The Who's Roger Daltrey Shares Major Health News During Concert
The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey broke serious health news during a performance of the band over the weekend in London.
The Who, of course, is the legendary rock band that was formed in 1964 with singer Daltrey, singer-guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Moon died in 1978 at age 32 and was replaced by Small Faces-turned-Faces drummer Kenney Jones — who then left the band in 1988. Entwistle died in 2002 at age 57.
Daltrey and Townshend still perform as The Who to this day. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group's hits include 'My Generation,' 'Baba O'Reilly,' 'I Can See for Miles,' 'Squeeze Box,' 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Pinball Wizard.'
The latter song is from The Who's legendary rock opera Tommy. The title character is a deaf, mute and blind pinball champion — whom Daltrey referred to when he revealed his latest health condition to the crowd at the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert Saturday at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
'The joys of getting old mean you go deaf, I also now have got the joy of going blind. Fortunately, I still have my voice, because then I'll have a full Tommy,' Daltrey, 81, told the crowd, according to The Sun.
Daltrey apparently didn't give specifics about what was causing his blindness.
The Sun reported that the band previously announced that they were ending their tours this year but will continue on with the Teenage Cancer Trust performances. The Who has been playing at the charity concert event since its formation in 2000.
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the rock band The Who perform on stage during the Teenage Cancer ... More Trust show at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Picture date: Thursday March 27, 2025. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)
Roger Daltrey's announcement about going blind marks the singer's second major heath condition he's made public in the last seven years.
During a solo performance in 2018, Daltrey announced that he was 'very very deaf,' TMZ reported, and told his concert crown, 'Take your f---ing earplugs with you to the gigs.'
The Who has long been known for playing the loudest rock concerts. The Who made the Guinness Book of World Records on May 31, 1976, when the sound at the band's performance at The Valley stadium in Charlton, London, hit 126 decibels, Ultimate Classic Rock reported.
Prior to The Who's record, legendary rock group Deep Purple held the record for the loudest gig when the band's sound hit 117 decibels in 1972 at London's Rainbow Theater, Ultimate Classic Rock noted.
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Shout are also available 24/7 for text-based mental health support. You can reach them by texting 85258 Catriona Innes is Commissioning Director at Cosmopolitan, you can follow her on Substack and on Instagram. Catriona Innes is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Commissioning Editor, who has won BSME awards both for her longform investigative journalism as well as for leading the Cosmopolitan features department. Alongside commissioning and editing the features section, both online and in print, Catriona regularly writes her own hard-hitting investigations spending months researching some of the most pressing issues affecting young women today. She has spent time undercover with specialist police forces, domestic abuse social workers and even Playboy Bunnies to create articles that take readers to the heart of the story. Catriona is also a published author, poet and volunteers with a number of organisations that directly help the homeless community of London. She's often found challenging her weak ankles in towering heels through the streets of Soho. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
