In the late 1980s, Steve “Boltz” Bolton of Atomic Rooster fame had his life turned upside down when Pete Townshend personally recruited him to play lead electric guitar on The Who's 1989 tour. As Bolton recalls, Townshend had been impressed by his talents when the Who, Atomic Rooster, and Mott the Hoople shared a stage in 1971. Prior to the 1989 tour, complications with tinnitus meant Townshend decided to pivot to playing acoustic guitar, with Bolton set to handle electric guitar duties. To protect Townshend's ears, Bolton experimented with a tiny five-watt amplifier, but soon reverted to what he knew best: a 100-watt Mesa/Boogie one-by-12 combo. (Image credit: Getty Images)“There's nothing, because I'm not playing, and he’s not playing,” Bolton says.