Townshend has also contributed to and authored many newspaper and magazine articles, book reviews, essays, books, and scripts, and he has collaborated as a lyricist and composer for many other musical acts. He plays on his own solo albums, several Who albums, and as a guest contributor to an array of other artists' recordings. He is self-taught on all of these instruments. He has also written more than 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, as well as radio jingles and television theme songs.Īs an instrumentalist, although known primarily as a guitarist, Townshend also plays keyboards, banjo, accordion, harmonica, ukulele, mandolin, violin, synthesiser, bass guitar, and drums. These include concept albums, the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus popular rock radio staples such as Who's Next as well as dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilations such as Odds & Sods (1974). Townshend has written more than 100 songs for 12 of the Who's studio albums. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born ) is an English musician, singer and songwriter.