Many musicians have written books over the years about their lives and experiences within their bands even about the music industry itself. The Who’s Pete Townshend is no different as the musician came out with his memoir ‘Who I Am’ in 2012. In it the rocker shared his life journey and his days with The Who.
One topic that Pete also discussed in his memoir was the idea of being left behind or the sense of not being able to catch up to his peers in the industry. The one name he gave as an example of someone who never experienced an ounce of self-doubt in his eyes was Sting.
Here’s what Pete had to say about Sting that made him difficult for him and many other names in the industry:
“It might surprise people. But the only guy I know that doesn’t have any shade of self-doubt is Sting, and is therefore very difficult for us to deal with because of that. We all find him difficult – because he’s so immensely talented and writes this beautiful stuff. But there is something about this man who is so self-assured he can leave The Police…”
Since the nature of the music industry is very much dependent on numbers and sales and who is most popular there is room for doubt and comparison. Pete shared that for him and several other musicians that he named, Sting’s self confidence and belief was difficult to handle. He added:
“Others Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Ray Davies – and these are people I know pretty well, some better than others – they would have no difficulty with agreeing when I said there were times when I fell out of step and very lost.”
Even though Townshend admitted that the names he listed wouldn’t want to say that they couldn’t understand Sting’s mindset, The Who guitarist had no trouble. He expressed:
“They might not admit that in public, but I can, because I have nothing to lose. The truth will set you free.”
You can read Pete Townshend’s 2012 interview with Mojo magazine here.
