Performing at a charity concert in London, the 81-year-old rocker spoke to the crowd about the ailments that come with aging.
Roger Daltrey, best known as lead vocalist for The Who, has given an unexpected health update, telling fans he’s losing his sight and hearing.
During a
concert at Royal Albert Hall in London over the weekend, the 81-year-old opened up about his ailments, which all started with aging.
“The joys of getting old mean you go deaf. I also now have got the joy of going blind,” he
told the crowd.
“Fortunately I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” he continued, referencing Tommy Walker, the fictional title character of The Who’s 1969 rock opera about a “deaf, dumb, and blind” pinball champion.
The English musician—famous for singing the line “Hope I die before I get old” in The Who’s 1965 hit “My Generation”—was performing alongside the band’s guitarist and main songwriter, Pete Townshend, as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust
event.The organization is
dedicated to supporting young cancer patients, specifically ages 13 to 24, by providing staff and facilities to aid in every step of their treatment.
Daltrey is an honorary patron of the charity and has served as curator of its events since it launched in 2000.
The 79-year-old Townshend also disclosed his own health status during the concert, noting he was recovering from a knee replacement after injuring it while dancing.
“Four and a half weeks ago, I had my left knee replaced,” he told the audience.
Speaking
with The Times in January 2024, Daltrey said he understands the challenges of continuing to perform at an old age and has come to terms with aging.
“My dreams came true so, listen, I’m ready to go at any time. My family are all great and all taken care of,” he
told the publication.
“You’ve got to be realistic. You can’t live your life forever. Like I said, people my age, we’re in the way. There are no guitar strings to be changed on this old instrument.”
Two years ago, the duo hinted a retirement could be in their future, with Townshend
telling The Sun at the time that they’re “both old.”
“It’s difficult to make a decision going forward, to say we’re going to do this or that, because we don’t know how well we’re going to be or how fit we’re going to be,” he
said.
“That in itself has a downside because, apart from what you can or can’t do on the stage, when you finish touring you come back to normal life—whatever it is that you decide to do to fill your time away from the road—and it’s harder and takes longer.”
The band rose to prominence in the mid-1960s, and consisted of lead vocalist Daltrey, guitarist Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon.
As the last surviving original members of The Who, Daltrey and Townshend have performed together for the past six decades.
The band released 12 studio
albums, and over 40
singles and EP’s, which included hits “I Can See for Miles,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Baba O’Riley,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
In 2024, Daltrey embarked on a solo venture by performing his own work along with the band’s greatest hits.
He will continue to
tour abroad through August of this year, with The Who also set to take the stage in Italy in July.
