He didn’t die before he got old: now Roger Daltrey’s a model for his g g generation

Roger Daltrey performs during 12-12-12 The Concert For Sandy Relief
Roger Daltrey performs during 12-12-12 The Concert For Sandy Relief
DON EMERT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Midway through an historic fundraising concert at Madison Square Garden, an excited crowd witnessed something beautiful emerging in the arena. There was the collective affirmation that the people of New York and New Jersey would overcome the hardships caused by Hurricane Sandy of course, together with the communal feeling inspired by a shared popular culture.

But most of all, there was Roger Daltrey’s chest.

Like the sun, the chest came out slowly. The lead singer of The Who had arrived on stage for the 12-12-12 concert wearing a grey jacket and shirt and sporting grey curls that observers unkindly compared to those of their grandmothers.

The jacket did not last and the shirt opened gradually from the neck, as if the garment itself were compelled