Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist and principal songwriter, was born into a musical family in Chiswick, West London, on May 19, 1945. His father Cliff played the alto saxophone with the RAF dance band The Squadronaires, and his mother Betty Dennis sang professionally. An aunt encouraged him to learn piano but after seeing the movie Rock Around The Clock in 1956 he was drawn to rock’n’roll, an interest his parents actively encouraged.Mark Wilkerson was born in Birmingham, England, in the same year that Thunderclap Newman entered the world. He has written acclaimed biographies Who Are You: The life of Pete Townshend (Omnibus Press, 2008) and Tomas Young’s War (Haymarket Books 2016) and coauthored the official Pearl Jam retrospective and New York Times bestseller Pearl Jam 20 (Simon & Schuster, 2011). He lives with his wife, Melissa, in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Finger-lickin’, motherfuckin’ good.” – Jimi Hendrix, on Speedy Keen’s demos.“Out of the jumble of elements and oddities, against all logic, Thunderclap Newman created one of the finest, most truly bizarre albums of the era, Hollywood Dream; made NumberOne with their first single, ‘Something In The Air’; were immediately pushed out on the road, with ornate fanfares; failed to sell another record; finally fell apart, and disbanded. From nowhere to everywhere and back to nowhere again…” – Nik Cohn, Rolling Stone.“I love it all. Recording it is one of my favorite experiences. People that know and love that record are very special people in my eyes.” – Pete Townshend“We were the best worst band. We died but we died in style: Andy in his policeman’s helmet, handing out paper hats and balloons and worshipping Bix Beiderbecke; beautiful Jimmy, playing his beautiful guitar up in heaven; and me, scarface rock & roller just trying to get across some honesty.” – Speedy Keen

Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist and principal songwriter, was born into a musical family in Chiswick, West London, on May 19, 1945. His father Cliff played the alto saxophone with the RAF dance band The Squadronaires, and his mother Betty Dennis sang professionally. An aunt encouraged him to learn piano but after seeing the movie Rock Around The Clock in 1956 he was drawn to rock’n’roll, an interest his parents actively encouraged.Mark Wilkerson was born in Birmingham, England, in the same year that Thunderclap Newman entered the world. He has written acclaimed biographies Who Are You: The life of Pete Townshend (Omnibus Press, 2008) and Tomas Young’s War (Haymarket Books 2016) and coauthored the official Pearl Jam retrospective and New York Times bestseller Pearl Jam 20 (Simon & Schuster, 2011). He lives with his wife, Melissa, in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Finger-lickin’, motherfuckin’ good.” – Jimi Hendrix, on Speedy Keen’s demos.“Out of the jumble of elements and oddities, against all logic, Thunderclap Newman created one of the finest, most truly bizarre albums of the era, Hollywood Dream; made NumberOne with their first single, ‘Something In The Air’; were immediately pushed out on the road, with ornate fanfares; failed to sell another record; finally fell apart, and disbanded. From nowhere to everywhere and back to nowhere again…” – Nik Cohn, Rolling Stone.“I love it all. Recording it is one of my favorite experiences. People that know and love that record are very special people in my eyes.” – Pete Townshend“We were the best worst band. We died but we died in style: Andy in his policeman’s helmet, handing out paper hats and balloons and worshipping Bix Beiderbecke; beautiful Jimmy, playing his beautiful guitar up in heaven; and me, scarface rock & roller just trying to get across some honesty.” – Speedy Keen

Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist and principal songwriter, was born into a musical family in Chiswick, West London, on May 19, 1945. His father Cliff played the alto saxophone with the RAF dance band The Squadronaires, and his mother Betty Dennis sang professionally. An aunt encouraged him to learn piano but after seeing the movie Rock Around The Clock in 1956 he was drawn to rock’n’roll, an interest his parents actively encouraged.Mark Wilkerson was born in Birmingham, England, in the same year that Thunderclap Newman entered the world. He has written acclaimed biographies Who Are You: The life of Pete Townshend (Omnibus Press, 2008) and Tomas Young’s War (Haymarket Books 2016) and coauthored the official Pearl Jam retrospective and New York Times bestseller Pearl Jam 20 (Simon & Schuster, 2011). He lives with his wife, Melissa, in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Finger-lickin’, motherfuckin’ good.” – Jimi Hendrix, on Speedy Keen’s demos.“Out of the jumble of elements and oddities, against all logic, Thunderclap Newman created one of the finest, most truly bizarre albums of the era, Hollywood Dream; made NumberOne with their first single, ‘Something In The Air’; were immediately pushed out on the road, with ornate fanfares; failed to sell another record; finally fell apart, and disbanded. From nowhere to everywhere and back to nowhere again…” – Nik Cohn, Rolling Stone.“I love it all. Recording it is one of my favorite experiences. People that know and love that record are very special people in my eyes.” – Pete Townshend“We were the best worst band. We died but we died in style: Andy in his policeman’s helmet, handing out paper hats and balloons and worshipping Bix Beiderbecke; beautiful Jimmy, playing his beautiful guitar up in heaven; and me, scarface rock & roller just trying to get across some honesty.” – Speedy Keen