Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, says he is going blind
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, revealed that he’s losing his eyesight.
The British rock legend, 81, shared his health update March 27 during a live performance alongside his bandmate Pete Townshend that benefitted the U.K. charity Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall, reported Sky News.
“The joys of getting old mean you go deaf. I also now have got the joy of going blind,” Daltrey told concertgoers. “Fortunately, I still have my voice.”
Daltrey joked that if he lost his voice, too, he would be pulling a “full Tommy,” referring to the title character of “Tommy,” the band’s 1969 concept album (and later, a 1975 feature film) about a young pinball champion-turned- cult leader, who is deaf, blind and non-speaking.
Later, when Daltrey’s voice cracked while singing a song, he called it a “senior moment.”
“No apologies, I f—– up,” he told the crowd.
Townshend, 79, also spoke candidly from the stage about the perils of growing old in the world of rock ‘n’ roll.
“Four and a half weeks ago, I had my left knee replaced,” said Townshend, who added that he injured his knee while dancing like fellow classic rocker Mick Jagger, 81, who is the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.
Daltrey and Townshend are the only surviving members of the original 1964 line-up of The Who. Drummer Keith Moon died in 1978 of a drug overdose at age 32. Bassist John Entwistle died of a heart attack in 2002 at age 57.
The band, best known for hits including “My Generation,” “I Can’t Explain,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Baba O’Riley,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Speaking to The Times in January 2024, Daltrey reflected on growing older after a life of music success.
“My dreams came true so, listen, I’m ready to go at any time,” the singer said. “My family are all great and all taken care of. You’ve got to be realistic. You can’t live your life for ever.”
