1964 – The Who play the Florida Rooms in Brighton
1966 – Pete presents Who manager Kit Lambert with a musical gift the day before Kit’s 31st birthday. It is a 10-minute piece called “Gratis Amatis” that Pete put together with his friend Ray Tolliday and which he jokingly refers to as an opera. It sparks Kit’s imagination. Why not a rock ‘n roll opera? Kit sends Pete off to try to devise a story and songs for a full-length work.
Do you recall a pre-Tommy piece called Gratis Amatis? Was it a precursor to A Quick One and then Tommy?
Gratis Amatis was a joke opera my friend Ray Tolliday and I recorded for Kit’s birthday in 1967, I think. It became important in inspiring Kit Lambert to encourage me to put together A Quick One While He’s Away, The Who’s first miniopera. But I had started to write my own ‘opera’ (Rael) as an extra-mural project, for my own amusement, around this time as well – after a holiday in Israel in early 1967. Tommy was almost inevitable given The Who’s theatrical stagecraft and, of course, my artschool ambitions, musical pretensions and spiritual hunger. Who managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, and The Who members, were incredibly supportive of my wildest ideas. The wilder the better.
Source – Record Collector
1969 – The Who play the second of three nights at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan
1980 – Record Mirror carries a review of Phonogram Records “Rock Heavies” albums, including one featuring The Who.
1980 – Billboard magazine features a full page ad for Pete Townshend’s “Empty Glass” album
1982 – The Westwood One syndicated radio network plays a series called Rock and Roll Never Forgets about Keith Moon. It will air thru out the U.S. during the 6-8 weeks
1997 – The Who play the Forest National in Brussels, Belgium
2000 – Pete opens an online auction to benefit Mozambique. The jewel of the auction is a 1957 Fender Stratocaster owned by Eric Clapton. Before the auction is over, the guitar is bought by Pete, Mick Jagger and David Bowie, who send it to Prime Minister Tony Blair as a gift. Blair returns it and the guitar returns to auction. Pete also auctions off his gold and silver album awards, autographed albums and posters, clothing, musical instruments and even bicycles
2004 – The Who Concert File is re-published in an updated (and tinier) edition in the U.K
If you don’t own this book and you visit this fb page, you owe it to yourself to go find it! Without this book, I doubt this page would exist!! One of the three “bibles” of The Who in my humble opinion!!
2005 – Styx releases their album Big Bang Theory containing a cover of “I Can See For Miles”. You can listen to it on YouTube here
2006 – Roger joins Lulu and Robert Plant performing with the band RD Crusaders headed by Daily Express owner Richard Desmond at London’s Old Billingsgate Fish Market. Roger performs “My Generation” and “Shout”. Kevin Spacey and Mohamed Al Fayed are in the audience. £1.9 million is raised for The Evelina Children’s Hospital Appeal.
2009 – The Sultans of String release their CD Yalla Yalla! featuring a cover of “Pinball Wizard” with Arabic lyrics and in part performed on an oud. You can watch the Sultans of String perform “Pinball Wizard” live here
2012 – Chris Welch’s book Treasures of The Who is published in the U.K
2016 – The Who play the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2022 – The Who play Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma