A few weeks after his 80th birthday, The Who frontman Roger Daltrey shared his feelings about growing old — and acknowledged his own mortality.
The rock star, who turned the big 8-0 on March 1, wrote about the topic in depth in a first-person essay with The Times, while also talking about his decision to step down as the curator of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) charity concerts after 24 years.
This year’s concert featured a rendition of “Baba O’Riley” performed by Daltrey, along with Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant as well as Eddie Vedder.
“I have to be realistic,” Daltrey wrote in the piece. “The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that, but we need someone else to drive things.”
Daltrey also explained how he began feeling nervous before recent concerts, admitting he’s worried “about how many words” he has to remember and sing.
“We haven’t done anything for seven months and this winter’s been brutal,” the “Won’t Get Fooled Again” singer wrote. “I’ve been in hibernation. For the whole of January, I lost my voice completely.”
“I live like a monk and if I went on tour for a week I’d be fit as a butcher’s dog again,” Daltrey added. “But tonight, for the first time in my career, I think, ‘Blimey, this is hard.’”
However, Daltrey will still be performing in June in a series of intimate concerts featuring classic tunes from The Who as well as his solo material. He will also participate in a few exclusive Q&A sessions for fans.
He has a show in Bethel, New York at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on June 16, followed by a show in Port Chester, New York at The Capitol Theatre on June 18.
Daltrey’s essay comes weeks after fellow bandmate and guitarist Pete Townshend hinted that a final tour with the band before “crawling off to die” might be in the works, though he confessed in a recent interview with The New York Times that his desire to go on tour again was more so about the money than anything else.
“I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with The Who,” Townshend told The New York Times at the time, while promoting the revival of his rock opera “Tommy,” which is currently on Broadway. “If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”
More music coverage
- Legendary classic rock star hints at farewell tour before ‘crawling off to die’
- Legendary country music band’s member dies, played with icons for 40 years
- Guitarist for legendary classic rock band says he wasn’t actually fired
- Legendary classic rock singer calls it quits after 50 years
- Legendary rock star surprises Oscars, performs with Ryan Gosling for ‘I’m Just Ken’
Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram.