Seven years before joining AC/DC, singer Brian Johnson said a gesture from Roger Daltrey of The Who helped him keep on course.
The two of them met when Johnson and his previous band, Geordie, performed on Top of the Pops back in 1973. Daltrey was also on the show to perform his debut solo single "Giving It All Away."
In his memoir, The Lives of Brian, Johnson wrote that during a backstage conversation, Daltrey invited him to his home in the English countryside. Johnson accepted the invitation and Daltrey played him the Quadrophenia album, which The Who were working on at the time, and, then after lunch, Daltrey explained why he invited Johnson.
Roger said, "You told me that you were living in a filthy flat in Hackney," he said. "Well, me and the missus went through all of that. So, I wanted to bring you here and show you what you can do if you stick at it, because there's really no easy way — and if our paths never cross again, I just want to say that I really hope everything works out for you...The secret is, don't give up. Never give up."
Johnson said he "clung on to" that advice, "never giving up hope, even after my 30s crept up on me and kidnapped my 20s – even after I had to give up being a musician and get a 'real job' again."
Johnson also said he and Daltrey remain friends. The Lives of Brian will be published today.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]