Roger Daltrey isn’t sugarcoating it — touring at 81 is brutal. Speaking to The Times, he called the schedule “gruelling,” recalling the days he sang Who songs for hours, six nights a week.
Now close to 82, Daltrey says his voice is still strong — “same keys, still bloody loud” — but admits he can’t promise it will hold out. “I just hope I make it through,” he confessed.
Health issues add to the challenge. Years of performing have left him with worsening hearing loss and vision problems. Onstage at London’s Royal Albert Hall, he joked about being like Tommy, the “deaf, dumb and blind” hero of The Who’s 1969 rock opera — finding humor in what could be seen as a cruel twist.
Still, he refuses to stop singing, believing in a “use it or lose it” approach. Regular rehearsals keep his voice in shape, and recent shows prove The Who can still bring stadium-sized energy.
This tour, running through October, might be one of their last — and Daltrey knows it. But for now, he’s pushing forward, determined to give fans every ounce of what he has left.
