RIP John Entwistle

[Dillinger]

John Alec Entwistle
1944 - 2002
I only just found out he died this past June. I can't believe I missed this news - and, if there was already a thread about it, I apologize.

Entwistle, for those of you who might actually not know, was the bassist for the Who. He probably influenced about every bass player out there today. He was incredible. I remember sitting in a friend's house in high school listening to "My Generation" over and over trying to learn how to play the 4 bass "breaks" in the song. I never did get them quite right. In fact, no one but him ever has. He played with an incredible combination of both POWER and grace.

People always talk about Townsend and Daltry. And even Keith Moon and his fiery short life. But there wouldn't have been "The Who" without Entwistle. He was their foundation, their rhythm. Pete Townsend once said that in "The Who" their roles were reversed, Entwistle played LEAD on bass.

John died the night before The Who were about to start summer tour AND they were starting to talk about recording a new Who album for the first time since 1984 (I think?). He died at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas (heart attack) - I guess that's a pretty appropriate place to go out for a man who helped define what rock was AND is.

John also wrote a number of Who songs and played french horn and other instruments as well. Pete Townsend's favorite song that Entwistle penned was "Boris The Spider."

The John Entwistle homepage can be found at: http://www.johnentwistle.com/

http://www.johnentwistle.com/FanFotos/john9.gif

John also sketched and painted - his best know work became the cover of "The Who By Numbers" album.

http://www.thewho.net/reviews/bynumberscover.gif

 

[427cobra]

Yeah it does not seem fair, huh? The Who were playing better than anytime since the early 70's. Ringo Starr's son Zac has brought back the fire in the band. Now with the loss of another founder member The Who has still decided to carry on. It's most stablizing influence had been Entwistle, through all the triumph and tragedy of the bands career. This is also the first of the great English bassists to die (Paul Mccartney, Jack Bruce, and Chris Squire being the others). He is and will continue to be missed by all fans and well as musicians.

 

[bknight2602]

It is sad, the Who was one of favorite bands. I still have albums, and remastered CD's from their works. My wife and kid think I'm crazy to listen to them, but thier music brings me back to a simplier time in my youth with a lot fewer worries and lots more energy than now! Let's have a moment of silence for a legend in his own right, John Entwistle .

 

[427cobra]

It is sad, the Who was one of favorite bands. I still have albums, and remastered CD's from their works. My wife and kid think I'm crazy to listen to them, but thier music brings me back to a simplier time in my youth with a lot fewer worries and lots more energy than now! Let's have a moment of silence for a legend in his own right, John Entwistle .

[Bows head]

 

[427cobra]

It is sad, the Who was one of favorite bands. I still have albums, and remastered CD's from their works. My wife and kid think I'm crazy to listen to them, but thier music brings me back to a simplier time in my youth with a lot fewer worries and lots more energy than now! Let's have a moment of silence for a legend in his own right, John Entwistle .

I can't believe that your wife and kid think you're crazy for still loving The Who? I'm only 26 and realize The Who were a great band. In the 70's there were part of a triumverate of british bands (The Stones, Zeppelin) that strode the concert stage like a juggernaut. The only other band the could (and often did ) play better than The Who was Led Zeppelin and that ain't such a bad thing to come in second behind. Entwistle was without a doubt the most prefessional, curteous, and least difficult person in that band. Too bad the band planned with him, Moon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Steve Marriot never happend beyond the "Beck's Bolero" sessions.

 

[bknight2602]

I can't believe that your wife and kid think you're crazy for still loving The Who? I'm only 26 and realize The Who were a great band. In the 70's there were part of a triumverate of british bands (The Stones, Zeppelin) that strode the concert stage like a juggernaut. The only other band the could (and often did ) play better than The Who was Led Zeppelin and that ain't such a bad thing to come in second behind. Entwistle was without a doubt the most prefessional, curteous, and least difficult person in that band. Too bad the band planned with him, Moon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Steve Marriot never happend beyond the "Beck's Bolero" sessions.

You're so right!

 

[kotori]

I can't believe

Dillinger missed this event. Even I heard about it, way out here in the middle. I don't think a moment of silence is at all appropriate, however. I think we should have a moment or two of smashing instruments, turning over speaker towers, setting fire to stage props. Just 'cause we're old don't mean we have to roll over. Rock on.

I won't get fool again.

What really amazes me is how much my kids are into "classic" (for want of a better term) rock and roll. They love this stuff. My eight-year-old has become the biggest John Lennon fan since seeing the retrospective at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It's weird, in the best possible way--I know when I was eight, I was not into the Big Band sound of my father's generation.

 

[bknight2602]

Re: I can't believe

Dillinger missed this event. Even I heard about it, way out here in the middle. I don't think a moment of silence is at all appropriate, however. I think we should have a moment or two of smashing instruments, turning over speaker towers, setting fire to stage props. Just 'cause we're old don't mean we have to roll over. Rock on.

I won't get fool again.

What really amazes me is how much my kids are into "classic" (for want of a better term) rock and roll. They love this stuff. My eight-year-old has become the biggest John Lennon fan since seeing the retrospective at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It's weird, in the best possible way--I know when I was eight, I was not into the Big Band sound of my father's generation.

Great music endures for all time, look at classical music, centuries old and still popular. The rock and roll legends will live in our hearts and ears forever.

 

[Scruffy]

Ehh, I'm not really a big who fan but I respect the technical skill and verve the man brought to the four string.

I am blown away you just heard about this though. I suffered through endless Who specials on VH1

 

[riff]

This bummed me out and I learned it late too... about a month ago.

Entwistle was a quintessential bassist. And what a contrast to Townsend and Moon and their on stage histrionics.

RIP

Long Live Rock

 

[427cobra]

Funny thing is in the last interview I read with him years ago, he said he'd gotten way too much into the L.A. way of life. Perhaps that was a telling foreshadow. After all there was coke in his system.

 

[bluespoke]

Yeah it does not seem fair, huh? The Who were playing better than anytime since the early 70's. Ringo Starr's son Zac has brought back the fire in the band. Now with the loss of another founder member The Who has still decided to carry on. It's most stablizing influence had been Entwistle, through all the triumph and tragedy of the bands career. This is also the first of the great English bassists to die (Paul Mccartney, Jack Bruce, and Chris Squire being the others). He is and will continue to be missed by all fans and well as musicians.

I think Jack Bruce might have something to say about being called English. With an accent thicker by far than Billy Connolly, Jack is undoubtedly a Scot.

The death of Entwhistle is a tragedy for the man and for the one band from the sixties who were still credible forty years on.

Cocaine wins again.

 

[Dillinger]

I thought Entwistle's death was unrelated to drugs?

Jack Bruce was incredible - and not just with Cream. I saw his band "Jack Bruce and Friends" in the late 70's and they were fantastic.

 

[lilfrk]

I read awhile ago on MSN that there was coke in his body.

 

[427cobra]

I think Jack Bruce might have something to say about being called English. With an accent thicker by far than Billy Connolly, Jack is undoubtedly a Scot.

The death of Entwhistle is a tragedy for the man and for the one band from the sixties who were still credible forty years on.

Cocaine wins again.

I forgot he was a scotsman.

 

[kotori]

this reminds me of my first boss

I think Jack Bruce might have something to say about being called English. With an accent thicker by far than Billy Connolly, Jack is undoubtedly a Scot.

He was from St. Colomb Minor, Cornwall. He used to say you can call me Welsh, or Cornish, or British, but please--never English.

 

[Guest]

Yes, the Who was a great band, and John was a great bassist. I had the pleasure of seeing them at Madison Square Garden in NY back in 1979. Funny, that's the only time I saw them live.

Moon

 

[Lust Engine]

I thought Entwistle's death was unrelated to drugs?

Jack Bruce was incredible - and not just with Cream. I saw his band "Jack Bruce and Friends" in the late 70's and they were fantastic.

'Fraid so...they found coke floating around in him.

I'm still amazed that the tour continued this year without him. Seems almost greedy in an odd way.

 

[427cobra]

I read awhile ago on MSN that there was coke in his body.

Yeah I'm afraid so. You'd have thought they'd know better by now.

 

[427cobra]

Re: this reminds me of my first boss

He was from St. Colomb Minor, Cornwall. He used to say you can call me Welsh, or Cornish, or British, but please--never English.

Now I really feel dumb. I must be having a senior momnet.

 

[427cobra]

'Fraid so...they found coke floating around in him.

I'm still amazed that the tour continued this year without him. Seems almost greedy in an odd way.

Townsend had even said that the main reason he did this tour was because Roger and John needed the money.

 

[riff]

Yes, the Who was a great band, and John was a great bassist. I had the pleasure of seeing them at Madison Square Garden in NY back in 1979. Funny, that's the only time I saw them live.

Moon

The WHO ARE YOU tour. I saw them in the Capital Center in Maryland. I was a 16 year old punk.

 

[berkley2955]

This thread comes as a surprise to me but not unexpected. I posted a thread on June 28 that was fairly short lived " In memory of The OX " at the same time I modified my sig line and leave it as a standing tribute.

I too, Moon, only saw them live once. In Raleigh, NC on the Quadrophenia Tour. A friend of mine was visiting from Nashville one weekend and heard they were going to be in Raleigh. He had to return to Nashville for business reasons (yes, he's a musician and producer) but drove BACK to Raleigh the very next weekend, picking me up along the way just so we could see them. This friend of mine was most likely at MSG with you, Moon, since he is originally from NYC and has seen them live a dozen times or more.

I have had many discussons with people regarding how history will look upon The Who. I firmly believe that one day the music of John, Pete, Roger and Keith will be studied the way we study Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart.

Just look at the response we are getting over John's death, two months after the fact. Amazing.

Berk...

 

[bknight2602]

'Fraid so...they found coke floating around in him.

I'm still amazed that the tour continued this year without him. Seems almost greedy in an odd way.

I think the drug scene for the bands, was an escape/enforcer to continue to live the lifestyles that they were surrounded by. I could easily understand being in situations where you have more money than good sense! So it is not surprising to find any drug in a popular idol!