The Who’s Roger Daltrey recently opened up about the joys of aging—complete with a side of humor and a wink at Father Time.
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At a concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 27, part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust shows, the 81-year-old singer gave the audience a candid update about his health.
“The joys of getting old mean you go deaf. I also now have got the joy of going blind,” The Who frontman joked to the crowd, per Sky News. “Fortunately I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” Daltrey added. He is, of course, referring to the fictional character Tommy Walker—deaf, mute, and blind—featured in their 1969 rock opera Tommy.
Later in the show, Daltrey lightheartedly referred to having a “senior moment” after his voice cracked. Addressing the audience with humor, he said, “No apologies, I f—ed up.”
Roger Daltrey’s The Who Bandmate Pete Townshend Also Admitted to an Age-Related Ailment
Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist, 79, also owned up to an age-related ailment. “Four and a half weeks ago, I had my left knee replaced,” he said, per Sky News.
He explained that he accomplished it by dancing in the style of Mick Jagger… who is two years older than him.
Daltrey and Townshend, the last surviving original members of The Who, have been performing together for an incredible six decades.
Meanwhile, Daltrey is stepping down as the curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Royal Albert Hall concerts, a series he first launched in 2000. Despite this change, he will continue to serve as an honorary patron of the charity.
The trust has announced plans to collaborate with a series of guest curators, starting next year with Robert Smith of The Cure.
Roger Daltrey has often spoken openly about aging and mortality. In January 2024, he shared his thoughts on the subject during an interview with The Times. “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 explained to the outlet then.
“You’ve got to be realistic,” Daltrey admitted. “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.”