Pete Townshend
Townshend in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend
Also known as	Bijou Drains
Born	(1945-05-19) 19 May 1945 (age 79) Chiswick, London, England
Genres	Rock, hard rock, power pop, progressive rock, British beat, jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter, composer, musical arranger, author
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Track, Polydor, Atlantic, Atco, Decca, Rykodisc, Warner Bros.
Website	The Who's official webpage
Pete Townshend's voice from the BBC programme Front Row, 26 December 2012.[1]

Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English rock musician, songwriter and author best known as the founder of the band The Who.

Beginning in 1961, he studied graphic design at Ealing Art College. At Ealing, Townshend studied with future Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and future Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

Townshend is the primary songwriter for The Who and has written over one hundred songs for the band's eleven studio albums including the rock operas "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" and the popular rock radio staple "Who's Next." Although known mainly as a guitarist he is also an accomplished singer and keyboard player and has played many other instruments including: banjo, accordion, bass guitar and drums.

Townshend has also written many newspaper and magazine articles, books, book reviews, essays and scripts. Townshend was ranked #3 in Dave Marsh's list of best guitarists in "The New Book of Rock Lists" and #50 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."