People News

Pete Townshend was told to give up music

Oct 5, 2012, 8:01 GMT

Pete Townshend

Pete Townshend's father didn't think he'd ever make it as a musician.

The Who guitarist has sold almost 100 million albums with his band, and helped redefine British guitar pop in the 60s, but his father - also a musician - encouraged him to become a journalist instead, because he couldn't read music.

He told The Sun newspaper: 'Around the time of my [school exam] 11 Plus, my father didn't think I would ever be a musician because I couldn't read music.

'Although I was strumming around on my guitar, he felt I was hopeless and was encouraging me to write instead.'

However, the 67-year-old rocker wouldn't fancy his chances at making it now, as he feels it's much harder for the youth of today to get anywhere in the music business.

He explained: 'Today, we see kids who can't afford to leave home.

'When my flatmate, Barney, and I got thrown out of our flat, we didn't know how to wash up or pay the rent, but it wasn't that we didn't have the money.

'We were never there when the landlord came so we just didn't bother to pay.

'One day the locks were changed. Now, many young people can't even get on the ladder.'

Pete added he despairs at the modern world and feels there is too much moralising and invasion into people's private lives.

He said: 'I just can't believe the insanity of this f***ing society we live in, all the moral b******s. It's been taken too far.

'I think we're terrified. We're terrified for our children, for their future, for the environment.

'We're worried about fanatical organised religion, the way the internet is invading our lives, speed cameras, everything. It's reached a point where you just want to scream.'