‘The Who in America 1967-69’ Book Coming From Tour Photographer

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A new book that covers The Who’s first tours of North America is coming from an insider. Their Generation: The Who in America 1967-69 is from Tom Wright, who served as the band’s official tour photographer and tour manager during those pivotal years. The book arrives May 6, 2025, via Omnibus Press. It’s available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here (where it’ll be published on May 1).

From the publisher’s announcement: Wright first met Pete Townshend at Ealing Art School in the early 60s. He became The Who’s official tour photographer and manager from 1967 in the U.S., also managing the Grande Ballroom in Detroit where The Who’s rock opera Tommy premiered. He was much more than the band’s photographer, he was a friend and photographed them right up to their [initial] farewell tour in 1991. Wright’s vast record collection and musical influences had a big impact on the band in their early years.

Their Generation focuses on the band’s hugely creative time with explosive performances both on and off stage, the time of their U.S. hit “I Can See for Miles” and much more.

Through the fabulous photographs, many of which have never been seen before, we see the band backstage, onstage, on tour, at rehearsal, at ease, in studio, at home. Wright’s photos will be accompanied by extended captions providing background details of the time, the people and the places, written by Andy Neill.

Says Townshend, who wrote the foreword, “One thing is certain, had I not met Tom Wright, The Who would never have become successful.”

Cameron Crowe offers this pre-publication quote about the book: “Tom Wright’s intimate collection of photography of The Who in the sixties is as passionate and potent as the band itself. That’s no small accomplishment. Wright’s work here is a study in sound, fury and heart. In these images, you can feel all the combustible energy and camaraderie that still make The Who one of the greatest bands… if not THE greatest… ever. Clearly Wright was given the kind of access a documentarian dreams of. He was invited into the eye of the hurricane, and knew exactly where to point the camera. The early explosions of the band onstage, as well as the unique off-stage chemistry and personal charisma of Townshend, Daltrey, Entwistle and Moon is all thrillingly present in this bounty of mostly unseen photography. Soak it up, peek behind the curtain. Feel the music and feel the birth and rocket-like trajectory of all that was to come. Long Live Rock! Long Live The Who!”

Wright also toured with the Rolling Stones, Faces, the James Gang, Elvis Costello, Eagles and many more, documenting their performances and life on the road. He died in 2022. Neill has written extensively about popular music, is the author of Had Me A Real Good Time: Faces Before During & After, and has regularly contributed to Record Collector and Mojo.