"I also now have got the joy of going blind": Roger Daltrey gets real about his health issues as he grows older

Roger Daltrey, the lead singer of the rock band The Who, was recently at a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust, where he spoke to the audience about his health issues.

Roger Daltrey, who is 81, had been candid about aging. He often spoke about his health issues and death in his interviews in the past. During the concert, he announced that he was going blind. He said,

''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.''

Here, Tommy refers to the fictitious character of his rock opera Tommy, in which he played the lead role.

Roger Daltrey speaks about his health issues during a concert

Roger, who is also best known for his singles such as Under a Raging Moon, Free Me, and Without Your Love, recently at a concert spoke to the crowd about his health challenges.

During the concert, Roger joked about having a ''senior moment'' when he forgot about something. His voice also cracked while singing; he didn't excuse it but just laughed it off. He told the crowd,

''No apologies, I f---ed up.''

Other than Roger Daltrey, the band also consists of guitarists Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, who was the bassist, and Keith Moon, who was the drummer. John died in 2002 and Moon in 1978.

During the concert, Roger's guitarist, Pete Townshend, also made a statement where he shared about how aging has affected him. He said,

''Four and a half weeks ago, I had my left knee replaced. Maybe I should auction off the old one.''

He said that the injury happened when he tried to dance like Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones. Before Roger announced that he was going blind during the concert, he also made one such announcement back in 2018.

During one of his solo performances, Roger shared about going deaf. He then went ahead and advised his crowd to take their earplugs when they go to gigs.

The Who evolved from a previous group called the Detours. They then established themselves as a band that is auto-destructive, meaning breaking drums and guitars on the stage at the end of the gig. It should also be noted that the band is well-known for playing the loudest rock concerts.

In an interview with The Times back in 2024, Roger spoke about death and how he embraces and accepts it. He said,

''My dreams came true so, listen, I’m ready to go at any time. My family are all great and all taken care of.''

He continued:

''You’ve got to be realistic. You can’t live your life forever. Like I said, people my age, we’re in the way. There are no guitar strings to be changed on this old instrument."

Other than being a legendary singer, Roger Daltrey is also an actor who has worked in films and TV series including Highlander, CSI, and the 1980 film McVicar.