After more than 60 years together on stage and in the studio: The Who are nearing rock retirement. The only surviving band members Pete Townshend (77) and Roger Daltrey (79) now indicated this in the magazine “Record Collector”.
“I suppose at some point Roger and I will look ahead and try to figure out if we want to do an Elton John and end it in some way,” said Pete Townshend. He is alluding to his colleague Elton John (76), who is just saying goodbye to the stage with an extensive tour.
But there are still no clear plans. “It’s difficult to make a decision going forward and say we’re going to do this or that because we don’t know how good we’ll be or how fit we’ll be,” said the guitarist. Townshend is under no illusions that after one tour it becomes increasingly difficult to pull himself together for the next. “We’re both old,” he admitted.
Roger Daltrey is even more explicit. “We’re in a phase where obviously retirement is getting closer,” he said. “But as long as we’re fine, I’ll never say that we won’t do anything in the future,” the singer said. “I’ve always said that you don’t give up this business, it gives you up”.
Daltrey and Townshend are touring the UK with their backing band this summer. It will be their first UK tour in six years. She will be accompanied by a large orchestra. They want to take their hits to a new level, as they promise. There is no question that the tour is an “Elton John”.
A precursor to The Who formed between 1961 and 1962 when Townshend and bassist John Entwistle (1944-2002) joined Roger Daltrey’s school band. In February 1964 the band renamed themselves The Who. A little later, drummer Keith Moon (1946-1978) joined the classic line-up. In 1965 the band released their first single “‘ I Can’t Explain”.
This was followed by the album “My Generation” and the hit of the same name. It says: “I want to die before I grow old”. Daltrey and Townshend clearly missed that point.