Who announce that Spring 2005 will get their first studio album in 23 years (tentatively titled WHO2). Townshend continued working on the album, though, and published a novel entitled The Boy Who Heard Music on his blog. It developed into a mini-opera called Wire & Glass formed a new kernel for the Who album, and later a complete opera which Townshend presented at Vassar College.
Who performed on stage at the Live 8 concert in London in July 2005. WHO also inducted into the Hall of Fame Music UK this year. In 2006, The Who became the first recipient of the Freddie Mercury Lifetime Achievement in Music Live at the Vodafone Music Awards. [3]
Endless Wire was released October 30, 2006 (Oct. 31 U.S.). This is the first full studio album of new material since 1982's Hard and It contains the first band of mini-opera since "Rael" in 1967 The Who Sell Out. Endless Wire debuted at # 7 on Billboard and # 9 on the UK chart albums. On the night of release (October 29), The Who made a part of the mini opera and several live tracks from the new album as an act of closure for the BBC Electric Proms at the Roundhouse in London.
Before the album, and support it, The Who begin their tour in 2006-2007. The event which was released on CD and DVD as part of the Encore series 2006 and 2007. Starkey was invited to join the Oasis in April 2006, and WHO in November 2006, but he refused, choosing to divide his time between the two. On June 24, 2007, the top bill at Glastonbury Festival.
