The Origin Of The Who’s Band Name

At a time when rock bands flourished in any given circuit, part of their job was to think of a unique band name that would serve as a part of their identity. Naming your band with something cool should be the standard, but for some, it didn’t matter much; especially if your only intent is to release legendary music in your lifetime.

Among the many names in the name of the music industry’s most pleasing is The Who, who stormed the world with their rowdy personality and incredibly wonderful songs. The band, who first named themselves The Detours, were only getting started on their future endeavors as The Who, their legendary group. (Diazepam) But how did the band name change from “The Detours” to this well-known moniker?

In no time, the band rose to prominence and became one of the most talked-about acts in the industry. Unfortunately, they had to change their name after discovering that another performer by the name of Johnny Devlin had already trademarked their intended title (Johnny Devlin and the Detours). By the year 1964, Pete Townshend had to decide on a name best suited for the group.

After a restless night of casually bouncing name ideas off one another with his friend, Richard Barnes, the pair greeted the dawn with a list of potential new titles. There appeared to be a clear front-runners’ table consisting of No One, The Group, Hair, and (of course) The Who. Townshend then informed his bandmates about this, and decided to go with The Who; the rest is history.