My Generation

The Who

Dave Cooke (RIP) who was in Standard 8 when I was a newboy at Potch gave me an album by The Who. I am not sure why he gave it to me but I am forever grateful to him for the magnanimous gesture. I think he realised that I would take hold of the flame and write a book and build a website sometime in the future and that the best way to ensure that The Who were adequately represented would be to give me the album.

Here is a classic video clip from Woodstock in 1969. Pete Townsend looks high as a kite to me, check out those eyes when he introduces the song, classic rock star insanity. One of my favourite stories is that when John Entwhistle died at the age of 58 in The Hard Rock Hotel after a cocaine binge with a stripper, I can’t find the story now so I can’t prove it but I remember reading that The Who set up their gear in the room he passed away in and just played a gig in his honour. Those that could squeeze in saw it and the rest just listened from the corridors through to the car park.

JAMES DAUBENEY