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At 80 years old, The Who’s Pete Townshend still has a lot to give.
In an interview with AARP, the rock band’s guitarist and lead songwriter opened up about his career over the past sixty years and explained why he only has about five years left in show business.
“I think I’m on the f—ing mountain top! You know, I just feel supreme,” Townshend, who has battled many health issues over the years, said. “My brain is as sharp as a razor. I’m very, very creative. I’m not good with money, but I’m good at doing business deals. I am healthy, and I think I probably have another five years in show business. I’m not quite sure doing what. I’m very [good at] producing shows, producing artists, working with artists.”
THE WHO FRONTMAN ROGER DALTREY IS GOING BLIND AND DEAF
Pete Townshend says he has about five years left in show business. (Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images)
Townshend, who is currently on a 17-date trek tour across North America with bandmate Roger Daltry, said that while being on the road at this age can be “lonely,” he’s grateful for the work.
“It can be lonely. I’ve thought, ‘Well, this is my job, I’m happy to have the work, but I prefer to be doing something else,’” he said. “Then, I think, ‘Well, I’m 80 years old. Why shouldn’t I revel in it? Why shouldn’t I celebrate?’”
“It’s a brand rather than a band,” he added of the band’s longevity. “Roger and I have a duty to the music and the history. The Who [still] sells records —the Moon and Entwistle families have become millionaires. There’s also something more, really: the art, the creative work is when we perform it. We’re celebrating. We’re a Who tribute band.”
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“But apart from that, it does whet an appetite to think about how we should bow out in our personal lives — what we do with our families and our friends and everything else at this age,” he continued. “We’re lucky to be alive. I’m looking forward to playing, Roger likes to throw wild cards out sometimes in the set, and we have learned and rehearsed a few songs that we don’t always play.”
Pete Townshend of The Who performing his famous guitar windmill on stage. (Graham Wiltshire/Redferns)
Earlier this year, Daltrey gave the crowd an unexpected health update while performing alongside Townshend for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity event in London.
“The joys of getting old mean you go deaf. I also now have got the joy of going blind,” he revealed mid-set, per Sky News.
“Fortunately, I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” he said, referencing the title character of The Who’s 1969 album. “Deaf, dumb and blind kid.”
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Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend are currently on a 17-date trek tour across North America. (Robb Cohen/Invision/AP, File)
While speaking to The Times earlier this month, Daltry opened up about his health concerns and gave insight as to what’s next for him after The Who’s tour wraps.
“This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour,” Daltrey said. “It’s grueling.”
“In the days when I was singing Who songs for three hours a night, six nights a week, I was working harder than most footballers. As to whether we’ll play [one-off] concerts again, I don’t know. The Who to me is very perplexing.”
However, said Daltrey, his “voice is still as good as ever.”
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“I’m still singing in the same keys and it’s still bloody loud, but I can’t tell you if it will still be there in October. There’s a big part of me that’s going: I just hope I make it through.”