Roger Daltrey celebrates his 80th birthday today, making him the first member of The Who to reach that milestone.
Born in London, he's the oldest of three children, and the father of eight — three with his second wife Heather, who he's been married to since 1971; one with his first wife Jackie; and four more from affairs between marriages, three of whom — all girls — were given up for adoption. He didn't meet the girls until after he was 50. He also has 15 grandchildren.
He first assembled the group that would become The Who in 1961 while at Acton County Grammar School, recruiting John Entwistle and subsequently agreeing to John’s proposal that Pete Townshend should join. And the rest, as they say, is history. Here's some notable moments from throughout his career
- The Who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
- As an actor, he has appeared in more than 30 movies, as well as starring in Tommy and Lisztomania.
- He voiced an animated version of himself on The Simpsons in an episode titled "A Tale of Two Springfields."
- He played retired gangster Mickey Dunn in a 2006 episode of CSI, a TV series that used The Who's "Who Are You" as its theme.
- He has released 10 albums.
- He is a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
- In February 2005, he was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charitable causes.
- He underwent throat surgery around 2010, which he says made him enjoy singing again.
- He still tours with his solo band, which has a date in San Diego on May 6th.