Roger Daltrey

*This site is only a fan page...this page is not associated with Roger Daltrey or the Who*
Roger Daltrey has long been known as one of the charismatic of rock’s front men, best known as the lead singer for the Who. Born in 1944 to Harry and Irene Daltrey, Roger developed a keen interest in the emerging rock and roll scene during the 1950’s and made his first guitar from a block of wood. Roger formed The Detours, a skiffle group and worked as a sheet metal worker. Roger recruited John Entwistle into the group’s bass guitarist role and Pete Townshend later joined The Detours at Entwistle’s suggestion. After changes in staff and the arrival of Keith Moon, The Detours became The Who, then The High Numbers, and then back to The Who, this time for good.
As with The Detours, Roger served as The Who’s leader, earning a reputation for using his fists to exercise control when needed, despite his small stature (5 feet 7 inches or 1.70 m). Roger was also aware of the drug and alcohol dependence of the three, primarily Keith Moon. An incident between Daltrey and Moon fueled after a gig in Scandinavia as Daltrey flushed Moon’s pills down the toilet resulting in a physical struggle ending with Moon being seriously beaten by Daltrey. The incident resulted in Daltrey’s dismissal from The Who and was later re-instated under one condition – no more violent outbursts or assaults. Daltrey recalled, “I though if I lost the band I was dead. If I didn’t stick with The Who, I would be a sheet metal worker for the rest of my life.”
Roger struggled to find a voice for The Who until the band began working on “Tommy” where Roger found the voice for the band. Daltrey’s vocal (and physical) transition carried The Who to world stardom at such music venues as Woodstock and the Isle of Wright Festival in 1969 and 1970.
With each of The Who's milestone achievements, Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia, Daltrey was the face and voice of the band as they defined themselves as the ultimate rebels in a generation of change. When Ken Russell's adaptation of Tommy appeared as a feature film in 1975, Daltrey played the lead role and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture". Afterward, Daltrey worked with Russell again, starring as Franz Liszt in Lisztomania. He worked with Rick Wakeman on the soundtrack to this film, writing the lyrics to three songs and also performing these, as well as others. In 1980 Daltrey completed a major project for The Who Films, Ltd., a dramatic film called McVicar about U.K. bank robber John McVicar. Daltrey produced and starred in the film, and completed a striking soundtrack with other members of the band.
During his years with The Who and after, Daltrey released eight solo albums. Daltrey has also made numerous film, television, and stage appearances and has worked as a film producer, currently working on a Keith Moon biopic, with the working title “See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked For Your Pleasure,” to be released in 2009.
In 2003, Roger Daltrey was honoured by Time Magazine as a European Hero for his work with the Teenage Cancer Trust and other charities.[3] In the New Year's Honours List published on 31 December 2004, he was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Music, the Entertainment Industry, and Charity.
Daltrey’s stage persona embraces the audience and projects the band’s repertoire as heroic anthems and touching ballads that have gripped the emotions and imagination of audiences for forty years. This persona has earned him a position as one of the “gods of rock and roll.” Roger’s appearance in the early 1970s included striking, long blond curly hair and a sexually ambivalent look which became more masculine as the 1970s progressed. He developed the trademark move of swinging and throwing his microphone through a complex sequence. His long hair, bare chest and athletic appearance during the 1970s may well have provided the bases for such genres as Glam Metal and Cock Rock in the 1980s. Although Daltrey reduced the athleticism of his performance during later years, his presentation remains dynamic and gripping.