If you are a dedicated bass-head, you know exactly who The Ox is. John Entwistle, long-time bassist for The Who, earned this nickname by by being the strong, mostly silent, party guy. He could out eat and drink most of the guys on the scene, among other things. John also became known as “Thunderfingers,” because of how he calmly stood still on stage while his fingers plucked the bejesus out of the bass strings.
Unfortunately, The Ox lost during his last great round and died June 27, 2002, the day before The Who’s first show of their 2002 tour. That day the world lost an incredible musician. Not only did John pioneer a new way to play the bass, and help create an iconic on-stage sound, he was an accomplished trumpet, french horn and piano player.
I love to watch this video, recorded two years before John’s death. While the quality is not top-notch, it gives the viewer a unique, bird’s eye view of those “Thunderfingers” and all the different techniques he used to create his sound.
Tags: bass solo, bass-head, John Entwistle, The Ox, The Who
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