John Entwistle

"John Entwistle was born on 9 October 1944 in Chiswick, a suburb of London. He was an only child and showed an early interest in music. He learned to play the piano, trumpet and French horn as a child, and joined a trad jazz band with his schoolmate Pete Townshend. He later switched to playing the bass guitar, inspired by the low tones of Duane Eddy. He made his own instrument at home and impressed Roger Daltrey, who invited him to join his band The Detours as a bassist. The Detours eventually changed their name to The Who and became one of the most influential and successful rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Entwistle was known for his virtuosic and innovative bass playing style, which used pentatonic lead lines and a treble-rich sound. He also contributed backing and occasional lead vocals to the band's songs, as well as writing some of their hits such as Boris the Spider, My Wife and The Quiet One. He was nicknamed The Ox, Thunderfingers, The Quiet One and Big Johnny Twinkle by his fans and bandmates. He was the only member of The Who with formal musical training and also played other instruments such as the French horn, trumpet, piano and Jew's harp. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Who in 1990. Besides his work with The Who, Entwistle also pursued a solo career and released several albums such as Smash Your Head Against the Wall, Rigor Mortis Sets In, Mad Dog and Too Late the Hero. He also collaborated with other artists such as Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Gov't Mule, Oasis and The Brian May Band. He was voted as the greatest bassist ever in a 2011 Rolling Stone readers' poll and ranked number three in its list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time in 2020. Entwistle died on 27 June 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 57. He had a heart attack induced by cocaine usage in his hotel room, where he was staying with a stripper he had met earlier that night. He had severe heart disease and high blood pressure, which were unknown to him and his family. His death came just one day before The Who were scheduled to start their US tour. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered on the grounds of his mansion Quarwood in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire. He is survived by his son Christopher Entwistle from his first marriage to Alison Wise."