Queen Honors Who's Daltrey

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Roger Daltrey, frontman of the Who, was among six Brits named Commanders of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on Friday.

Sixty-year-old Daltrey, who has been with the Who for more than four decades, is also a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, which helps teens gain access to age-appropriate cancer treatment. Thus far, the singer has raised more than $3.5 million for the group by organizing concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Other recipients of the CBE include British-born U.S. astronaut Michael Foale, the first Englishman to walk in space in 1995; children's book illustrator Quentin Blake (Roald Dahl's The BFG); actress Anna Massey (Peeping Tom, The Importance of Being Earnest; and pianist John Lil. Six were also named Officers of the Order of the British Empire, including Simon McBurney, director of the Theatre de Complicite, and actor Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom, The Full Monty).

Daltrey and legendary Who songwriter and guitarist Pete Townshend are currently at work on a new album, under the name Who2.

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

More Song Stories entries »

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