Simon Townshend
Guitar, Mandolin, Backing Vocals
Simon Townshend is straight from the lineage of one of British music’s most famous families, a familiar name but with an original sound. The son of England’s top big-band reed man and baby brother of Who legend Pete Townshend, Simon has been recording and performing since the age of nine, when he was recruited to add vocals to The Who classic Tommy. On his own Stir Music Label, Simon has released eight well-received solo CDs and one with the band Casbah Club (featuring Bruce Foxton/The Jam & Mark Brzezicki/Big Country). In 2014, Simon released his recent album Denial, containing some of his most personal and inspirational work to date. In addition to his own music, Simon has been guitarist and vocalist in The Who since 1996, playing sold out tours around the world, including monumental performances at the 2010 Super Bowl and the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics. He was referred to by one U.S. newspaper as The Who’s “secret weapon.” In 2019, Simon’s composition ‘Break The News’ was chosen as one of the tracks on The Who’s new studio album WHO.ZAK STARKEY
Drums
Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, is the rightful heir to the drum stool of his godfather Keith Moon who Zak knew when growing up as ‘Uncle Keith’. Zak’s father only ever gave him one drum lesson in his life in an attempt to discourage his son from a career in rock’n’roll but it was Zak’s Uncle Keith who bought him his first drum kit at the age of eight. By ten Zak was teaching himself to play the drums and by the age of twelve he was playing in pubs in a band called The Next. Gigs then followed with the Spencer Davis Band, The Icicle Works, Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band and recording with The Who’s John Entwistle on his solo album The Rock. By the mid-90s Zak had started playing for Roger Daltrey on his Daltrey Sings Townshend Tour followed in 1996 by drumming for The Who on their Quadrophenia Tour. In 2004 Zak was in the drum seat for Oasis – not taking up a permanent position with the band even though he was invited to. He has recorded with Johnny Marr, The Lightning Seeds, The Hollywood Vampires, Joe Perry, Paul Weller and Graham Coxon and on both Don’t Believe The Truth and Dig Out Your Soul albums for Oasis. Following The Who’s tour of 2007/8 Zak has become the ‘unofficial’ official drummer for the band, performing with them at the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, FL, the 2012 Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games, the 2013 Quadrophenia & More tour, The Who Hits 50! tour and The Who 2017 tour of North and South America. And when he’s not touring with The Who he’s playing guitar in his own band SSHH.LOREN GOLD
Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Loren Gold is a Los Angeles-based keyboard player, music director, and songwriter. Raised in Palo Alto, California, he has toured extensively since 2000 with various recording artists. Gold has been the touring keyboardist and vocalist for Roger Daltrey since 2009, and in 2012 began touring with The Who. In addition to The Who, Loren continues to work with Roger Daltrey, and Kenny Loggins, and serves as Musical Director and consultant for younger artists such as Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Other artists include: Natalie Maines, Mandy Moore, Melissa Etheridge, American Idol, Jordin Sparks (Consultant), Taylor Hicks (Musical Director), Demi Lovato (Musical Director), Selena Gomez (Musical Director), Hilary Duff (Musical Director). Film and TV work include HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210. Live TV: The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, Ellen, The Late Show, MTV, Early Show, Martha Stewart, Dr Phil, Carson Daly, American Music Awards, Billboard AwardsJON BUTTON
Bass
Jon Button grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska playing bass with the school orchestra starting in 3rd grade and joining the jazz band in 7th grade. He studied Jazz performance at University of North Texas, then moved to Los Angeles is 1994. Since then Jon has toured with many major artists including Roger Daltrey, Sheryl Crow, Robben Ford and Shakira. He also has played on recording sessions for albums from artists such as James Blunt, Shelby Lynn, and American Idol winner Caleb Johnson, as well as major movies and television shows including the Emmy winning score for the Batman and Beyond animated series.BILLY NICHOLLS
Backing vocals
Billy is a successful singer/songwriter whose songs have been recorded by many well-known artists including Del Shannon, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Leo Sayer, Long John Baldry, The Babies, The Outlaws, Justin Hayward, Kiki Dee, Marilyn Martin, Little Angels, Phil Manzanera, Ruby Turner, The Chieftains, Phil Collins, Keith Urban and Morgan Nicholls. His composition “‘Can’t Stop Loving You’ was a worldwide hit for both Leo Sayer and Phil Collins. The film McVicar starring Roger Daltrey featured four of Billy’s songs. Pete Townshend included Billy’s song ‘Forever’s No Time At All’ on his solo project Who Came First. He also contributed several songs for Pete’s Psychoderelict album. Billy has sung backing vocals for many artist including The Small Faces, The Nice, The Who, Asia, Phil Manzanera, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Dave Gilmour, John Ilsley, Lulu, Ronnie Wood, Ronnie Lane, The Chieftains, Ian Drury, Jack Bruce, Michael Schenker, Lou Reed, Sinead O’Connor, Justin Hayward and Eddy Vedder. He’s appeared on stage with many of these artists; including Pete and Roger’s individual concerts. More recently he has been performing in the UK with ‘Slim Chance’ originally Ronnie Lane’s band. Setting up his own label ‘Southwest Records’ in 1998; Billy re-mastered all of his previous albums and has continued to release new works via his website.
KEITH LEVENSON
Music Co-ordinator/Conductor
Keith Levenson first heard The Who’s Quadrophenia as a teenager living in London with his mother who brought him the album and it “forever changed” his life. His mission was someday to be able to see The Who perform live. Seven years later he went to Madison Square Garden and witnessed the best concert he would ever see and he pursued a career in music. Fast forward to 1994, a conductor friend of Keith’s had to drop out of the Daltrey Sings Townshend summer tour. Keith was hired and picked up a baton without ever meeting Daltrey prior to the first rehearsal. Keith went on to conduct more symphony tours with Daltrey including the British Rock Symphony and The Wizard of Oz at Lincoln Center, where Daltrey played the Tin Man. Keith Levenson has conducted and created arrangements for KISS, Meatloaf, Alice Cooper, Yes, The British Rock Symphony, Peter Frampton, Paul Rodgers, Darlene Love and Nigel Kennedy among many others. As a Broadway /National Tour Music Director/Supervisor, Keith has conducted the play Annie with Nell Carter and Sally Struthers, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Ann Margret, Jason Robert Brown’s The Bridges of Madison County, Franco Dragone’s India!, Grease, Peter and Pan with Cathy Rigby and countless others. Keith recently co-produced and conducted the 50th anniversary album of The Who’s Tommy which was released in summer 2019. As Coordinator and Conductor of The Who Moving On! tour he says, “What a long strange trip it’s been since listening to that vinyl record in my mother’s flat in London!”
KATIE JACOBY
Concert Master/Librarian
Katie Jacoby, born and raised in Hockessin, Delaware, is a New York City-based electric and acoustic violinist. She is a founding member of the gypsy jazz group The Showdown Kids, an acoustic trio that combines an inventive repertoire and conversational interplay, while capturing the spirited sound of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. She is also a member of the Ed Palermo Big Band, which is known for its dizzying and innovative arrangements of Frank Zappa’s music. Katie began classical violin studies at the age of six and immersed herself in other genres after discovering rock and roll in junior high. She has toured, recorded, and/or performed with a diverse group of musicians including Foreigner, Debbie Harry, Miley Cyrus, Liam Gallagher, Jon Anderson (Yes), Peter Criss (KISS), John Wetton (King Crimson), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Philip Glass, Dua Lipa, Troye Sivan, Mark Ronson, Josh Groban, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rob Thomas, and multiple winners of American Idol. Some of her television credits include Saturday Night Live, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Mozart in the Jungle, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the America’s Got Talent backing band, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Today Show. After joining Roger Daltrey on his 2018 orchestral tour of Tommy, she was elated to receive an invitation to join The Who for their Moving On! tour. Her self-titled debut EP is now available.
AUDREY Q. SNYDER
Principal Cello/Assistant Librarian
Audrey Q. Snyder is a cellist in Chicago, Illinois. She is an advocate of contemporary instrumental music, having collaborated with members of Ensemble Signal, Ensemble Dal Niente, and others. Snyder is a core member of the Chicago-based Zafa Collective, a new music group founded with the idea of inclusivity (both in programming and performance) at its core; with the collective she has performed at Constellation, Poetry Foundation, Fulton Street Collective, and others. As a pop and rock musician, Miss Snyder has performed several times with folk artist Emily Mure at venues including Club Passim, Rockwood Music Hall, and The Living Room, and can be heard on Emily’s 2017 album Worth. Audrey also released a selection of her own songs (under the name Audrey Q) on Melodie EP in June 2015, and a second EP, Restless Lady, in November 2017. As a theatre musician, she has played in professional productions of The Lion King, Mary Poppins, The Bridges of Madison County (locally and on tour), Oklahoma!, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Most recently, Audrey has subbed regularly on Hamilton: An American Musical in Chicago. Audrey holds a Batchelor of Music and Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Alan Harris.