The Who

British rock music group organized in 1964 by Peter Townshend, John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, and Keith Moon, all born in London. After Moon’s death he was replaced by Kenny Jones. The group was a success in its early appearances, with fans responding enthusiastically to Townshend’s and Moon’s habit of destroying their instruments. After a number of single records reached the charts, The Who made a United States concert tour in 1967. A 1968 American tour included an appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival. The group’s album Tommy (1969), a rock opera written almost entirely by Townshend, was a worldwide hit; the group performed the opera at the London Coliseum (1969), the Metropolitan Opera House in New York (1970), and other sites; the film version (1975) featured Daltrey in the title role with Elton John, Jack Nicholson, Eric Clapton, and Ann-Margret. Quadrophenia (1973), another unified composition that also became a film, was nearly as successful. During the 1970s the members of the group worked frequently on solo albums, but the group reunited in 1985 to perform at the LIVE AID concert in London and made a successful concert tour in 1989.