1969-05-17
Tommy is released in the United States
Other
1969-05-17
Disc and Music Echo runs a profile on John, Pete and Keith’s wives
1969-05-03
The Tommy album is premiered in its entirety on BBC Radio 1’s Paul Drummond show
1969-05-03
“Pinball Wizard” enters the Tio i Topp Swedish charts where it will peak at #12.
1969-05-02
Roger, John, Keith, Bobby Pridden, John “Wiggy” Wolff and roadies Tony Haslam and John “Bumper” East fly to New York to prepare for the upcoming tour. Pete does not join them until the 8th, the day before the tour begins.
1969-04-26
“Pinball Wizard” reaches its U.K. chart peak of #4 staying there for the next three weeks
1969-04-24
The Who tape another appearance on Top Of The Pops. Any hopes that Keith will be under control this time are dashed when Tony Blackburn, the BBC DJ who had branded “Pinball Wizard” as “sick”, appears as host. Keith answers his criticism by hurling drumsticks at his head.
1969-04-23
The Who continue rehearsing their new Tommy-centered act at the Community Centre, Westcott Crescent in Hanwell. Pete recalls in his autobiography that, after this last rehearsal, Keith took him for a drink, looked him in the eye and said, “Pete, you’ve done it. This is gonna work.”
1969-04-21
The Who continue rehearsing their new Tommy-centered act at the Community Centre, Westcott Crescent in Hanwell
1969-04-19
Melody Maker has the article: “Why The Who aren’t pop anymore” with quotes from Pete and Keith. Pete declares, “I feel anti-pop now. I don’t call our music ‘pop’ any more. It would be nice to be in a pop industry where music with meaning sells, but that happens so rarely.”