Who bassist John Entwistle found dead

[james.sigel@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

From: Jim in Colo Spgs

I am sad.  Very sad...

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Who bassist John Entwistle found dead 
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By Ken Ritter
Associated Press Writer

June 27, 2002, 6:03 PM CDT

LAS VEGAS -- John Entwistle, the bassist for the rock band The Who, was found dead Thursday in his hotel room, according to officials with MCA Records officials and the Clark County Coroner's Office.

Entwistle, 57, stood out because he played without emotion, a stark contrast to the antics of lead guitarist Pete Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey.

Entwistle died of a heart attack -- "nothing suspicious," Clark County fire spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

Robert Rosenberg, manager of The Who, said he was "saddened and shocked" by news of Entwistle's death. The group was about to start a U.S. tour on Friday that included an Aug. 24 concert at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park.

The group, which was founded in the early 1960s and part of the British rock invasion, were the voice of a new breed. Their concerts were literally explosive -- a fusion of audacious acrobatics, martial precision and high octane rock 'n' roll that blew away audiences and left the stage and their instruments a smoldering wreck.

Their albums between 1965 and 1982 included ``My Generation,'' ``Happy Jack,'' ``The Who Sell Out,'' ``On Tour: Magic Bus,'' ``Live at Leeds,'' ``Who's Next,'' ``Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy,'' ``Quadrophenia,'' ``Odds and Sods,'' ``The Who by Numbers,'' ``Who Are You,'' ``The Kids Are Alright,'' ``Face Dances,'' and ``It's Hard.''

They also made the groundbreaking rock opera film, ``Tommy,'' starring Ann-Margret, in 1975.

The group wild exploits were legendary. During a concert at the Rikki Tik Club in England in May 1966, Townshend smacked Entwistle in the head with his guitar; a year later, drummer Keith Moon, at the close of the band's performance on ``The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,'' detonated a flash bomb that destroyed his drum set, stunned guests and damaged Townshend's ears.

Moon -- the band's original drummer -- lived life on the edge, right up until his untimely death in 1978 in his London apartment at age 31 from an overdose.

The remaining members of the band retired in 1982 after a concert in Toronto, but they reunited and had toured frequently in recent years. They gave a rousing performance at last year's ``Concert for New York,'' which raised funds for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. 
Copyright (c) 2002, Chicago Tribune


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