The Who Memorabilia

After spending brief periods of time as The Detours and the High Numbers, London rock band The Who emerged in 1964, consisting of four members: Pete Townshend on guitar, Roger Daltrey with vocals, John Entwistle on bass, and Keith Moon on drums. Known for their rock operas and trailblazing sound, The Who was one of the first musical groups to use a synthesizer.

On stage, Townshend and Moon gained appeal over their almost trademark instrument smashing and performance antics. The group has sold over 100 million records, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Unfortunately, The Who lost Moon to a drug overdose in 1978, and Entwistle to a drug-fueled heart attack in 2002.

The Who memorabilia continues to increase in value, and items exclusive to Moon and Entwistle are becoming rare finds. Additionally, material related to the group’s time spent as The Detours and the High Numbers is coveted. Untouchable for most collectors, Townshend’s early guitars are selling at high prices at auction.

Quick Facts

• In 2014, The Who asked the public for help locating memorabilia to use during their 50th anniversary tour. Any items used would receive credit on the group’s next music release
• Pete Townshend has always liked Gibson guitars, and donated one of his favorites, a J-200, to Cleveland Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993
• It’s been said that the Muppets character “Animal” was inspired by drummer Keith Moon, but no specific evidence exists to support the popular theory