The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend have big personalities, and even though the duo has worked together for many years, there have been many instances where they didn’t land on the same page. With big characters comes the challenge of deciding who gets to become the ‘alpha’ of the band.
In The Who’s case, Roger admitted in a 2011 interview with Tinnitist that they both take the lead by saying:
“Well, we’re two alpha males. And he’s much more head, and I’m much more heart. But between the two, we create something that is The Who. He might write the words, but I think I can blow my trumpet a bit and say I sang most of the songs far better than he ever would.”
When asked if he was given enough recognition for his contribution or if he felt overshadowed by Pete, the rocker replied:
“A singer will always be overshadowed by a guitar hero. It’s just a fact of life because there’s a million men out there with a penis extension known as an air guitar. And they make guitar heroes more important than great singers. But it’s a bit of a con, really.”
Roger added:
“The easiest job in the band is the guitarist. They get to change the strings. A singer goes out there f*cking naked every night, and what he wakes up in the morning, he has to deal with all day. I could play guitar for 12 hours a day, man. Try singing for two.”
Even though Townshend has always been known for his guitar playing with his songwriting skills that helped create The Who’s signature sound, Daltrey has the voice that everyone associates with The Who. On occasion, the duo would show their ‘alfa’ side and make sarcastic comments.
For example, when the Montreal Gazette interviewed him in 2006, Townshend had this to say about Daltrey’s songwriting skills:
“Roger’s performance and interpretation of my songs give it that final Who stamp. But no one can write a Who song but me. John Entwistle was the only other serious contender. Roger dreams of writing a great Who song one day. Maybe I will need to sing it for him.”
You can read Roger Daltrey’s 2011 interview with Tinnitist here.
