They both continued expanding and experimenting with their rigs, until they were both using twin stacks with new experimental prototype 200 watt amps, at a time when most bands used 50–100 watt amplifiers with single cabinets. Townshend later remarked that Entwistle started using Marshall amplification to hear himself over Moon's rapid-fire drumming style, and Townshend himself also had to use them just to be heard over Entwistle. Entwistle was one of the first to make use of Marshall stacks in an attempt to hear himself over the noise of his band members, who famously leapt and moved about on the stage, with Townshend and Keith Moon smashing their instruments on numerous occasions (Moon even used explosives in his drum kit during one television performance on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour). Bill Wyman, bass guitarist for the Rolling Stones, described him as "the quietest man in private but the loudest man on stage". He was also later nicknamed "Thunderfingers". He was nicknamed "The Ox" because of his strong constitution and seeming ability to "eat, drink or do more than the rest of them". Įntwistle picked up two nicknames during his career as a musician. It also housed one of the largest guitar collections belonging to any rock musician. His eccentricity and taste for the bizarre was to remain with him throughout his life, and when he finally moved out of the city in 1978, to Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire, his 17-bedroom mansion, Quarwood, resembled a museum. In 1967, Entwistle married his childhood sweetheart Alison Wise and bought a large semi-detached home in Stanmore, London, filling it with all sorts of extraordinary artifacts, ranging from suits of armour to a tarantula spider. Īround 1963, Entwistle played in a London band called the Initials for a short while the band broke up when a planned resident engagement in Spain fell through. When the band decided that the blond Daltrey needed to stand out more from the others, Entwistle dyed his naturally light brown hair black, and it remained so until the early 1980s. The band considered several changes of name, finally settling on the name the Who while Entwistle was still working as a tax clerk (temporarily performing as the High Numbers for four months in 1964). Daltrey relinquished the role of guitarist to Townshend in 1963, instead becoming frontman and lead singer. Eventually, Roger Daltrey fired all the members of his band with the exception of Entwistle, Townshend and the drummer Doug Sandom, a semi-pro player who was several years older than the others. Career The Who Īfter joining the Detours, Entwistle played a major role in encouraging Pete Townshend's budding talent on the guitar, and insisting that Townshend be admitted into the band as well. Daltrey was aware of Entwistle from school, and asked him to join as a bass guitarist for his band, the Detours. He made his own instrument at home, and soon attracted the attention of Roger Daltrey, who had been the year above Entwistle at Acton County, but had since left to work in sheet metal. Entwistle, in particular, was having difficulty hearing his trumpet with rock bands, and decided to switch to playing guitar, but due to his large fingers, and also his fondness for the low guitar tones of Duane Eddy, he decided to take up the bass guitar instead. The group only played one gig together, before they decided that rock and roll was a more attractive prospect. He met Pete Townshend in the second year of school, and the two formed a trad jazz band, the Confederates.
He did not enjoy the experience and after joining Acton County Grammar School aged 11, switched to the trumpet, moving to the French horn when he joined the Middlesex Schools Symphony Orchestra. His musical career began aged 7, when he started taking piano lessons. Divorce was uncommon in the 1940s, and this contributed to Entwistle becoming reserved and socialising little. His parents' marriage failed soon after he was born, and he was mostly raised by his mother at his grandparents' house in South Acton.
His father, Herbert, who died in 2003, played the trumpet and his mother, Maud (née Lee) (29 November 1922 – 4 March 2011), played the piano.
John Alec Entwistle was born on 9 October 1944 in Chiswick, England, which is now part of London.