir Kahane renounced U.S. citizenship to stay in Israeli Parliament
1987 France and Great Britain send minesweepers to Persian Gulf
1986 68th PGA Championship: Bob Tway shoots a 276 at Inverness Club Toledo
1985 Oakland A's Dave Kingman becomes 21st to hit 400 home run
1985 "Tap Dance Kid" closes at Broadhurst Theater New York City after 669 performances
1985 67th PGA Championship: Hubert Green shoots 278 at Cherry Hills Denver
1985 Challenger flies to Kennedy Space Center via Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz
1985 Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Henredon Golf Classic
1985 Rudolf Povarnitsin of U.S.S.R. sets new high jump world record (7'10"12)
1984 101,799 fans at soccer match Brazilie-France
1984 Carl Lewis duplicates Jesse Owens' 1936 feat, wins 4 Olym track golds
1984 Cincinnati Reds retire Johnny Bench's #5 uniform
1984 During a radio voice test President Reagan joked he "signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes"
1984 Men's choir Maranatha Netherlands forms
1984 U.S.S.R. performs (underground) nuclear test
1982 Twins Terry Felton loses and runs career to 0-14 (en route to 0-16)
1982 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1980 Angola revises its constitution
1980 Mohammed Ali Radjai appointed premier of Iran
1980 Yankees Reggie Jackson hits his 400th home run off Chicago's Britt Burns

Retro History For The Decade 1970

1979 28 degrees F in Embarrass Minnesota
1979 Phillies Tug McGraw gives up record 4th grand slam of year
1978 Funeral of Pope Paul VI
1978 Legionnaire's disease bacteria isolated in Atlanta
1977 Geoff Boycott scores his 100th FC hundred, vs. Australia at Headingley
1976 Keith Moon, drummer for Who, collapses and is hospitalized in Miami
1976 Race riot in Cape Town, South Africa; 17 die
1975 Expos' Jose Mangual struck out 5 times in a game
1975 U.S. vetoes proposed admission of North and South Vietnam to U.N.
1974 56th PGA Championship: Lee Trevino shoots a 276 at Tanglewood NC
1974 Coup in East-Timor under UDT
1974 Head-on collision between two buses kills 21 (Ankara, Turkey)
1972 "Cheech and Chong Day" in San Antonio Texas
1971 Construction begins on Louisiana Superdome
1971 Harmon Killebrew hits home runs #500 and 501
1970 Jim Bunning becomes 2nd (Cy Young) to win 100 games in both leagues
1970 Tony Perez becomes 1st to hit a home run in red seats at Riverfront

Retro History For The Decade 1960

1969 Don Drysdale retires because of damage to his right shoulder
1969 Pittsburgh Steelers beat New York Giants 17-13 in Montreal (NFL expo)
1968 Beatles launch "Apple Records" label
1968 Satchel Paige, 62, and needing 158 days on a major league payroll to qualify for a pension, is signed by Braves
1967 Al Downing becomes 12th to strike-out side on 9 pitches
1966 Last Beatle concert tour of U.S. begins
1965 6 day insurrection starts in Watts section of Los Angeles
1965 Beatles movie "Help" opens in New York City
1965 Watts riots begin in Southeast LA, lasts 6 days
1964 Beatles' "A Hard Days Night" opens in New York City
1963 Kingston Trio are mystery guest on "What's My Line?"
1963 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Waterloo Women's Golf Open Invitational
1962 Andrian G Nikolayev, becomes 3rd Russian in space aboard Vostok 3
1962 Beach Boys release "Surfin' Safari"
1962 Bolotnikov runs world record 10km (28:18.2)
1962 Dodgers protest wetting down of Candlestick to slow Maury Wills down
1961 Warren Spahn records victory #300, beats Cubs 2-1
1960 Chad declares Independence from France

Retro History For The Decade 1950

1957 Patty Berg wins LPGA All-American Golf Open
1957 Paul Hindemith' opera "Harmonie der Welt," premieres in Munich
1956 1st flight 4-motor Cessna 620
1956 Elvis Presley releases "Don't Be Cruel"
1955 Indonesia government of Harahap forms
1954 BC Lions plays its 1st CF game, they lose to Montreal Alouettes, 22-0
1954 Formal peace takes place, ending 7+ years of fighting in Indochina between French and Communist Vietminh
1952 Hussein Ibn Talal I, proclaimed King of Jordan
1951 100,000 acres flooded from Mississippi River in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois
1951 1st color baseball game, Braves vs Dodgers, telecast, WCBS-NYC
1951 New York Giants (NFL) beat Ottawa Roughriders (CFL) 38-6 in Ottawa
1951 New York Giants lose to go 13 games behind Brooklyn Dodgers, later win pennant
1950 17th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 17, Philadelphia 7 (88,885)
1950 Boston Brave Vern Bickford no-hits Brooklyn Dodger, 7-0
1950 Hitting just .279, Yank great Joe DiMaggio is benched for 1st time
1950 King Boudouin I takes oath as royal prince of Belgium

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- Retro Rebirth

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Vintage Retro Music & Retro Pop Culture is our passion and what we LOVE. We keep it going everyday for the love of producing it for you to enjoy. Thanks for viewing. Much Peace! Keith Moon, drummer for Who, collapses on August 11, 1976.

The Who movie "The Kids Are All Right" premieres

The Who movie "Kids Are All Right" premieres on May 23, 1979




Retro History for May 23 The 50s 60s 70s 80s

Retro History For The Decade 1980

1989 3rd American Comedy Award: Paula Poundstone
1989 Angela Visser, 22, of Holland, crowned 38th Miss Universe
1989 Lincoln Square in Bronx named
1989 Cleveland loses and drop to 21-22, this is the latest a sub .500 team is in 1st place (AL East)
1988 Maryland stops sale of cheap pistols on Jan 1, 1990
1986 U.S. and West Europeans veto heavier sanctions against South Africa
1984 Anderlecht wins 13th UEFA Cup at London
1984 Detroit Tigers win AL record tying 16th straight road game
1983 Radio Moscow announcer Vladimir Danchev praises Afghanistan Muslims standing up to Russia; he is removed from the air
1982 BBC warns Britain will bomb Argentina
1982 Cathy Morse wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Charity Golf Classic
1982 Colin Wilson rides a surfboard 294 miles
1982 Pope John Paul II declares "Peerke" Donders divine
1981 Barcelona fascists take 200 people hostage
1981 NASA launches Intelsat V
1980 ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Neil Burton

Retro History For The Decade 1970

1979 The Who movie "Kids Are All Right" premieres
1979 1st edition of "Wisden Cricket Monthly"
1979 Borussia Monchengladbach wins 8th UEFA Cup at Dusseldorf
1979 Rocker Tom Petty files chapter 11 bankruptcy
1979 West-Germany elects Karl Carstens president
1978 AL approves transfer of Red Sox to Jean Yawkey for $15M
1978 General strike in Peru
1977 Benin adopts its constitution
1977 Supreme Court refuses to hear appeals of Watergate wrong doers H R Halderman, John Ehrlichman and John Mitchell
1977 Moluccan extremists hold 105 schoolchildren and 50 others hostage on a hijacked train in Netherlands, children released May 27, siege ends June 11
1976 Amy Alcott wins '76 LPGA Golf Classic
1974 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1974 Italian Red Brigade officer Mario Sossi freed
1971 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Suzuki Golf Internationalionale
1971 Rock group Iron Butterfly disbands
1970 Grateful Dead's in England, 1st performance outside of U.S.
1970 San Diego Padres beat San Francisco Giants 17-16 in 15 innings
1970 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test (underground)

Retro History For The Decade 1960

1969 BBC orders 13 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969 Lauwerszee Dike in Holland closes
1969 Who release rock opera "Tommy"
1968 A. C. Milan wins 8th Europe Cup II in Rotterdam
1968 Beatles open 2nd Apple Boutique at 161 New Kings Road, London
1967 Government bans submarines near South Africa
1966 Beatles release "Paperback Writer"
1965 Franz Jonas elected president of Austria
1965 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Dallas Civitan Golf Open
1965 Pontoon ferry overturned on Shire River Malawi, kills 150
1964 Dale Greig runs female marathon world record (3:27:45)
1963 NBC purchases 1963 AFL championship game TV rights for $926,000
1962 Joe Pepitone 2nd Yankee to hit 2 home runs in 1 inning (Joe DiMaggio)
1962 OAS leader general Raoul Salan sentenced to life
1962 Scott Carpenter orbits Earth 3 times in U.S. Aurora 7
1960 "Finian's Rainbow" opens at 46th St. Theater New York City for 12 performances
1960 "Got A Girl" by The Four Preps hits #24
1960 Israel announces capture of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina
1960 WGTV TV channel 8 in Athens-Atlanta, Georgia (PBS) begins broadcasting
1960 WKBM TV (now WLII) channel 11 in Caguas/San Juan, Puerto Rico 1st broadcast
1960 WRCA radio changes call letters back to WNBC (New York City)

Retro History For The Decade 1950

1959 "Party with Comden and Green" closes at John Golden New York City after 44 performances
1959 Presbyterian church accepts women preachers
1958 Mao Tse tung start "Great leap forward" movement in China
1956 World Trade Center dedicated in Ferry Building, San Francisco
1955 Presbyterian Church begins accepting women ministers
1953 79th Preakness: Eric Guerin aboard Native Dancer wins in 1:57.8
1953 Schools 1st use Cliff's Notes
1953 WHIZ TV channel 18 in Zanesville, OH (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
1951 Peter Ustinov's "Love of Four Colonels," premieres in London

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- Retro Rebirth

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Pete Townshend spends a night in jail for assault

Pete Townshend spends a night in jail for assault when he mistakenly kicks a policeman offstage at Fillmore East, thinking he is a fan on May 16, 1969




Retro History for May 16 The 50s 60s 70s 80s

Retro History For The Decade 1980

1989 Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping ended a 30-year rift when they formally met in Beijing
1988 Surgeon General C. Everett Koop reports nicotine as addictive as heroin
1988 U.S. Supreme Court rules trash may be searched without a warrant
1987 "Mystery of Edwin Drood" closes at Imperial New York City after 608 performances
1987 113th Preakness: Chris McCarron aboard Alysheba wins in 1:55.8
1987 Rocker David Crosby weds Jan Dance in Los Angeles
1987 Weird Al Yankovic performs live at 72nd National Orange Show
1987 "Bobro 400," a barge carrying 3,200 tons of garbage, set sail from NY, beginning an unsuccesful 8-week search for a dumping site
1986 "Top Gun," premieres
1986 Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) comes back from dead on Dallas
1986 Joaquin Balaguers PRSC wins Dominican Rep parliamentary election
1986 South African President P W Botha sends Coetsee to visit Mandela
1985 Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of Year
1985 Pope John Paul II arrives in Belgium
1984 Guinea-Bissau adopts constitution
1984 Juventus wins 24th Europe Cup II in Basel
1984 Phillie pitcher Steve Carlton hits a grand slam homer
1984 U.S. performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site
1984 Mackay pays $218,718 for 44,166 tickets to keep Twins in Minnesota Twins sell 51,863 tickets but only 6,346 fans show up for the game
1983 Lebanese parliament accept peace accord with Israel
1982 "Barnum" closes at St. James Theater New York City after 854 performances
1982 "Is There Life after High School?" closes at Barrymore after 12 performances
1982 Columbia moves to Vandenberg AFB for mating in preparation for STS-4
1982 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Lady Michelob Golf Tournament
1982 Salvador Jorge Blanco wins presidential election in Dominican Rep
1982 Stanley Cup: New York Islanders sweep Vancouver Canucks in 4 games
1981 "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes hits #1 for next 9 weeks
1981 107th Preakness: Jorge Velasquez aboard Pleasant Colony wins in 1:54.6
1981 Houston Astro Craig Reynolds hits 3 triples beating Cubs 6-1
1981 Pretenders' Martin Chambers weds Tracy Atkinson
1980 34th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2
1980 Brian May of rock group Queen collapses on stage with hepatitis
1980 Paul McCartney releases "McCartney II" album
1980 Former Buggles members Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn replace Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman in Yes

Retro History For The Decade 1970

1979 FC Barcelona wins 19th Europe Cup II in Basel
1979 NL approves Astros sales from Ford Motors to John J McMullen for $19M
1977 5 die as New York Airway helicopter topples on Pan Am building in New York City
1977 Muhammad Ali beats Alfredo Evangelist in 15 for heavywgt boxing title
1976 Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens sweep Philadelphia Flyers in 4 games
1976 Sue Roberts wins LPGA American Defender Golf Classic
1975 India annexes Principality of Sikkim
1975 Japanese Junko Tabei became 1st woman to reach Mount Everest's summit
1975 Muhammad Ali TKOs Ron Lyle in 11 for heavyweight boxing title
1975 Wings release "Listen to What the Man Said" in UK
1974 Helmut Schmidt becomes West German chancellor
1974 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear Test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R.
1973 ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Dave Soutar
1973 AC Milan wins 13th Europe Cup II in Saloniki
1972 "Don't Play Us Cheap" opens at Barrymore Theater New York City for 164 performances
1972 Greg Luzinski's 500' home run hits Liberty Bell monument in Philadelphia Vet
1972 Jane Blalock wins LPGA Suzuki Golf Internationale
1971 1st class postage now costs 8 cents (was 6 cents)
1971 Benjamin Britten's opera "Owen Wingrave," premieres in Aldwych
1971 Bulgaria adopts it's constitution
1970 96th Preakness: Eddie Belmonte aboard Personality wins in 1:56.2
1970 Grover Henson Feels Forgotten by Bill Cosby hits #70

Retro History For The Decade 1960

1969 Pete Townshend spends a night in jail for assault when he mistakenly kicks a policeman offstage at Fillmore East, thinking he is a fan
1969 Barbra Streisand appears at a Friars Club Tribute
1969 Students occupies Magden House Amsterdam
1969 U.S. nuclear sub Guitarro sinks off San Francisco
1969 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear Test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R.
1969 Venera 5 lands on Venus, returns data on atmosphere
1968 Earthquake kills 47 in Japan
1967 Philadelphia voters approve a $13 million bond issue to build a new stadium
1966 Beach Boys' "Pets Sounds" is released
1966 National Welfare Rights Organization organizes
1966 Stokely Carmichael named chairman of Student Nonviolent Coordinating
1965 "Roar of the Greasepaint" opens at Shubert Theater New York City for 232 performances
1965 Baltimore Oriole Jim Palmer's pitching debut, beats Yankees 7-5 and homers
1965 Bomb destroys USAF base Bien Hoa South Vietnam
1965 Spaghetti-O's 1st sold
1965 Susie Maxwell wins LPGA Muskogee Civitan Golf Open
1965 WNJU TV channel 47 in NY-Linden, New York (TEL) begins broadcasting
1964 90th Preakness: Bill Hartack aboard Northern Dancer wins in 1:56.8
1964 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear Test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R.
1964 Verne Gagne beats Mad Dog Vachon in Omaha, to become NWA champ
1963 "Beast in Me" opens at Plymouth Theater New York City for 4 performances
1963 Gordon Cooper completes 22 orbits in Faith 7, ends U.S. Proj Mercury
1961 13rd Emmy Awards: Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr and Barbara Stanwyck
1960 Big 4 summit in Paris collapses as U.S.S.R. levels spy charges against US

Retro History For The Decade 1950

1959 85th Preakness: William Harmatz aboard Royal Orbit wins in 1:57
1959 WTOM TV channel 4 in Cheboygan, Michigan (NBC) begins broadcasting
1958 Eli Beeding experiences 83 g deceleration on a rocket sled, New Mexico
1958 Walter Irwin flies 2,259 KPH in F-104A Starfighter
1957 Major Irwin, USAAF flies a Lockheed Starfight to a record 1,404.18 MPH
1957 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Invicti Athletae
1957 U.S. launches its 3rd atomic submarine, USS Skate, at Groton, Connecticut
1957 Yankees involved in Copacabana Incident, leads to Billy Martin trade
1956 Egypt recognizes People's Republic of China
1956 Great Britain performs nuclear Test at Monte Bello Is Australia
1956 Kraft Theater presents an act from "Profiles in Courage"
1956 Laker takes 10-88 for Surrey vs. Australians at the Oval
1955 Heavyweight Rocky Marciano KOs Don Cockell in San Francisco
1955 King Baudouin of Belgium visits Congo
1955 Ray Lindwall scores his 2nd Test Cricket century 118 at Bridgetown
1955 Rocky Marciano TKOs Don Cockell in 9 for heavyweight boxing title
1954 Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins LPGA National Capital Golf Open
1954 Ted Williams gets 8 hits in 1st game (DH) since breaking collarbone
1954 WGAN (now WGME) TV channel 13 in Portland, ME (CBS) 1st broadcast
1953 Phillies Curt Simmons gives up a single, then retires next 27 in a row
1952 "New Faces (of 1952)" opens at Royale Theater New York City for 365 performances


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- Retro Rebirth

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The Who sell out 80,000 seats

The Who sell out 80,000 seats in 60 hours for Madison Square Garden - a record on April 1, 1974




Retro History for April 1 The 50s 60s 70s 80s

Retro History For The Decade 1980

1989 1st New York Mets - New York Yankee game in New York City since 1983, Yankees win 4-3
1989 A Bartlett Giamatti replaces Ueberroth as 7th commissioner of baseball
1986 Delhi beat Haryana by innings and 141 to win Ranji Trophy
1986 U.S. submarine Nathaniel Green runs aground in Irish Sea
1986 World oil prices dip below $10 a barrel
1985 47th NCAA Men's Basketball Champion: Villanova beats Georgetown 84-75
1984 14th Easter Seal Telethon raises $24,600,000
1984 3rd NCAA Womens Basketball Championship: Southern California beats Tennessee 72-61
1984 8 men record longest distance (13 miles) rowed in 24 hours
1983 Anti-nuke demonstrators link arms in 14-mile human chain in England
1983 New York Islander Mike Bossy becomes 1st to score 60 goals in 3 cons seasons
1982 Anguilla, dependent territory of U.K., adopts constitution
1982 U.S. formally transfers Canal Zone to Panama
1981 CNN airs a videotape that shows that Tamara Rand predicted that Reagan is in danger from someone named Jack Humley (a hoax)
1980 Baseball Players Association votes to cancel 92 remaining exhibition games
1980 Failed assassination attempt on Iraqi vice-premier Tariq Aziz
1980 France performs nuclear test
1980 Wayne Gretzky breaks Bobby Orr's record with 103rd assist

Retro History For The Decade 1970

1979 Iran proclaimed an Islamic Republic following fall of Shah
1979 Joanne Carner wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open
1977 Attempt for Moslem state in Chad fails
1977 NFL decides to experiment with a 7th official in some preseason games
1976 Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs founded Apple Computer
1975 Cambodia President Lon Nol flees for Red Khmer
1974 The Who sell out 80,000 seats in 60 hours for Madison Square Garden - a record
1974 Ayatollah Khomeini calls for an Islamic Republic in Iran
1974 Pioneer Hall opens
1973 Betsy Cullen wins LPGA Alamo Ladies Golf Classic
1973 Japan allows its citizens to own gold
1973 John and Yoko form a new country with no laws or boundaries, called Nutopia, its national anthem is silence
1972 30,000 attend Mar Y Sol rock concert, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
1972 Major league baseball players stages 1st collective strike
1971 U.S. and Canada ISIS 2 launched to study ionosphere
1971 United Kingdom lifts all restrictions on gold ownership
1970 Bud Selig becomes CEO of Milwaukee Brewers
1970 John and Yoko release hoax they are having dual sex change operations
1970 Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, headed by Bud Selig, purchases the Seattle Pilots for $10,800,000 Although negotiations were conducted over a period of months, it was not until March 13 when a federal bankruptcy referee declared the Pilots bank
1970 President Nixon signs bill limiting cigarette advertisements on January 1, 1971

Retro History For The Decade 1960

1969 Royal Canadian Mint formally forms as a Crown Corp
1969 Seattle Pilots trade minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to Royals
1968 KEMO (now KOFY) TV channel 20 in San Francisco, California (IND) 1st broadcast
1967 1st British ombudsman sir Edward Compton begins work
1966 1st world festival of black art (Dakar Senegal)
1966 China premier Tsjoe en-Lai starts "Cultural revolution"
1965 South Africa worker's union leader Henry Fazzie sentenced to 10 years
1965 Syncom 3, 1st geosynchronous communications satellite, passes from civilian to military control
1964 10 degrees F lowest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in April
1964 John Lennon is reunited with his father Freddie after 17 years
1964 Robert Lowell's "Benito Cereno," premieres in New York City
1963 New York Mets purchase Duke Snider from the Dodgers for $40,000
1963 New York City's newspapers resume publishing after a 114 day strike
1963 Soap operas "General Hospital" and "Doctors" premier on TV
1961 Jim Bakker marries Tammy Faye
1960 2nd French atom bomb explodes in the Reggane Proving Grounds, Algeria
1960 Mabry Harper catches a 25 lb Walleye in Tennessee
1960 RCA TIROS (TV and Infra-Red Observation 'weather' Satellite) I launched
1960 U Nu elected premier of Burma

Retro History For The Decade 1950

1958 KVIQ TV channel 6 in Eureka, California (NBC/ABC/CBS) begins broadcasting
1958 Marshal Boelganin becomes director of Russian Staatsbank
1957 Trial begins in Budapest against participants october uprising
1957 WYES TV channel 12 in New Orleans, Louisiana (PBS) begins broadcasting
1957 World's biggest glass oven used
1956 10th Tony Awards: Diary of Anne Frank and Damn Yankees win
1956 KPIC TV channel 4 in Roseburg, OR (CBS) begins broadcasting
1956 Violent clashes in Algeria, kills at least 380
1955 Armed military action taken against bureaucratic strike in Amsterdam
1955 EOKA-bomb attacks against British government buildings in Cyprus
1955 WTVT TV channel 13 in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida (CBS) 1st broadcast
1954 1st Dutch motorway, Amsterdam-Utrecht, opens
1954 1st army helicopter battalion forms, Fort Bragg, NC
1954 Earthquake and tsunami ravage Aleutians, 200 killed
1954 U.S. Air Force Academy forms
1954 WQED TV channel 13 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PBS) begins broadcasting
1953 J van Bale appointed governor of New Guinea
1953 KXMC TV channel 13 in Minot, ND (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting
1953 Walcott Worrell and Weekes all make centuries in innings vs. India
1952 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

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February 4 - Retro Events From The 50s 60s 70s 80s

On February 4, 1966 The Who play their first headline show at Finsbury Park Astoria, supported by Fortunes and Merseys.



Retro Events For The Decade 1980

1989 Dean Jones scores 216 vs. WI at the Adelaide Oval
1988 Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega indicted on drug charges
1987 President Reagan's veto of Clean Water Act is overridden by Congress
1987 Stars and Stripes beats Australia's Kookaburra 3, sweeps America's Cup
1987 Sacramento Kings score only 4 points 1st quarter against Lakers; fewest in a period since introduction of 24 second shot-clock in 1954
1986 38th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 4-3 (OT) at Hartford
1986 Israeli fighters intercept Libyan passenger plane
1985 20 countries (but not U.S.) sign United Nations treaty outlawing torture
1985 Naval exercises canceled when U.S. refuses to tell New Zealand of nuclear weapons
1984 "9" closes at 46th St. Theater New York City after 739 performances
1984 "Backstage Magic" opens at CommuniCore
1984 Frank Aquilera sets world frisbee distance record (168m) Las Vegas
1983 Jose Happart becomes mayor of Voeren Belgium
1983 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton
1982 "Pump Boys and Dinettes" opens at Princess Theater New York City for 573 performances
1982 Indoor distance record for a paper airplane (47m) Tacoma Wash
1982 Musical "Pump Boys and Dinettes," premieres in New York City
1982 Suriname premier Chin A Sen flees
1980 Bani Sadr sworn in as premier of Iran
1980 Joanne Carner wins LPGA Whirlpool Golf Championship of Deer Creek

Retro Events For The Decade 1970

1979 "Co-Ed Fever," TV Comedy, debut and cancelled that outing on CBS
1979 End of last 3+day D/N game for 15 years (WSC, SCG)
1979 Joanne Carner wins LPGA Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament
1977 30th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 4-3 at Vancouver
1977 Elevated train jumps track, crashes onto a Chicago Street (11 die, 200 hurt)
1977 Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" released
1977 Wings release "Maybe I'm Amazed"
1976 12th Winter Olympic games opens in Innsbruck, Austria
1976 7.5 earthquake kills 22,778 in Guatemala and Honduras
1976 Judge Oliver upholds Seitz's decision on Andy Messersmith free agency
1976 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1974 Benzine rationing ends in Netherlands
1974 Chimpanzee Nim Chimsky signs his 1st word, at 2 months
1974 Gas rationing ends in Netherlands
1974 Patricia Hearst (19) kidnapped by Symbionese Liberation Army
1973 "No, No Nanette" closes at 46th St. Theater New York City after 861 performances
1973 Islanders and Sabres had a penalty free game
1973 Manfred Kokot runs world record 50m indoor (5.61 sec)
1973 Reshef, Israel's missile boat, unveiled
1972 6th round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks ends in Vienna Austria
1972 Senator Strom Thurmond suggests John Lennon be deported
1971 Apollo 14 lander Antares lands on Moon (Shepard and Mitchell)
1971 Baseball announces a special hall of fame wing for blacks
1971 British car maker Rolls Royce declared itself bankrupt
1971 Government exhibit under construction collapses, kills 65 in Brazil
1971 National Guard mobilized to quell rioting in Wilmington NC
1970 "Charles Aznavour" opens at Music Box Theater New York City for 23 performances
1970 "Gantry" opens at George Abbott Theater New York City for 1 performance
1970 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

Retro Events For The Decade 1960

1969 41,163, then largest NBA crowd, watches doubleheader Cincinnati - Detroit, San Diego - Boston
1969 Beatles appoint Eastman and Eastman, as general cousel to Apple
1969 John Madden is named head coach of NFL's Oakland Raiders
1969 Lonnie Elder's "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men," premieres in New York City
1969 Yassar Arafats takes over as chairman of PLO
1968 "Golden Rainbow" opens at Shubert Theater New York City for 355 performances
1968 Bowie Kuhn replaces William Eckert as 5th commissioner of baseball
1967 "Wild Thing" hits #20 on the pop singles chart by Senator Bobby
1967 U.S. launches Lunar Orbiter 3
1966 All-Nippon Airways 727 crashes off Haneda Airport (Japan); kills 133
1965 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1964 Amendment 24 outlaws poll tax
1964 FAA begins 6 month test of reactions to sonic booms over Oklahoma City
1962 "Gay Life" closes at Shubert Theater New York City after 113 performances
1962 Russian newspaper Izvestia reports baseball is an old Russian game
1962 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Barbara Roles
1962 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Monty Hoyt
1961 Sputnik 7 launches into Earth orbit; probable Venus probe failure
1960 BBWAA voters fail to elect a new Hall of Fame member
1960 Giants move their offices to Candlestick Park
1960 Lionel Bart's musical "Fings ain't wot they used t'be," premieres

Retro Events For The Decade 1950

1959 Israel begins exporting copper ore
1958 "Oh, Captain!" opens at Alvin Theater New York City for 192 performances
1958 Hall of Fame fails to elect anyone for 1st time since 1950
1957 1st electric portable typewriter placed on sale (Syracuse New York)
1956 AL plans to test automatic intentional walk during spring training
1952 1st black executive of a major TV station (Jackie Robinson-WNBC New York)
1951 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Sonya Klopfer
1951 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Richard Button

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December 22 - Retro History From The 50s to 80s

On December 22, 1978 Kenny Jones becomes The Who's new drummer.



Retro Events For The Decade 1980

1989 After 23 years of dictatorial rule, Romania ousts Nicolea Ceausescu
1989 Chad adopts its Constitution
1989 Cold wave: -4 degrees F in Oklahoma City, -6 degrees F in Tulsa, -12 degrees F in Pitts,
1989 -18 degrees F in Denver, -23 degrees F in Kansas City, Missouri, -42 degrees F in Scottsbluff Nebraska -47 degrees F in Hardin Mont and -60 degrees F in Black Hills South Dakota
1988 2 robbers wearing police uniforms rob armored truck of $3 M in NJ
1988 South Africa signs accord granting independence to South West Africa
1988 Tug hits oil barge, spreads 231,000 gal on 300 mi of WA and BC coast
1986 India score 7-676 vs. Sri Lanka at Kanpur in Cricket
1985 "Wind in the Willows" closes at Nederlander Theater New York City after 4 performances
1985 74th Davis Cup: Sweden beats Germany in Munich (3-2)
1985 STS-51-L vehicle moves to Launch Pad 39B
1984 Bernhard Goetz shoots 4 black muggers on New York City subway train
1984 Madonna's "Like a Virgin," single goes #1 for 6 weeks
1984 Test Cricket debut of Craig McDermott, vs. WI at the MCG
1983 Egyptian president Mubarak meets with PLO leader Yasser Arafat
1983 Islanders score 3 shorthanded goals against Caps
1982 William Mastrosimones "Extremities," premieres in New York City
1981 Argentine general Leopoldo Galtieri sworn in as president
1981 Belgium's 5th government of Martens forms
1980 Cardinals release outfielder Bobby Bonds
1980 President-elect Reagan appoints J Kirkpatrick (UN) and James Watt (Interior)

Retro Events For The Decade 1970

1978 Kenny Jones becomes The Who's new drummer
1978 Thailand adopts constitution
1977 36 die as grain elevator at Continental Grain Company plant explodes
1976 "Your Arm's Too Short..." opens at Lyceum New York City for 429 performances
1976 35 Unification church couples wed in New York City
1976 East Germany banishes singer Nina Hagen
1974 2nd cease-fire between IRA and British; lasts until approx April 1975
1974 Phil Esposito, Boston, became 6th NHLer to score 500 goals
1974 Referenda in Comoros-3 islands for independence, 1 stays French
1972 6.25 earthquake strikes Managua Nicaragua, 12,000+ killed
1971 KUAC TV channel 9 in Fairbanks/College, AK (PBS) begins broadcasting
1971 U.N. General Assembly ratifies Kurt Waldheim as Secretary-General
1971 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear test
1970 Treblinka SS commander Franz Stangl sentenced to life imprisonment

Retro Events For The Decade 1960

1969 Pete Marovich sets NCAA record of hitting 30 of 31 foul shots
1968 Julie Nixon weds Dwight David Eisenhower
1966 WCVW TV channel 57 in Richmond, Virginia (PBS) begins broadcasting
1965 Belgian government shuts 6 coal mine
1965 Director David Lean's "Dr. Zhivago," premieres
1965 Great Britain sets maximum speed at 70 MPH
1965 Radio Mil (Domincan Republic) transmitter blown up
1964 Lockheed SR-71 spy aircraft reaches 3,530 kph (record for a jet)
1963 Oakland Raider Tom Flores passes for 6 touchdowns vs Houston (52-49)
1963 Official 30-day mourning period for President John F. Kennedy ends
1962 1,000,000th NBA point scored
1962 Harris County voters approve all-weather stadium for Houston Colt .45s
1962 Kinderman Place in the Bronx named
1962 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya U.S.S.R.
1961 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

Retro Events For The Decade 1950

1959 Continental League awards its last franchise to Dallas-Ft. Worth
1959 NY Ranger goalie Marcel Paille wears a customized mask
1958 "Chipmunk Song" reaches #1
1958 "Whoop-Up" opens at Shubert Theater New York City for 56 performances
1958 2nd Dutch Beel government forms
1957 KWRB (now KFNE) TV channel 10 in Lander-Riverton, WY (ABC) begins
1956 "New Faces of 1956" closes at Barrymore Theater New York City after 221 performances
1956 Last British/French troops leave Egypt
1953 Jack Dunn III, owner of Baltimore Orioles in International League, turns name over to newly relocated St. Louis Browns
1952 French government of Pinay, resigns
1952 WSBA (now WPMT) TV channel 43 in York, Pennsylvania (IND) begins broadcasting
1951 Australia cricket all out 82 vs. West Indies at Adelaide
1950 2 self-propelled trains of Long Island RR collide, killing 77


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December 2 - Retro History From The 50s to 80s

On December 2, 1973 The Who and friends jailed in Montreal following $6000-worth of hotel destruction.



Retro Events For The Decade 1980

1989 55th Heisman Trophy Award: Andre Ware, Houston (quarterback)
1989 KHJ-TV in Los Angeles, California changes call letters to KCAL-TV
1989 Vishwanath Pratap Singh sworn in as president of India
1988 "Naked Gun" premieres, a movie based on TV's "Police Squad"
1988 5 gunmen who hijacked Soviet Aeroflot jet, surrender in Israel
1988 STS-27 Atlantis launched (Secret military mission)
1988 U.N. votes 151-2 (Isr and U.S.) to move PLO debate to Geneva, British abstains
1987 Chicago City Council elects Eugene Sawyer acting mayor
1987 Jennifer Steele, 17, of Colorado becomes Miss Teen of America
1987 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1986 Dow-Jones index hits record 1955.57
1985 "Mystery of Edwin Drood" opens at Imperial Theater New York City for 608 performances
1985 Philipine Chief staff General Fabian speaks of B Aquino's murder
1985 Rupert Holmes' musical "Mystery of Edwin Drood," premieres in New York City
1984 4th meeting of Giants-Jets, Giants even series at 2 with 20-10 win
1984 Bob Holland takes 9-83 for NSW against South Australia, SCG
1984 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R.
1982 1st permanent artificial heart successfully implanted (University of Utah) in retired dentist Barney Clark; lived 112 days with Jarvic-7 heart
1981 Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers) wins NL Rookie of the Year
1981 Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco opens at 11:30 AM
1981 Spanish government requests membership in NATO
1980 4 American Maryknoll nuns killed by death squads in El Salvador

Retro Events For The Decade 1970

1979 Crowds attack U.S. embassy at Tripoli Libya
1979 Foots Walker becomes 1st Cleveland Cavalier to score a triple-double
1979 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R.
1978 Chanting "Allah is great," anti-Shah protesters poured through Tehran
1978 Neil Diamond and Barbra Striesand's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" hits #1
1978 Streisand and Diamond's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," goes #1
1975 7 South Moluccans hijack train at Wijster Drente, 3 killed
1975 G S Chappell gets ton in each inn of 1st Test Cricket as captain vs. WI
1975 Laos king Sisavang Vatthana resigns, republic forms
1975 Lao People's Democratic Republic founded (National Day)
1974 Cowhide, rather than just horsehide, can be used to make baseballs
1974 Giant Baba beats Jack Brisco in Kagoshimi, to become NWA champ
1974 Soyuz 16 launched into Earth orbit for 6 days
1973 The Who and friends jailed in Montreal following $6000-worth of hotel destruction
1973 62nd Davis Cup: Australia beats USA in Cleveland (5-0)
1973 Capital Centre (USAir Arena) in Washington D.C. opens
1973 U.S. Air Arena opens in Landover Maryland, Bullets beat Seattle, 98-96
1972 "December Giant" largest sinkhole in U.S. collapses (Alabama)
1972 "Via Galactica" closes at Uris Theater New York City after 7 performances
1972 60th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeats Saskatchewan, 13-10
1972 In 1 of their worst trades Yankees get Rich McKinney for Stan Bahnsen
1971 Soviet Mars 3 is 1st to soft land on Mars
1971 United Arab Emirates, (Trucial States) declares independence from UK
1971 Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujeira, Sharjah and Umm ak Qiwain form United Arab Emirates
1971 Zayid bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan of Abu Dhabi becomes President of UAE
1970 Environmental Protection Agency begins (Dir: William Ruckelshaus)
1970 Tippetts Opera "Knot Garden," premieres in London

Retro Events For The Decade 1960

1969 "Buck White" opens at George Abbott Theater New York City for 7 performances
1969 Boeing 747 jumbo jet 1st public preview (Seattle to New York City)
1968 President Nixon names Henry Kissinger security advisor
1967 55th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeats Saskatchewan, 24-1
1966 Love, Moby Grape and Lee Michaels perform at Fillmore East
1964 Ringo Starr's tonsils are removed
1963 1st Dutch rocket launched/reaches height of 10 km
1963 ML Rules Committee bans oversized catcher's mitts, effective in 1965
1962 50th CFL Grey Cup: Winnipeg beats Hamilton, 28-27 at Toronto
1961 Fidel Castro declares he's a Marxist, and will lead Cuba to Communism
1961 Wind Bell, journal of San Francisco Zen Center, begins publishing

Retro Events For The Decade 1950

1959 Malpasset dam collapses destroying French Riviera town of Frejus
1958 24th Heisman Trophy Award: Pete Dawkins, Army (HB)
1958 Benelux treaty signed by Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg
1958 KNOP TV channel 2 in North Platte, NB (NBC) begins broadcasting
1957 1st U.S. large scale nuclear power plant opens (Shippingport Penn)
1957 Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" reaches #1
1956 Fidel Castro lands with "Granma" on coast of Cuba
1954 "Hit the Trail" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City for 4 performances
1954 Frank Selvy of Milwaukee sets then NBA record of 24 of 26 free throws
1954 U.S. Senate censures Joe McCarthy, Senator-R-Wisconsin, for "conduct that tends to bring Senate into dishonor and disrepute"
1952 18th Heisman Trophy Award: Billy Vessels, Oklahoma (HB)
1952 1st human birth televised to public (KOA-TV Denver, Colorado)
1951 "Borscht Capades" closes at Royale Theater New York City after 90 performances
1951 Philadelphia sets NFL record of 25 1st-downs rushing
1950 Vic Toweel knocks down Danny O'Sullivan 14 times in a title fight


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November 20 - Retro History From The 50s to 80s

On November 20, 1973 Nineteen-year-old Who Fan, Scott Haldin, stands in for ill Keith Moon during a concert in San Francisco.



Retro Events For The Decade 1980

1989 Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Robin Yount wins AL MVP
1988 "Les Miserables," opens a Bus and Truck tour in Tampa
1986 Afghanistan President Babrak Karmal flees
1986 UN's WHO announces 1st global effort to combat AIDS
1985 New York Yankee Don Mattingly easily wins AL MVP
1984 McDonald's made its 50 billionth hamburger
1984 Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden wins NL Rookie of Year
1983 "Marilyn: An American Fable" opens at Minskoff New York City for 16 performances
1983 100 million watch ABC-TV movie "Day After," about nuclear war
1983 Cleveland Browns shutout Patriots 30-0
1983 New York Giants Butch Woolfolk ties NFL record of 43 attempts rushing
1982 Drew Barrymore at age 7 hosts Saturday Night Live
1981 Anatoly Karpov, U.S.S.R. retains world chess championship
1981 Burundia adopts its constitution
1981 El Salvador guerrilla group FMLN opens "limited offensive"
1981 Ringo releases "Stop and Smell Roses" album
1980 Billy Martin named AL Manager of Year for the Oakland A's
1980 Steve Ptacek in Solar Challenger makes 1st solar-powered flight
1980 UA withdraws $44 million movie "Heaven's Gate" for reediting

Retro Events For The Decade 1970

1979 Sji'ieten occupies great mosque of Mecca, 100s killed
1979 U.S.'s 1st artificial blood transfusion occurs at University of Minnesota Hospital
1977 Egyptian President Sadat became 1st Arab leader to address Israeli Knesset
1977 Steve Largent begins NFL streak of 177 consecutive game receptions
1977 Walter Payton (Bears) rushes for NFL-record 275 yards
1976 George Harrison appears on Saturday Night Live
1976 Judy Rankin wins LPGA Colgate-Hong Kong Golf Open
1975 Ronald Reagan announced candidacy for Republican nomination for president
1974 Rangers' Jeff Burroughs wins AL MVP
1974 The U.S. files antitrust suit to break-up AT&T
1973 Nineteen-year-old Who Fan, Scott Haldin, stands in for ill Keith Moon during a concert in San Francisco
1971 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1970 U.N. General Assembly accepts membership of China PR

Retro Events For The Decade 1960

1969 Alcatraz Island off SF, is seized by militant Native Americans
1969 Gundappa Viswanath scores 137 on Test Cricket debut vs. Australia Kanpur
1969 Pele scores his 1,000th soccer goal
1969 San Francisco Giant Willie McCovey edges Tom Seaver as NL MVP
1968 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1967 U.S. population reaches 200 million
1967 At 11 AM, Census Clock at Department of Commerce ticks past 200 million
1967 Mets pitcher Tom Seaver (16-12) is named NL Rookie of Year
1966 "Cabaret" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 1166 performances
1966 Clifford Ann Creed wins LPGA Success Golf Open
1966 Dallas sacks Pittsburgh quarterbacks an NFL record 12 times
1966 Men in Zurich vote against female suffrage
1965 "Pickwick" closes at 46th St. Theater New York City after 56 performances
1965 U.N. Security council calls for boycott of Rhodesia
1965 WCNY TV channel 24 in Syracuse, New York (PBS) begins broadcasting
1964 Dmitri Sjostakovitch's 9th/10th String Quartet premiers in Moscow
1962 Mickey Mantle wins AL MVP
1962 U.S.S.R. agrees to remove bombers from Cuba, and U.S. lifts blockade
1961 WPLG TV channel 10 in Miami, Florida (ABC) begins broadcasting

Retro Events For The Decade 1950

1959 U.N. adopts Universal Declaration of Children's Rights
1959 WABC fires Alan Freed over payola scandal
1957 Morton Wishengrad's "Rope Dancers," premieres in New York City
1955 Kripal Singh scores 100 on Test Cricket debut, India vs. New Zealand
1955 Polly Umrigar scores India's 1st Test Cricket double century, 223 vs. New Zealand
1954 KTRK TV channel 13 in Houston, Texas (ABC) begins broadcasting
1953 Scott Crossfield in Douglas Skyrocket, 1st to break Mach 2 (1,300 MPH)
1952 Cubs slugger Hank Sauer wins NL MVP
1952 George Axelrods "7 Year Itch," premieres in New York City
1952 Prague show trial against 14 communists (9 Jewish) begin
1951 Snowdonia becomes a National Park in Wales
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August 23 - Today In Rock Music History

We Miss You Keith! Your Spirit Lives On...



Musicians Born On August 23

1912 Gene Kelly (singer/dancer)
1936 Rudy Lewis (Drifters)
1946 Keith Moon (The Who)
1949 Rick Springfield (Jessie's Girl)
1949` Jim Sohns (Shadows of Night)
1953 Bobby G. (Bucks Fizz)
1959 Lowyn Collins (Orange Juice)
1960 Steve Clark (Def Leppard)
1961 Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots)
1964 Pebbles (Mercedes Boy)

Number 1 In The Charts On August 23

1969 Rolling Stones: 'Honky Tonk Woman' US 45
1969 Johnny Cash: 'Johnny Cash at San Quentin' US LP
1975 Hamilton Joe Frank Reynolds: 'Fallin' In Love' US 45
1980 David Bowie: 'Ashes to Ashes' UK 45
1980 Roxy Music: 'Flesh and Blood' UK LP
1986 Boris Gardner: 'I Want to Wake Up with You' UK 45
1997 Texas : White on Blonde : UK LP

Various Music Events On August 23

1957 Elvis Presley's 'Loving You', featuring cameo performance by his parents, opens in London at the Plaza Cinema

1962 John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell at Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool

1965 Rolling Stones fans have water hoses turned on them by security guards outside Manchester TV studios

1968 'People Got to Be Free' single by Young Rascals goes gold in US

1969 'Crosby, Stills and Nash' hits UK LP chart

1970 Lou Reed plays last gig with Velvet Underground at Max's, Kansas City, New York; recorded for 'Live at Max's' LP

1973 The first Reading Festival begins, with Eric Burdon, Traffic and Focus performing

1980 Jam hit UK chart at No. 3 with 'Start'

1980 Heatwave Festival begins near Toronto, Canada, featuring Elvis Costello, Pretenders, Talking Heads and B52s.

1993 Duran Duran get a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

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- Retro Rebirth



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We Are The Mods - Long Live The Who

In the annals of rock history the Who (like their contemporaries the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) stand alone. Though technically they were Mods and musically self-proclaimed "Maximum R&B," the Who were also the godfathers of punk, the pioneers of rock opera, and among the first rock groups to integrate (rather than merely fiddle with) synthesizers. The smashed guitars and overturned (or blown up) drum kits they left in their wake fittingly symbolized the violent passions of a band whose distinctive sound was born of the couplings and collisions among Pete Townshend's alternately raging or majestic guitar playing, Keith Moon's nearly anarchic drumming style, John Entwistle's facile, thundering bass lines, and Daltrey's impassioned vocals. The Who would prove a strong influence on such late-1970s groups as the Jam. Ever since guitarist and main songwriter Pete Townshend declared in "My Generation," "Hope I die before I get old," he has been embraced as a spokesman, a role he assumed (he claims) reluctantly. Nonetheless, for the rest of his career with the Who Townshend explored rock's philosophical topography, from the raw rebelliousness of "My Generation" and adolescent angst of "I Can't Explain" to such ambitious, emotionally rich, and beautiful songs as "Love Reign O'er Me."



All four band members grew up around London – Townshend, Daltrey, and Entwistle in the working-class Shepherd's Bush area. Townshend's parents were professional entertainers. He and Entwistle knew each other at school in the late-1950s and played in a Dixieland band when they were in their early teens, with Townshend on banjo and Entwistle on trumpet. They played together in a rock band, but Entwistle left in 1962 to join the Detours. That band included Roger Daltrey, a sheet-metal worker. When the Detours needed to replace a rhythm guitarist, Entwistle suggested Townshend, and Daltrey switched from lead guitar to vocals when the original singer, Colin Dawson, left in1963. Not long after that, drummer Doug Sandom was replaced by Moon, who was then playing in a surf band called the Beachcombers. By early 1964 the group had changed its name to the Who, and not long after, the excitement inspired by Townshend's bashing his guitar out of frustrating during a show ensured it would become a part of the act.


Shortly thereafter, the group came under the wing of manager Pete Meaden, who renamed them the High Numbers and gave them a better-dressed Mod image. The High Numbers released an unsuccessful single, "I'm the Face" b/w "Zoot Suit" (both written by Meaden), then got new managers, former small-time film directors Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. By late 1964 the quartet became the Who again, and with Lambert and Stamp's encouragement they became an even more Mod band, with violent stage show and a repertoire including blues, James Brown, and Motown covers, solely because their Mod audiences loved that music. In fact, despite the billing, the Who's original songs were anything but classic R&B. The group's demo of "I Can't Explain," with sessionman Jimmy Page adding guitar, brought them to producer Shel Talmy (who had also worked with the Kinks) and got them a record deal. When "I Can't Explain" came out in January 1965, it was ignored until the band appeared on the TV show Ready, Steady, Go. Townshend smashed his guitar, Moon overturned his drums, and the song eventually reached Number Eight in Britain. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" also reached the British Top Tem, followed in November 1965 by "My Generation." It went to Number Two in the U.K. but only reached Number 75 in the U.S. But the Who were already stars in Britain, having established their sound and their personae. Townshend played guitar with full-circle windmilling motions, Daltrey strutted like a bantam fighter, Entwistle (whose occasional songwriting effort revealed a macabre sense of humor) just stood there seemingly unmoved as Moon happily flailed all over his drum kit.

After the Who's fourth hit single, "Substitute" (Number 5 U.K.), Lambert replaced Talmy as producer. Their second album, A Quick One (While He's Away) (Happy Jack in the U.S.; Number 67, 1967), included a 10-minute mini-opera as the title track, shortly before the Beatles' concept album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band. The Who also began to make inroads in the U.S. with "Happy Jack" (Number 24, 1967) and a tour that included the performance filmed at the Monterey Pop Festival in June.


The Who Sell Out (Number 48, 1967) featured mock-advertisement songs and genuine jingles from offshore British pirate radio stations; it also contained another mini-opera, "Rael," and a Top Ten hit in England and the U.S., "I Can See for Miles." In October 1968 the band released Magic Bus (Number 39, 1968), a compilation of singles and B-sides, while Townshend worked on his 90 minute opus, Tommy. The story of a deaf, dumb, and blind boy turned pinball champion-pop idol turned autocratic messianic guru was variously considered both pretentious and profound. Most important, however, Tommy was the first successful rock opera. The album hit Number Four in the U.S., and its first single, "Pinball Wizard," went to Number 19. The band would perform Tommy in its entirety a handful of times – -at London's Coliseum in 1969, at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House on June 6th and 7th, 1970, and on some dates during its 1989 reunion tour. Excerpts, including "See Me, Feel Me," "Pinball Wizard," and the instrumental "Underture," were thereafter part of the live show. Troupes mounted productions of it around the world (the Who's performances had been concert versions), and Townshend oversaw a new recording of it in 1972, backed by the London Symphony and featuring Rod Stewart, Steve Winwood, Sandy Denny, and Richard Burton, among others. In 1975 Ken Russell directed the controversial high-pop film version, which included Eric Clapton ("Eyesight to the Blind"), Tina Turner ("Acid Queen"), and Elton John ("Pinball Wizard"), as well as Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, and Jack Nicholson. Moon (as the lecherous Uncle Ernie) and Daltrey (in the lead title role) also appeared in the film.


Bits of Tommy turned up on Live at Leeds (Number Four, 1970), a juggernaut live set, which was followed by Who's Next (Number Four, 1971), a staple of FM rock radio. It included Townshend's first experiments with synthesizers – "Baba O'Riley," "Bargain," "Won't Get Fooled Again" – three songs that Townshend originally conceived as part of another rock opera entitled Lifehouse. The singles comp Meaty, Beaty, Big, and Bouncy (Number 11, 1971) was followed two years later by the Who's second double-album rock opera, Quadrophenia (Number Two, 1973), a tribute to the tortured inner life of the Mods. It too was a hit and became a movie directed by Franc Roddam in 1979, with Sting of the Police in the wordless role of the bellboy.

While the Who were hugely popular, Quadrophenia signaled that Townshend was now a generation older than the fans he had initially spoken for. As he agonized over his role as an elder statesman of rock — as he would do for years to come — the Who released Odds and Sods (Number 15, 1974), a compilation of the previous decade's outtakes. The Who by Numbers (Number Eight, 1975) was the result of Townshend's self-appraisal ("However Much I Booze"); it lacked the Who's usual vigor, but yielded a hit single in "Squeeze Box" (Number 16, 1975). The band could dependably pack arenas wherever it went, but it took some time off the road after By Numbers.

The group members — whose personality clashes are almost as legendary as their music — began pursuing more individual projects. Moon released a novelty solo disc, Two Sides of the Moon, which featured guest stars galore; Entwistle recorded two solo LPs with bands called Ox and Rigor Mortis. Daltrey also recorded solo; his first two efforts are widely regarded as mediocre and he only had one Top 40 hit in the U.S., "Without Your Love," from the McVicar soundtrack. The Townshend-penned "After the Fire" received substantial video exposure when released in 1985. Daltrey found considerably more success as an actor. Besides Tommy, he starred in Ken Russell's over-the-top "biography" of composer Franz Liszt, Lisztomania (1975) and McVicar (1980), the true story of the famous British criminal John McVicar. In the mid-1980s he played the double role of the Dromio twins in a PBS production of Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. He's also appeared on the London stage (The Beggar's Opera, 1991) and on British television (The Little Match Girl, 1990). In 1999 he played Scrooge in a stage version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol in New York City.

In 1970 Townshend contributed four tracks to Happy Birthday, a privately released, limited edition album recorded as a tribute to Townshend's guru, Meher Baba. The following year, I Am, a similar limited-edition Baba tribute album, was released. It contained another Townshend track, a nine-minute instrumental version of "Baba O'Riley." As both these records were heavily bootlegged, Townshend's response was to create an "offical" version of both albums. The result, Who Came First (Number 69, 1972), was Townshend's first "real" solo album. It included the tracks from Happy Birthday and I Am, plus new songs, and demos of the Who tracks "Pure and Easy" and "Let's See Action." His second solo release was a collaboration with ex-Faces Ronnie Lane, Rough Mix (Number 45, 1977), which featured a number of FM/AOR radio staples: "Street in the City," "My Baby Gives It Away," and "A Heart to Hang on To."


Meanwhile, punk was burgeoning in Britain, and the Sex Pistols among others were brandishing the Who's old power chords and attitude. Townshend's continuing identity crisis showed up in the title of Who Are You (Number Two, 1978), but the title song became a hit single (Number 14) that fall, and the album went double platinum. It was the last and highest-charting album of the original band.

The next few years brought tragedy and turmoil, and in a sense, the end of the Who in the death of Keith Moon. Moon always reveled in his reputation as the madman of rock, and his outrageous stunts, onstage and off, were legend. His prodigious drinking and drug abuse (he was once paralyzed for days after accidentally ingesting an elephant tranquilizer) had begun to diminish his playing ability. In 1975 he left England for L.A., where he continued to drink heavily. He returned to England and was trying to kick his alcoholism, but on September 7, 1978, Moon died of an overdose of a sedative, Heminevrin, that had been prescribed to prevent seizures induced by alcohol withdrawal. Although the group continued for another three years, each of the three surviving original members has stated repeatedly that the Who was never the same again.

In 1979 the Who oversaw a concert documentary of their early years, The Kids Are Alright (soundtrack, Number Eight, 1979), and worked on the soundtrack version of Quadrophenia (Number 46, 1979), which also included a number of Mod favorites performed by the original artists (such as Booker T. & the M.G.'s' "Green Onions" and James Brown's "Night Train"). Kenney Jones, formerly of the Small Faces, replaced Moon, and session keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick began working with the Who. The new lineup toured, but tragedy struck again when 11 concert goers were killed — trampled to death or asphyxiated — in a rush for "festival seating" spots at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum on December 3, 1979. The incident occurred before the show, and the group wasn't told of it until afterward.

After 15 years with Decca/MCA, the Who signed a band contract with Warner Bros., and Townshend got a solo deal with Atco. His Empty Glass (Number Five, 1980) included the U.S. Top 10 hit "Let My Love Open the Door" and "Rough Boys," a song long believed to have been an angry reply to a punk musician who had insulted the Who during an interview. Much later, in a 1989 interview with writer Timothy White, Townshend denied that was the case, saying, "It's about homosexuality," and adding that "And I Moved" was as well. Townshend's admission of having "had a gay life," and the statement "I know how it feels to be a woman because I am a woman," came as a surprise to many, including his band mates.

In 1981 Townshend performed solo with an acoustic guitar at a benefit for Amnesty International, which was recorded as The Secret Policeman's Ball. His falling asleep onstage was the first public sign of his deepening drug addiction. Since the year before, Townshend had been abusing alcohol, cocaine, and freebase cocaine mixed with heroin. He subsequently developed an addiction to Ativan, a tranquilizer he was prescribed during treatment for alcoholism. Ativan combined with freebase and heroin resulted in a highly publicized, near-fatal overdose during which he was rushed to the hospital from a London club. Townshend subsequently underwent electro-acupuncture treatment and cleaned up in 1982.

Amid all this, the revamped Who soldiered on. Face Dances (Number Four, 1981) included the hit single "You Better You Bet" (Number 18, 1981) and "Don't Let Go the Coat." But Townshend later called the new lineup's debut album a disappointment. One month after Face Dances came out, the Who's former producer/manager, Kit Lambert, died after falling down a flight of stairs; he was 45. (Pete Meadon had died three weeks before Moon, in 1978.) Townshend released the wordy All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (Number 26, 1982), and soon followed it with the group's It's Hard (Number Eight, 1982), an album Daltrey has since been quoted as saying should never have been released. It produced the group's last Top 30 hit to date, "Athena" (Number 28). The Who then embarked on what they announced would be their last tour, ending with a concert in Toronto on December 17, 1982. Although the group officially broke up then, the Who have reunited to perform several times since. They appeared at Live Aid in 1985 and at a U.K. music-awards program in 1988. They celebrated the group's silver anniversary in 1989 with a 43-date tour of the U.S. which included guest-star-studded performances of Tommy in L.A. and New York, and later in London. For this tour Jones was replaced by session drummer Simon Phillips. It was also during this tour that Townshend, whose hearing was extremely damaged from years of listening to loud music through headphones, had to play standing behind a plastic baffle to block the onstage noise.

Townshend also released a number of solo projects throughout the 1980s: Scoop (Number 35, 1983) and Another Scoop (Number 198, 1987) collect demo tapes, home recordings, and sundry tracks of historical interest to fans. White City — a Novel (Number 26, 1985) is a concept piece, the soundtrack to a long-form video of the same title and includes "Face the Face"; The Iron Man: The Musical is the star-studded (Daltrey, Nina Simone, John Lee Hooker) soundtrack to Townshend's rock opera based on a children's story by poet Ted Hughes. Deep End Live!, released with an accompanying live video, barely scraped into the Top 100.

Townshend wrote in the liner notes to the 1994 box-set career retrospective Thirty Years of Maximum R&B: "I don't like the Who much . . . " Through the years of his derisive attitude toward the group has rung false at worst, disingenuous at best. In fact, Townshend's pride (and joy) in performing with the Who was abundantly clear during the band's 2000 tour, when he introduced it, happily, as "the fucking Who."

Despite Townshend's other projects and endeavors, including an editorship with book publisher Faber and Faber and publication of his collected stories, Horse's Neck (1985), the Who legacy endures. In 1993 the Broadway production of Tommy won five Tony Awards, including one for Townshend for Best Original Score. The next year saw the release of Townshend's PsychoDerelict (Number 118, 1994), a concept album that includes pieces written originally for the Lifehouse project. An examination of rock stardom's ravages, PsychoDerelict was also performed as a theater piece and filmed (it was subsequently broadcast on PBS). That year he also embarked on his first solo tour with a set list that included a number of Who classics, including "Won't Get Fooled Again." In February 1994 Townshend, Daltrey, and Entwistle reunited for Carnegie Hall performances in celebration of Daltrey's 50th birthday. Accompanied by a 65-piece orchestra, the trio was also joined by guest stars including Sinéad O'Connor, Eddie Vedder, and Lou Reed, and the show was filmed for cable television.

Two years later, the group recruited drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr) along with a 12-piece backing band and embarked on a series o dates in which they performed the Quadrophenia album in its entirety for the first time. Townshend again stuck to rhythm guitar to preserve his hearing, leaving electric guitar duties to his brother Simon Townshend.

In 1999 Townshend reunited the band again for a charity concert at the House of Blues in Chicago, which led to yet another reunion tour the following year. This time around, however, the Who toured as a quintet: Townshend, Daltrey, Entwistle, Starkey, and John Bundrick on keyboards, with Townshend returning to electric guitar. The no-nonsense approach resulted in glowing reviews hailing the group's 2000 shows as some of their best in nearly two decades. A live album, Live: The Blues to the Bush/1999, was issued online via a partnership with Musicmaker.com, and the band even began talking about the possibility of a new studio set in the future. To cap their year, the Who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards.

In the midst of all the Who activity in late 1999 and 2000, Townshend returned yet again to his lifelong Lifehouse project. The BBC broadcast a Lifehouse radio play in December 1999, and in February 2000, Townshend performed the rock opera himself at London's Sadler's Wells Theater. Shortly thereafter he released a six-disc box set, Lifehouse Chronicles, on his own Eelpie label via his Web site; a single-disc version, Lifehouse Elements, was released in stores by Redline Entertainment. Daltrey has continued planning his pet project, a film biography of the life of Moon.

In October 2001, the Who appeared at the Concert for New York City, a 9/11 benefit, where the band was received with the most warmth of any act on the evening's program. But before they could continue on the road again the following summer, John Entwistle died of a cocaine-fueled heart attack in his hotel room. They went out anyway, with session bassist Pino Palladino filling in. In 2004, Townshend and Daltrey recorded a pair of new songs, "Old Red Wine" and "Real Good Looking Boy," for a compilation. (The Who have released more compilations since their initial breakup than they did studio albums before it.) In July 2005 they appeared in London as part of Live 8. In October 2006, the Who released Endless Wire, their first album under that name in 24 years. It reached Number Seven and received middling reviews. November 2007 saw the DVD release of Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who, an extensive band documentary.

Wikki Info can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who

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