Happy Birthday to our esteemed Ambassador Pete Townshend, who turns 80 today. It was a privilege to welcome Pete very early on in the history of TBHEF, and the day was made perfect by having none other than James Burton himself present him with his Buddy Holly guitar. Since then it's been an honour to work to raise over $3m for the charities which Pete is a founding patron of, Teen Cancer America and Teenage Cancer Trust, and in the course of this we were grateful last year when both Pete and Roger Daltrey signed 559 copies of our new book Words of Love. They'll both be grateful to know we've no plans this year to ask them to do the same! Many happy returns, Pete Townshend! (fb)

A slightly belated birthday wish to our inimitable Ambassador and great British music and TV personality since the late 50s, Joe Brown. From early beginnings touring with Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, right through to having one of the most signature parts on our Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes record for Teen Cancer America and Teenage Cancer Trust last year, Joe has been delighting fans with his virtuoso playing for very nearly 70 years. A truly beloved figure in British music, it's fitting that he says of Buddy in our book Words of Love "I don't know anyone in the business who doesn't love him". Happy Birthday Joe! (fb)