Emma Townshend
Encyclopedia
Emma Townshend is an English writer, journalist, musician and lecturer, and the elder daughter of The Who
's Pete Townshend
. She has taught courses since being a postgraduate at Cambridge in 1994, most recently for the Department of Continuing Education in Oxford.
Townshend also appears as a regular guest on radio and TV including the World Service, Woman's Hour
, A Hard Act to Follow
, and Newsnight
. Emma Townshend is the Independent on Sunday’s garden columnist and also writes for The Times
’ arts pages.
was the eldest son of jazz musician Cliff Townshend
and his wife Betty Dennis who sang with The Squadronaires
during World War II. Karen Astley was the daughter of composer Ted Astley, best known for TV themes for shows including The Saint
, and his wife Hazel Balbirnie, and also sister of record producer Jon Astley
and singer/songwriter Virginia Astley
. The couple met while attending Ealing School of Art and married in 1968. Emma has one sister, Aminta (b. 1971), and a brother, Joseph (b. 1989).
Of Townshend's four grandparents, three were professional musicians, all of whom had been in armed forces entertainment during the war. Emma's father Pete Townshend was the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of the rock band The Who
.
Emma studied history at King's College, Cambridge
then specialised in history of science, receiving a Masters from Imperial College, London. She then returned to Cambridge for a Ph.D. She has taught for Oxford University's Department of Continuing Education since 2000 and is also a Visiting Lecturer at City University, London
.
, a four-track EP by their aunt, singer-songwriter Virginia Astley. Emma also sang back-up on Pete Townshend's White City: A Novel
album released in 1985, and appeared in the film of the same title.
In 1985 Emma Townshend also performed as a guest vocalist at two London Brixton Academy charity concerts with the Deep End band including Pete Townshend and David Gilmour. These concerts were later released as the album Deep End Live!
Townshend's record deal with EastWest Records, part of the Warner Music Group
, extended from 1995-1998, and she released the album Winterland in 1998. The album was well received, garnering good reviews. Her song "We Can Fly Away" was the theme song in the 1999 made for TV movie The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
, which also featured The Who
's Roger Daltrey
in an acting role.
Appeared On:
Tracks Appeared On:
and The Observer
, and is The Independent
on Sunday’s gardening columnist. She maintains a blog for The Independent.
Emma Townshend participated in the AllLearn project, a consortium of Stanford, Yale and Oxford Universities. This was an ambitious online learning project which provided 110 high-quality enrichment courses from Oxford, Stanford, and Yale Universities to over 10,000 participants from seventy countries.
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
. She has taught courses since being a postgraduate at Cambridge in 1994, most recently for the Department of Continuing Education in Oxford.
Townshend also appears as a regular guest on radio and TV including the World Service, Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
, A Hard Act to Follow
A Hard Act to Follow
A Hard Act to Follow is an album by American country music singer Keith Whitley. It was released in October 1984 via RCA Records. The album includes the singles "Turn Me to Love" and "A Hard Act to Follow" and which respectively reached #59 and #76 on the U.S. country singles charts...
, and Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
. Emma Townshend is the Independent on Sunday’s garden columnist and also writes for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
’ arts pages.
Biography
Emma Townshend was the first child born to Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend and his wife Karen (née Astley) in 1969. Pete TownshendPete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
was the eldest son of jazz musician Cliff Townshend
Cliff Townshend
Clifford Blandford Townshend was an English jazz musician noted for playing the saxophone in The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, popularly known as The Squadronaires. He was described by acquaintances as a quiet man with a wry sense of humor. He also played clarinet in the band and was respected...
and his wife Betty Dennis who sang with The Squadronaires
The Squadronaires
The Squadronaires is a Royal Air Force band which began and performed in England during and after World War II. The official title of the band was 'The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra', but it was always known by the more popular title "The Squadronaires"....
during World War II. Karen Astley was the daughter of composer Ted Astley, best known for TV themes for shows including The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, and his wife Hazel Balbirnie, and also sister of record producer Jon Astley
Jon Astley
Jon Astley is a British record producer who also recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. His most commercially successful song was "Jane's Getting Serious", later popularized by a Heinz ketchup television commercial starring a pre-Friends cast member Matt...
and singer/songwriter Virginia Astley
Virginia Astley
Virginia Astley is an English singer-songwriter most active during the 1980s and 1990s. From the start of her songwriting career in 1980, Astley took her inspiration from many sources. Her classical training influenced her as did a desire to be experimental with her music...
. The couple met while attending Ealing School of Art and married in 1968. Emma has one sister, Aminta (b. 1971), and a brother, Joseph (b. 1989).
Of Townshend's four grandparents, three were professional musicians, all of whom had been in armed forces entertainment during the war. Emma's father Pete Townshend was the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of the rock band The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
.
Emma studied history at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
then specialised in history of science, receiving a Masters from Imperial College, London. She then returned to Cambridge for a Ph.D. She has taught for Oxford University's Department of Continuing Education since 2000 and is also a Visiting Lecturer at City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
.
Music career
In 1982 Emma and her sister Aminta made their professional music debut singing back-up on A Bao A QuA Bao A Qu (album)
A Bao A Qu is a 4 track 10" EP by singer-songwriter Virginia Astley.The selection of 4 songs indicated her preferences for poetic and classical sounds as 3 of the 4 songs had a direct connection.The sleeve art and script are credited to the artiste....
, a four-track EP by their aunt, singer-songwriter Virginia Astley. Emma also sang back-up on Pete Townshend's White City: A Novel
White City: A Novel
White City: A Novel is a solo concept album by Pete Townshend of The Who, released in 1985 on Atco.The title refers to a story that accompanies the album, and which takes place in a low-income housing estate in the West London area of White City, near where Townshend grew up...
album released in 1985, and appeared in the film of the same title.
In 1985 Emma Townshend also performed as a guest vocalist at two London Brixton Academy charity concerts with the Deep End band including Pete Townshend and David Gilmour. These concerts were later released as the album Deep End Live!
Deep End Live!
Deep End Live! is an album containing excerpts of the 1985 live performances by the Deep End band at the Brixton Academy in Great Britain. In addition to Townshend, the band included Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Simon Phillips, keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, harmonica player...
Townshend's record deal with EastWest Records, part of the Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
, extended from 1995-1998, and she released the album Winterland in 1998. The album was well received, garnering good reviews. Her song "We Can Fly Away" was the theme song in the 1999 made for TV movie The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns is a 1999 Hallmark Entertainment made-for-TV fantasy movie. It stars Randy Quaid, Colm Meaney, Kieran Culkin, Roger Daltrey, Caroline Carver and Whoopi Goldberg...
, which also featured The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
in an acting role.
Discography
Releases:- Five-A-Side-Football Remixes (Maxi) (2 versions), EastWest, 1998
- Five-A-Side-Football Remixes (CD, Maxi), EastWest, 1998
- Five-A-Side-Football (12", Promo), EastWest, 1998
- The Last Time I Saw Sadie (12", Promo), EastWest, 1998
- The Last Time I Saw Sadie (CD, Maxi), EastWest, 1998
- Winterland (CD, Album), EastWest, 1998
Appeared On:
- A Bao A QuA Bao A QuÁ Bao A Qu is a Malay legend described in Jorge Luis Borges's1967 Book of Imaginary Beings. Borges claimed that he had found the legend in thebook On Malay Witchcraft , by C.C. Iturvuru.The Á Bao A Qu lived in the Tower of Victory in Chitor...
(Single), "We Will Meet Them Again," Why Fi Records, 1982 - White City: A NovelWhite City: A NovelWhite City: A Novel is a solo concept album by Pete Townshend of The Who, released in 1985 on Atco.The title refers to a story that accompanies the album, and which takes place in a low-income housing estate in the West London area of White City, near where Townshend grew up...
(Album), ATCO RecordsAtco RecordsATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
, 1985 - White City: A Novel (CD, LP), ATCO Records, 1985
- White City: A Novel (CD, Album, RM, RE), Hip-O Records, 2006
- Pearl + Umbra (CD), "Canyon: Split Asunder," Bella Union, 1999
Tracks Appeared On:
- Platinum (2xCD), Five-a-Side Football, Warner Music UK 1998
Lecturing and writing career
Emma Townshend writes on general arts subjects for magazines and newspapers including The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, and is The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
on Sunday’s gardening columnist. She maintains a blog for The Independent.
Emma Townshend participated in the AllLearn project, a consortium of Stanford, Yale and Oxford Universities. This was an ambitious online learning project which provided 110 high-quality enrichment courses from Oxford, Stanford, and Yale Universities to over 10,000 participants from seventy countries.