The Who's keyboardist bows out of tour
Pete Townshend has announced on his official website (petetownshend.co.uk) that the Who's longtime keyboard player John "Rabbit" Bundrick will be sitting out the band's upcoming U.S. dates to care for his seriously ill wife, Sue. Townshend posted that, "Rabbit cannot leave her at such a time, so we are going to continue the tour without him, but we will not replace him. We have some keyboard players in our team who will cover where necessary, but no one can play rock piano and Hammond (organ) like Rabbit and I will miss his many moments of stratospheric brilliance."
He added that, "His playing at our last show... here in London on Sunday (October 29th) was especially beautiful, I thought. Of course Sue was on his mind, and when Roger (Daltrey) sang 'See Me, Feel Me' from Tommy, Rabbit's accompaniment was as loving, gentle and sympathetic as I've ever heard it arranged and played."
Townshend closed by saying: "More news about Sue and Rabbit will be posted here and on other Who websites throughout the tour. Prayers and positive thoughts please for Sue, Rabbit and Sue's family and friends."
There has been no word as to when Bundrick will rejoin the band, but Townshend expressed that Sue's unnamed condition was terminal.
The Texas-born Bundrick first started playing with Townshend in 1976, and was officially added to the Who's live lineup in 1979 along with the late Keith Moon's replacement, drummer Kenney Jones. Although he sat out their 1982 "Farewell" tour, with a few exceptions Bundrick has been on hand at nearly every live Who gig over the past 20 years.
Apart from his Who associations, Bundrick performed on Johnny Nash's 1972 Number One hit "I Can See Clearly Now," and on the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Who released their album Endless Wire yesterday (October 31st). The collection marks the band's first all-new studio set since 1982's It's Hard.
The Who will kick off their next set of U.S. dates on Saturday (November 4th), at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. Their 22-date U.S. leg wraps up on December 11th in Columbus, Ohio.
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He added that, "His playing at our last show... here in London on Sunday (October 29th) was especially beautiful, I thought. Of course Sue was on his mind, and when Roger (Daltrey) sang 'See Me, Feel Me' from Tommy, Rabbit's accompaniment was as loving, gentle and sympathetic as I've ever heard it arranged and played."
Townshend closed by saying: "More news about Sue and Rabbit will be posted here and on other Who websites throughout the tour. Prayers and positive thoughts please for Sue, Rabbit and Sue's family and friends."
There has been no word as to when Bundrick will rejoin the band, but Townshend expressed that Sue's unnamed condition was terminal.
The Texas-born Bundrick first started playing with Townshend in 1976, and was officially added to the Who's live lineup in 1979 along with the late Keith Moon's replacement, drummer Kenney Jones. Although he sat out their 1982 "Farewell" tour, with a few exceptions Bundrick has been on hand at nearly every live Who gig over the past 20 years.
Apart from his Who associations, Bundrick performed on Johnny Nash's 1972 Number One hit "I Can See Clearly Now," and on the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Who released their album Endless Wire yesterday (October 31st). The collection marks the band's first all-new studio set since 1982's It's Hard.
The Who will kick off their next set of U.S. dates on Saturday (November 4th), at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. Their 22-date U.S. leg wraps up on December 11th in Columbus, Ohio.
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