The Who’s Roger Daltrey admits he’s “on the way out”
The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has candidly elaborated on his reasons for standing down as the curator of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall, claiming he’s “on the way out”.
Over recent months, Daltrey has talked extensively about reaching the latter stages of his career and spoke with honesty about it potentially coming to an end in the near future. While The Who frontman, thankfully, is still in good health, he’s acutely aware of how quickly that could change hence why he’s stepping back from Teenage Cancer Trust duties.
At the recent set of Royal Albert Hall gigs, Daltrey performed with The Who and as a solo artist on a star-studded bill, which also included Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller.
Now, speaking to The Times, Daltrey stated: “I have to be realistic. I’m on my way out. The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that, but we need someone else to drive things.”
While he will still be a visible presence within Teenage Cancer Trust, Daltrey’s role will change going forward. He explained: “I’m not leaving TCT – I’ve been a patron since I first met the charity’s founders, Dr Adrian and Myrna Whiteson, more than 30 years ago – and that will continue, but I’ll be working in the back room, talking to the government, rattling cages.”
Additionally, Daltrey revealed how his preparations for the recent Teenage Cancer Trust shows were marred by a difficult winter, stating, “We haven’t done anything for seven months and this winter’s been brutal. I’ve been in hibernation. For the whole of January, I lost my voice completely.”
However, due to his healthy lifestyle, Daltrey is still confident about embarking on a tour, stating, “I live like a monk and if I went on tour for a week I’d be fit as a butcher’s dog again, but tonight, for the first time in my career, I think, ‘Blimey, this is hard.’”
His latest comments arrive after Daltrey previously hinted at The Who retiring. The iconic frontman said earlier this year: “I don’t write the songs. I never did. We need to sit down and have a meeting, but at the moment, I’m happy saying that part of my life is over.”
While it seems inevitable The Who will gracefully bow out within the next couple of years, guitarist Pete Townshend wants to ensure they depart with a bang.
Townshend recently said of The Who’s future: “I do and I think I will. It feels to me like there’s one thing the Who can do, and that’s a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die. I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with the Who. If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”
As of yet, there’s no information about a farewell tour, but if Townshend gets his wish, The Who will put their story to bed in emphatic fashion.