Roger Harry Daltrey is an English singer and actor best known as the founder and lead singer of the rock band The Who. Daltrey began his solo career in 1973, while still a member of The Who. He has since released eight studio albums, five compilation albums, and one live album. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Daltrey number 61 on the list of 100 greatest singers of all time. Daltrey is renowned for his powerful voice and energetic stage presence. Daltrey has also been an actor and film producer, with roles in films, theater, and television.
As a member of The Who, Daltrey has received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Grammy Foundation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band. He and Pete Towshend received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008 and the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement in 2016. The Who are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, selling more than 100 million records worldwide
Daltrey was born in 1955 in East Action, west London, England. He was brought up in the same working class suburbs that produced fellow Who bandmates Pete Townshend and John Entwistle.
Daltrey joined a skiffle band called the Detours, who were in need of a lead singer. Daltrey became a sheet metal worker during the day, while performing nights with the band at weddings and pubs. He invited schoolmate Entwistle to play bass in the band. Entwistle recommended Townsend to play guitar. Eventually Keith Moon joined the group on drums.
When they discovered another band performing as the Detours Daltrey made the decision to change their name to “The Who.” A band manager renamed them the “High Numbers” as part of a move to establish the band as Mod favorites in reference to the T-shirts with “numbers” that the Mods used at the time. That name was short lived and the band quickly changed back to The Who.
The Who’s second single, “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” was the only song on which Townsend and Daltrey collaborated on during their early years. As Townshend developed into one of rock’s most accomplished composers, Daltrey’s vocals became the vehicle through which Townshend’s visions were expressed, and he gained an equally vaunted reputation as a powerful singer and riveting front-man. The Who’s stage act was highly energetic, and Daltrey’s habit of swinging the microphone around by its cord on stage became his signature move.
By 1973, Daltrey was experiencing considerable success with his solo projects and acting roles. 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 an adaption of Tommy became 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.
Daltrey has released nine solo studio albums. Among them was the first the self-titled Daltrey in 1973, recorded during a hiatus time in the Who’s touring schedule. The best-selling single from the album, “Giving it all Away,” peaked at No. 5 in the UK and the album, which introduced Leo Sayer as a songwriter, made the Top 50 in the United States. McVicar billed as the soundtrack of the film of the same name in which Daltrey starred. It featured all the other members of the Who at the time. The album included two hit singles, “Free Me,” and “Without Your Love,” which is Daltrey’s best-selling solo single.
After the Who disbanded in 1982 Daltrey turned to working as an actor in BBC projects and several film and stage productions. In 1991, he received a Grammy Award with the Chieftains for An Irish Evening: Live at the Grand Opera House, Belfast.
For his 50th birthday in 1994 Daltrey performed a two-night spectacular at commonly known as Daltrey Plays Townshend. The event included special guests including Townshend, Entwhistle, Eddie Vedder, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper and many others. The concert at the time was the fastest sell-out in the famed venue’s history.
In June, 2018 Daltrey released his ninth solo studio album and first one in 26 years As Long as I Have You. The album is a mixture of self-penned tracks such as “Certified Rose” and the soulful ballad “Always Heading Home” along with songs that have inspired Daltrey over the years.
Reference – https://www.thewho.com/roger-daltrey/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Daltrey
Roger Daltrey Solo discography
Daltrey (1973)
Ride a Rock Horse (1975)
One of the Boys (1977)
McVicar (1980)
Parting Should Be Painless (1984)
Under a Raging Moon (1985)
Can’t Wait to See the Movie (1987)
Rocks in the Head (1992)
As Long as I Have You (2018)
Sacramento’s K-ZAP 93.3 FM plays Roger Daltrey. All part of 50 years of Rock, Blues and More, 24-7 on our station’s stream at K-ZAP.ORG/LISTEN/
Check out Roger Daltrey on “How Far.”