Who Are You: the life of Pete Townshend
 

My Amazing Journey
I began this project as a hobby back in 1997, partly to satisfy a long-standing urge to write, and partly to learn more about an artist who has been of great importance to me since my early teenage years.  The project grew in size as the years progressed, and I soon had a 700-page Microsoft Word document that I knew was quite thorough, but having written and re-written it so many times I had lost any objective approach as to whether the book had any true merit.  A chief problem with the book was that it contained very little first-hand information - a natural consequence of my nonexistent status in the world of music writers!

However, not wishing to let the book simply collect dust in my basement, I decided to post it online.  I began posting the book, entitled Amazing Journey: the life of Pete Townshend, on the web in February, 2005.  The positive feedback I began to receive - from not only Pete's fans, but also those who know/knew him personally - was quite overwhelming.  Some encouraged me to publish the work (which was admittedly difficult to read as an online document) in book form.  I soon found a perfect vehicle for this in Lulu, an on-demand publisher (www.lulu.com).  Suitably intimidated by the notion that my work would soon be printed, I spent six months revising and re-writing the book.  I also had to come up with a cover - Pete's webmaster Matt Kent had graciously allowed me to use a photo of Pete for my web site, but the resolution wasn't fine enough for a book cover.  I sent an email to Ross Halfin, not really expecting anything in return, and was therefore thrilled when he gave me permission to use one of his fabulous photos.

The printed Amazing Journey book - whittled down to a slender 647 pages! - became available in December 2005, and I promptly bought several copies to send to potential reviewers (in addition to sending copies to Matt Kent, Pete Townshend and Ross Halfin).  Over the next few months, the book received some very positive reviews in publications such as the Rocky Mountain News, and FMQB magazine.  I also received early support and encouragement from Pete's friend Martin Lewis, who hosts his own program on Sirius Satellite Radio, and Gary Moore, DJ with Los Angeles-based KLOS.  The book received more reviews as the year went on, including positive write-ups in Mojo magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Amazing Journey book is no longer available, having been retired in mid-December, 2007.

In late March 2006, I finally met Pete Townshend in London, the day before a Who fan's convention which I attended in Shepherd's Bush.  A letter I later sent to Pete, thanking him for taking the time to talk with me during our meeting, eventually led to his agreeing to an interview.  My interview with Pete took place in November, 2006.  This breakthrough led to my being able to secure more than a dozen additional interviews, which included Pete's brother Simon, and his brother-in-law and producer Jon Astley.  A rather strange methodology: write the book, then do the interviews!  During a research/interview trip to London in early 2007, I met with Chris Charlesworth, editor-in-chief of Omnibus Press (and an author/journalist/editor with a long Who pedigree).  By summer 2007, I had signed a contract with Omnibus Press, and was several months into a complete rewrite of the book, based on the wealth of new information I'd gathered during my interviews and continuing research.  Andy Neill, who co-wrote the exhaustive, fascinating Who chronicle Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, edited the book in late 2007.  In mid-2007 I tracked down fellow Who/PT fan (and that's an understatement!) Eddie Vedder and asked him if he'd like to write the foreword to the new edition.  I was thrilled when he accepted.  Eddie delivered the foreword in November.  The result of all this is the realization of a personal dream.  I hope that you find it worthwhile.

Mark Wilkerson, January, 2008