Background

John Alec Entwistle was born on October 9, 1944, in Chiswick, London, United Kingdom, to the family of Herbert Entwistle and Queenie Johns.

Education

From an early age, he began taking lessons in piano. He later switched to the trumpet as well. Eventually, he switched to playing bass guitar and also attracted the attention of Roger Daltrey who asked Entwistle to join his band The Detours, as a bass guitarist.

Career

The Detours eventually changed its name to The Who. They released their debut album in December 1965 titled My Generation. It included tracks such as The Kids are Alright, I'm a Man, and The Ox. Their second album was A Quick One which released the next year.

The band reached success with their third album The Who Sell Out, which released in 1967. It reached 13th position on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. It included tracks such as Armenia City in the Sky, Odorono, and Tattoo. The album received a lot of appreciation from critics and has also been viewed as Who's best work by a few. It has been listed in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Their fourth album Tommy, which released in 1969, was also a success and reached the second position on the UK Albums Chart. In 1971, the band released their fifth album Who's Next, which became their most successful work so far. The album was also able to reach 4th position on the US Billboard 200, as well as 1st position on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. It reached the top ten in other countries including Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands, and Norway. The album also received critical appreciation.

Over the next few years, the band continued to release several other albums, most of which were quite successful. Some of them include Quadrophenia, (1973), Who Are You, (1978), It's Hard (1982), and Endless Wire (2006).

In 2019, they released their latest album Who, which was a success, reaching 2nd position on the United States Billboard 200, and at 3rd position on the United Kingdom Albums Chart.

John Entwistle was the first member of the band to begin a solo career. In 1971, he released his debut album Smash Your Head Against the Wall. Though the album didn't do very well commercially, it earned Entwistle a cult following amongst his fans in the United States. He continued to release several other albums though none of them managed to be much of a success. Some of those albums include Mad Dog (1975), Too Late the Hero, (1981), and Music from Van Pires (2000).

John Entwistle died in a room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Paradise, Nevada, on June 27, 2002. His death took place just before one day of his band's United States tour of the year. According to the medical examiner, his death was caused by a cocaine overdose, which induced a heart attack.

Achievements

• John Entwistle is recognized as the greatest bass player in history. Entwistle has been compared with Jimi Hendrix, in that the way Hendrix made the guitar so popular and enthralled people with what he could do with the guitar, Entwistle was the same with the bass guitar.
  
  As a member of the Who, John Entwistle was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Entwistle is also a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Works

More photos

• music

  • Whistle Rymes 1972
  • Rigor Mortis Sets In 1973
  • Too Late the Hero 1975
  • Rock 1996
  • Smash Your Head Against the Wall 1971
  • Quadrophenia 1973
  • Who Are You 1978
  • It's Hard 1982
  • Endless Wire 2006

Religion

Almost nothing was said of any religion or spirituality of Entwistle other then perhaps an aside remark of Pete Townsend's that he never knew that Entwistle was a Freemason.

Politics

Entwistle wasn't involved in politics.

Personality

John Entwistle collected suits of armor and had a rather alarming gun collection.

Interests

• Music & Bands

  Rock-n-roll

Connections

John Entwistle was married twice. On June 23, 1967, he married Alison Wise, and, after their divorce, he married Maxene Harlow on September 21, 1991, but divorced in 1997.

Entwistle has a son named Christopher from his first marriage.

Father:

Herbert Entwistle

Mother:

Queenie Johns

ex-spouse:

Alison Wise

Friend:

Roger Daltrey

ex-spouse:

Maxene Harlow

Son:

Christopher Entwistle

Friend:

Pete Townshend

References

• The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle
  2020