Author Event: Pete Townshend “Who I Am”

From the voice of a generation: The most highly anticipated autobiography of the year, and the story of a man who. . .

… is a Londoner and a Mod.

… auditioned for Roger Daltrey while sitting on a bed that hid a fugitive.

… wanted The Who to be called The Hair.

… loved The Everly Brothers, but not that drawling dope Elvis.

… wanted to be a sculptor, a journalist, a dancer and a graphic designer.

… became a musician, composer, librettist, fiction writer, literary editor, sailor.

… smashed his first guitar onstage, in 1967, by accident.

… heard the voice of God on a vibrating bed in rural Illinois.

… invented the Marshall stack, feedback and the concept album.

… once speared Abbie Hoffman in the neck with the head of his guitar.

… inspired Jimi Hendrix’s pyrotechnical stagecraft.

… is partially deaf in his right ear.

… stole his windmill guitar playing from Keith Richards.

… followed Keith Moon off a hotel balcony into a pool and nearly died.

… did too much cocaine and nearly died.

… drank too much and nearly died.

… detached from his body in an airplane, on LSD, and nearly died.

… helped rescue Eric Clapton from heroin.

… is banned for life from Holiday Inns.

… was embroiled in a tabloid scandal that has dogged him ever since.

… has some explaining to do.

… is the most literary and literate musician of the last 50 years.

… planned to write his memoir when he was 21.

… published this book at 67.

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