When iconic guitarist for The Who, Pete Townshend, turned 83 this week, there was another legendary rocker waiting to welcome him to his ninth decade on the planet: 83-year-old Bob Dylan.
Dylan took to X to wish his fellow Grammy winner a happy birthday on Monday, May 19, writing, “Happy birthday Pete. Who’s the new boss? Is he like the old boss? Have you met him yet? Say hello to Roger.”
As fans the world over know, Dylan’s message was a witty reference to the iconic Who song “Won’t Get Fooled Again” — written by Townshend — which features Roger Daltrey singing the lyrics, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
Happy birthday Pete. Who’s the new boss? Is he like the old boss? Have you met him yet? Say hello to Roger.
— Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) May 19, 2025
Music lovers knew exactly what Dylan was talking about, with one person quoting “The Seeker,” a song by The Who that name-checks the “Like a Rolling Stone” singer:
“I asked Bobby Dylan, I asked the Beatles, I asked Timothy Leary, but he could not help me either.”
Another fan shared a pic of Townshend and Dylan posing from what appeared to be the ’80s writing: “Fashion icons.”
Fashion icons. pic.twitter.com/NUGBGCj1bJ
— weisser (@julianweisser) May 19, 2025
Townshend and Dylan have praised each other’s talents over the years, with Townshend even crediting Dylan for helping to inspire the classic Who song “My Generation.”
“(He) definitely created a new style of writing,” Townshend said, per Far Out Magazine. “Dylan was the one who I think got the message across to The Beatles. (That) was that you can write songs about subjects other than falling in love.”
Related: Bob Dylan, 83, Kicks Off Tour With Iconic Cover Fans Are Calling ‘Wonderful’
