Roger Daltrey, the lead singer of rock band The Who, has been awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to music in the New Year's Honours.
Daltrey became a rock icon singing with The Who
It is somewhat ironic that the man who once espoused "hope I die before I get old" in one of the most anti-establishment bands of the 1960s has become a Commander of the British Empire.
Daltrey, born on 1 March 1944 in Hammersmith, he was educated at London's Acton County Grammar School.
The Who, alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, were one of the most successful and influential British rock groups on the 1960s.
Formed in west London, the band - originally called The High Numbers - became synonymous with an angry new anti-establishment sound of youth, with Daltrey vocalising the lyrics of their incendiary guitarist Pete Townshend.
Alongside bass player John Entwistle and their madcap drummer Keith Moon, The Who had a clutch of hits from 1965 such as My Generation, Substitute, Baba O'Riley (Teenage Wasteland) and Can't Explain.
They became renowned for their incredibly loud live performances, which often resulted in the band destroying their instruments.
They played legendary live sets at festivals such as Woodstock in 1969 and the Isle of Wight in Britain in 1970.
The band entered the 1970s as one of the biggest bands in the world, branching out into ambitious rock operas such as Tommy, which saw Daltrey taking the lead role as the deaf and dumb hero.
The band continued to tour and release well-received records. After the death of drummer Moon in 1978, the band split in 1983, but have since reformed for sporadic tour dates. The long-serving Entwistle died in 2002.
Daltrey has wed twice - his marriage to first wife Jacqueline ended in 1968 after four years, and since 1971 he has been married to Heather Taylor. He has six children, five from his current marriage.
Aside from his work with The Who, who are recording a new record under the name Who2, Daltrey has been recognised for his services to charity.
He is patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, and has raised more than £2m for the charity by holding concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
A trust spokesperson said on Friday: "Roger is the most amazing spokesperson for the charity and has helped so many young people.
"He became involved with the Teenage Cancer Trust because a lot of The Who's success was down to teenagers supporting the band, and he wanted to give something back to them."