Simon Townshend

Simon Townshend is a British rock musician from Chiswick, London, born in 1960. He is the brother of Pete Townshend and the son of England’s top big-band reed man. He records and performs in rock, hard rock and new wave, and he is also associated with pop and rock opera.

Early work and solo releases

Townshend starts performing and recording at the age of nine, when he contributes vocals to Tommy by The Who. He later self-produces a run of solo releases on the Stir Music label, including Among Us (1997), Animal Soup (1999), Bare Bodies Bare Assets (live acoustic) (2000), Ages (2000), simontownshendis (2002) and Something New! (EP) (2011). He also releases Looking Out Looking In in 2012, and his solo recordings appear on Stir Music and Stir Records.

Alter ego and bands

In 2002 Townshend creates an alter ego, .bom, for live shows in New York, Los Angeles and Boston. In 2005 he forms The Casbah Club with Bruce Foxton and Mark Brzezicki, and the group releases Venustraphobia in 2006. He is also a member of The Who, The Casbah Club, The RD Crusaders and Simon Townshend's Moving Target.

Work with The Who and other artists

Townshend plays guitar and sings with The Who for 15 years, performing tours in Europe, Asia and North America. He appears at the 2010 Super Bowl and later joins Roger Daltrey on tours of the United Kingdom and North America, including a run with Eric Clapton. He also contributes song writing and vocals to Iron Man and Psychoderelict. In 2004 he produces The Who’s first new original studio recordings in more than 20 years, and in 2006 he contributes to Endless Wire.

Other credits and collaborations

Townshend produces artists in London and New York and performs with a wide range of acts, including Jeff Beck and Pearl Jam. His own work is described in press quotes as hard rock with strong melodies and vocal harmonies, and he is known for a distinctive vocal and guitar style. He continues to write, perform and record as a solo artist alongside his work with other musicians.