Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, revealed he is going blind March 27 while performing a charity concert for Teenage Cancer Trust.
The 81-year-old made the shocking revelation while performing alongside bandmate Pete Townshend in the first of multiple gigs at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
“The joys of getting old mean you go deaf,” he told the 5,000-member audience, according to Sky News. “I also now have got the joy of going blind.”
Daltrey followed up on the devastating news by saying, “Fortunately, I still have my voice.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 19: Roger Daltry speaks onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Daltrey took the news full-circle by saying that if he happened to lose his voice as well, he’d have a “full Tommy,” referencing the title character of The Who’s 1969 album. Tommy, called the “deaf, dumb and blind kid,” was the subject of the song “Pinball Wizard,” featured in that record.
The Who continued to perform, but Daltrey’s age-related ailments became the focus once more when his voice cracked in what he called a “senior moment.” Shortly after his voice failed him, he addressed the audience by saying, “No apologies, I fucked up,” according to Sky News.
Daltrey has long used purple-tinted glasses while in public, but the reason for that was not confirmed as being related to his current condition.
FLORENCE, ITALY – JUNE 17: English musicians Roger Daltrey (L) and Pete Townshend (R) leads The Who in concert at Firenze Rocks 2023 at Visarno Arena on June 17, 2023 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Roberto Serra – Iguana Press/Getty Images)
The famous singer has decided to step back from serving as curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust’s concerts at Royal Albert Hall after kicking the series off in 2000. He has agreed to stay on as an honorary patron of the charity, according to Sky News.
Townshend, 79, also admitted that his age had taken a toll on his body. (RELATED: Video Appears To Show Former Eagles Guitarist Don Felder Suffering On-Stage Medical Emergency)
“Four and a half weeks ago, I had my left knee replaced,” he told the crowd. Townshend said he was dancing like Mick Jagger when he injured his knee.
Daltrey and Townshend are the only original members of The Who still alive and have been performing alongside each other for six decades.
