The Who 's lead singer , Roger Daltrey , surprised the audience during a benefit concert held last Thursday (27), at the Royal Albert Hall, in London. At 81 years old, the singer revealed that he is facing health problems that could lead to vision loss, according to NME .
“The hard part about this job is that you lose your hearing. And now, they’ve told me I’m going blind,” Daltrey declared, addressing the audience.
Even in the face of the diagnosis, the singer expressed gratitude for still being able to sing. "Thank God my voice is still with me. If I lost it, I'd become Tommy," he said, referring to the protagonist of the rock opera Tommy , released by The Who in 1969 — a character who has hearing and visual impairments.
The show was part of the annual program of the Teenage Cancer Trust , an institution with which Daltrey has been involved since the early 2000s. Although the curation of the event was passed to Robert Smith ( The Cure ) last year, Daltrey's connection to the cause remains strong. The singer stated that he will continue working behind the scenes, seeking government support and strengthening the visibility of the organization.
In recent years, the artist has spoken openly about his age and the limitations that come with it. In a previous interview with The Times, he mentioned that he needs to “be realistic” about how much longer he can spend on stage. According to Daltrey, “the average life expectancy is 83 years, and hopefully I’ll make it there.”
Regarding the future of The Who, uncertainties remain. Although Daltrey has indicated that he is already satisfied with the band's legacy, he stressed that he will only make a final decision about ending the group together with guitarist Pete Townshend . In recent statements to NME , Townshend stated that he believes the band may still perform new shows, even without major announcements. For him, the band will only end when one of the two can no longer perform.
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