Regarded as one of the greatest rock bassists of all time, John Entwistle was an integral part of the legendary rock back The Who. The members of The Who have changed slightly over the years, but the group’s most well-known members were drummer Keith Moon, lead guitarist and keyboard player Pete Townshend, and lead vocalist Roger Daltrey. John Entwistle was a major contributor to the band’s signature sound, and wrote many of their songs.

John Alec Entwistle was born on October 9, 1944, in Chiswick, London. Becoming interested in music at a young age, John joined the Middlesex Youth Orchestra while still attending school. During his time here he quickly learned to play the trumpet, French horn, and piano. By the early 1960s, he and Pete Townshend formed The Confederates, and their musical stylings could be heard in jazz and dixieland clubs. The duo then became part of Roger Daltrey’s band The Detours, and The Who was officially born. Keith Moon would later join the group as the band’s most well-known drummer.

During his time with The Who, John provided the musical background for some of the band’s best-known singles such as "Fiddle About" and "Had Enough." In addition to being essential to the aggressive instrumental part of the group’s songs, he did vocal work on several of their tracks, and penned many of their singles. Entwistle’s tunes are characterized by their dry and witty sense of humor.

Although best known as being a member of The Who, Entwistle also completed a significant number of solo recordings, beginning in 1971. Reportedly upset about having to allow Daltrey to perform the songs written by Entwistle, he released Smash Your Head Against the Wall in 1971, making him the first member of the group to release a solo album. Although this did not prompt him to leave the group, he released a number of further solo albums throughout his musical career, including Mad Dog, The Rock, and Music From Van Pires, his final solo release, in 2000.

Entwistle was the founder of The John Entwistle Band, which also consisted of Steve Luongo and Godfrey Townsend. Throughout his career, he also worked on collaborations with a variety of musicians and performers such as Alice Cooper, Mike Heron, and Ringo Starr.

After years of battling a cocaine addiction, John’s past finally caught up with him on June 27, 2002. He died at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino from a heart attack. Further investigation revealed that the heart attack was caused by cocaine. The room in which he died has never been revealed. John was scheduled to begin touring with The Who the following day.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was married twice, with both unions ending in divorce. Alison Wise, his first wife, gave birth to son Christopher. Maxene Harlow and John divorced in 1997. Although his life was cut tragically short, Entwistle was a core member of one of the greatest rock bands ever, and also made significant contributions through his individual efforts. His influence can be seen in the work of bassists such as Noel Redding, Billy Sheehan, Phil Lesh, and Mike Watt.

YUDDY