The John Entwistle Foundation. John's Bio

John Entwistle, the bass guitarist of The Who, died in 2002. In the years that followed, a charitable organisation was set up in his name: the John Entwistle Foundation. This site is an independent, informational summary of how that foundation described itself in archived web pages from roughly 2003 to 2012. It is not the foundation’s own website, and nothing here asks for donations or offers a way to contact the organisation.

Purpose as described in the archive

The foundation’s main stated aim was music education for children from underserved backgrounds. It talked about providing instruments and lessons at no cost, working through public libraries and, later, children’s hospitals. Its leaders said the work was meant to continue the generosity that Entwistle himself had shown to charities during his lifetime.

Alongside that core goal, the archive records disaster-relief efforts. Benefit concerts were organised after the storms of 2004 and 2005, and the foundation mentioned gifts to relief funds. The guiding principle repeated across the pages is that if the organisation could help, it should.

A short timeline from the pages

2003: The foundation invited supporters to follow its plans for events such as concerts, auctions and dinners.
2004: Benefit evenings with silent auctions took place in New York, and a recorded concert was prepared for broadcast on a high-definition channel.
2005: The archive describes a year of strong growth driven by concerts and auctions.
2007: A touring show called Classic Rock Cares was launched, with musicians from AC/DC and other well-known bands.
2008: A two-day benefit festival in North Carolina was announced, and the foundation spoke of expanding into children’s hospitals.
2009: An art and memorabilia exhibition was planned in Fort Myers, Florida.

Where to read more

Event information on these pages is historical. Dates, line-ups and programmes are recorded as they were published at the time and may no longer apply.