The Who dedicate tour to John Entwistle

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Who dedicate tour to Entwistle
13.13PM BST, 29 Jun 2002

Roger Daltrey and Peter Townshend have decided to continue with The Who's current tour, despite the recent death of bass guitarist John Entwistle.

The two remaining band members said the tour would become a tribute to their "irreplaceable" friend. Their decision has the full support of the Entwistle family.

The 57-year-old bassist was found dead in a Las Vegas hotel room on the eve of the start of The Who's US tour on Thursday. The cause of death has not been officially determined, but the star is believed to have died of a heart attack.

Entwistle's son, Christopher, said: "He lived for music and will always live within The Who's music. This is what he would have wished, and our love goes out to the remaining band members and the entourage that makes up The Who family."

The Las Vegas show, scheduled for last night, and today's gig, in Irvine, California, will be rescheduled to take place later during the tour, said band manager Bill Curbishley.

The first gig will take place in Hollywood on Monday.

Entwistle, affectionately known as "The Ox", was a more reserved band member on stage than Daltrey and Townshend. However, tributes have poured in from rock legends drawn to his reserved charm.

"He was a great friend for many years - the quietest man in private but the loudest man on stage," said former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman. "He was unique and irreplaceable and I am shocked and devastated."

Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher said: "John was one of the great bass players of all time, in one of the greatest rock'n'roll bands of all time. They don't make 'em like him any more, and he will be sadly missed."

The Who - whose hits included Pinball Wizard, My Generation and I Can See For Miles - were due to open their three-month tour at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's concert venue, The Joint, in Las Vegas.

Entwistle, a talented artist, had arrived in the city ahead of his bandmates for an art exhibition featuring his work.
 
That's still so weird that he's dead - same with George Harrison. I mean, rockstars are supposed to die young or live forever, ya know?
 
Roger's statement
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Posted by Fredrik on June 29, 2002 at 17:17:10:


I have lost one of my oldest friends in John Entwistle. We have been friends
since we were 14 years old and I cannot even begin to measure the loss. My
heart goes out to his wonderful family. Unfortunately, it is a fact of life
that as we get older more and more of our friends disappear from our lives
and death is like an ever encroaching shadow on us all.

What we have lost is a unique individual, both as a human being and a
musician. He transformed the bass guitar into something way beyond anything
that it was originally designed for. On his way he inspired many budding
musicians to turn the bass into a lead instrument and though he was often
copied, he was never equalled.

For us it?s more than a friendship, it is a brotherhood. It is blood.

John made no compromises in the way he lived his life. He did it totally his
way. Sad though it is, if he could have written an ending for himself it
would have been very similar to the one he had. For those who knew him and
his sense of humour they will raise a smile at that. He was a true rock and
roll icon through and through and he was so proud that he was famous.

My feeling about where Pete and I are left now is my belief that our music
goes beyond and before us, transcending everything we do. If John had it his
way we would probably have been on the road 365 days a year ? no, make that
351 as he would have still wanted to have his two weeks fishing! John lived
his life for the road and to play live on stage and I?m sure he would want
us to be doing this as I know his family does.

My reason for doing what we are doing now, and it is going to take a lot of
strength from everybody, is to celebrate John?s life. It seems to me the
best way is to play our music ? the music he helped to create. The spirit of
John Entwistle is intrinsically woven into every song we play. By playing
our music I believe we can help ourselves and our fans grieve and begin to
come to terms with our loss, huge as it is.

We have to accept that life has to go on. We are only a mirror image of our
audience. They too lose people and try to move on with their lives and we
have to do the same. It will never be the same, it will be different. But
John is ingrained in those songs, and just as you can still hear Keith Moon
in our live sound, you will still hear John. His spirit will be with us.

I take a leap into the unknown with a heavy heart but an open spirit and I
thank the support and loyalty of all our friends, crew and fans.

Thinking back to the Concert for New York it proved to me once again what I
have always believed ? that music, of any kind, has the power to lift people
out of their grief and earthly problems. I truly believe that.

I just hope that God has got his earplugs ready. Whatever happens he?ll have
to reinvent thunder as it simply won?t be loud enough any more!

Roger Daltrey LA 28 June 2002
 
Session bassist Pino Palladino will replace John on the tour.
He has previously played live with Roger, and played on Townshend's "White City-a Novel" album.
 
:sad: :( I dunno it might be a bit too soon. Have they even buried him? Roger's speech is touching and I know they know him and the family and I don't but still. I know U2 went on in the face of death but this is a band member? Well it's not for me to say.
 
The Who are one of my favorite bands and I respect their decision to go on...but I still feel a bit weird about them hitting the road so soon.
 
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