Johnny Kidd (real name Frederick Heath) had been together since the late '50s, and rocked the British charts with an original called " Shakin' All Over" (which Townshend and company also added to their set list) they'd built their reputation on their fierce renditions of American-style R&B, which relied heavily on a lean single guitar/bass/drums approach, with the single guitarist - very unusual in England during this period in any recording act - playing both the rhythm and lead parts. & the MG's, and Eddie Cochran - each of whom had songs represented in the group's repertory - but also one classic British act, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, with whom they shared a bill. The group's sound evolved rapidly during this period, and was especially influenced not only by American acts such as James Brown, Booker T. By the end of the year, Townshend had joined as a rhythm guitarist, and in 1963 Daltrey gave up his guitar chores - a consequence of his day job as a metal worker - and became the group's lead vocalist after Colin Dawson (followed briefly by another singer named Gabby, who didn't last) left the band.
By the early '60s, the pair had formed a rock & roll band, but Entwistle departed in 1962 to play in the Detours, a hard-edged rock & roll band featuring a sheet-metal worker named Roger Daltrey on lead guitar (and trombone!). In their early teens, they played in a Dixieland band together, with Entwistle playing trumpet and Townshend playing banjo.
Townshend and Entwistle met while attending high school in the Shepherd's Bush area of London. However, there's little argument that at their peak the Who were one of the most innovative and powerful rock bands in rock history. The group's relentless pursuit of the dollar was largely due to Entwistle and Daltrey, who never found successful solo careers, but it had the unfortunate side effect of tarnishing their reputation for many longtime fans. The Who continued on this path even after the death of Moon in 1978, and even after they disbanded in the early '80s, as they reunited numerous times in the late '80s and '90s to tour America. Eventually, this resulted in the group abandoning their adventurous spirit in the mid-'70s, as they settled into their role as arena rockers. Instead, they wanted to stick to their hard rock roots, playing brutally loud, macho music instead of Townshend's textured song suites and vulnerable pop songs.
The remainder of the Who, especially Entwistle and Daltrey, weren't always eager to follow him in his musical explorations, especially after the success of his first rock opera, Tommy. Townshend continually pushed the band toward more ambitious territory, incorporating white noise, pop art, and conceptual extended musical pieces into the group's style. He soon became regarded as one of the finest British songwriters of his era, rivaling John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, as songs like " The Kids Are Alright" and " My Generation" became teenage anthems, and his rock opera, Tommy, earned him respect from mainstream music critics. This was the sound the Who thrived on in concert, but on record they were a different proposition, as Townshend pushed the group toward new sonic territory. Unlike most rock bands, the Who based their rhythm on Townshend's guitar, letting Moon and Entwistle improvise wildly over his foundation, while Daltrey belted out his vocals. They often sounded like they were exploding conventional rock and R&B structures with Townshend's furious guitar chords, Entwistle's hyperactive basslines, and Moon's vigorous, seemingly chaotic drumming.
As one of the key figures of the British Invasion and the mod movement of the mid-'60s, the Who were a dynamic and undeniably powerful sonic force.