Robert "Fuzz" Townshend

"Fuzz" Townshend
Fuzz Townshend in 2015
Born	John Richard Keith Townshend (1964-07-31) 31 July 1964 (age 53)
Other names	Fuzz
Occupation	Presenter, journalist, mechanic, musician
Employer	Practical Classics, Channel4 National Geographic Channel & More4)
Agent	AV-PR Public Relations and Business Consultancy
Known for	Drummer in various bands, solo musician, editorials in Practical Classics Magazine and TV Presenter on Car SOS
Television	Car SOS

John Richard Keith "Fuzz" Townshend (born 31 July 1964) is a British drummer, TV presenter of National Geographic Channel's Car SOS, also shown on Channel 4/More4, motoring journalist (writing, among others, for Classic Car Weekly), former technical editor of Practical Classics, and mechanic. He is also Honorary President of the Triumph Sports Six Club.

Townshend's Afro hair was unique in his junior school and so, at seven years of age, his school chums renamed him Fuzz.

His mother won a Vauxhall Chevette in a national newspaper competition when he was ten; Having never learned to drive, she instead opted to take the prize in cash, buying him a drum kit from the prize money. After taking lessons from local jazz musician Al Reed, Townshend's stage debut was made in March 1977, aged just 12. By the end of the 1970s, Townshend had graduated to playing in club and college bands.

Townshend started an apprenticeship with the local bus company, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, Fuzz worked on buses at the PTE's Dudley garage. During his time at Dudley, he recorded his first two John Peel Sessions for BBC Radio 1 and released his first single which made its way into the NME indie charts.

He joined former Beat singer, Ranking Roger and his band General Public, which later toured the USA under the guise of 'Ranking Roger'. Local indie band, Pop Will Eat Itself noticed him drumming with local acts and asked him to join. Townshend spent the next four and a half years drumming for the band, during which time they had successes in both the UK single and album charts and toured North America with Nine Inch Nails. Townshend started playing drums for the dance music outfit, Bentley Rhythm Ace.