Pete Townshend has never backed away from giving other rockers advice on various topics, and Joe Walsh recently disclosed how the Who icon helped him out when the rocker had to establish his guitar sound. Walsh revealed to Consequence how he felt upon his initial recruitment to James Gang and the musical advice Townshend gave him.
“I had some big shoes to fill,” said Joe as he recalled being recruited to James Gang after Glenn Schwartz’s departure. However, filling in for another musician wasn’t his only worry, as the band was also a three-piece and mainly depended on Walsh’s sound. Thus, he noted, “I also had to learn how to sing lead and play lead at the same time.”
However, Joe Walsh was in luck as Pete Townshend was there to lend a hand. Joe recalled, “Luckily, we played some shows with the Who, and that turned into a longtime friendship. In a three-piece band, it’s kind of hard to navigate. Pete showed me how to play. We call it lead rhythm, where you play rhythm guitar and lead at the same time and just kind of wander back and forth. And that’s the secret of a three-piece band.”
While doing shows with James Gang, Townshend helped Joe establish his style and showed him how to be more effective in a three-piece band as a guitarist. However, this wasn’t the only time Pete gave advice to another rocker. Check out the advice the Who icon gave to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder when a tragedy struck the frontman.
