Roger Daltrey says he would be satisfied if his song was finished.
The Who singer (79) revealed in a new interview for Timethat he’s been thinking about his own death and legacy — especially after becoming seriously ill with viral meningitis in 2015 — and that he’s “ready” for what comes next.
“My dreams have come true, so listen, I’m ready to go anytime. My family is great and everyone is taken care of,” Daltrey told the British publication.
“You have to be realistic,” he added. “You can’t live your life forever. Like I said, people my age, we bother you. There are no replaceable guitar strings on this old instrument.”
Roger Daltrey Says Who’s Probably Done Making New Music: ‘What’s the point?’
The musician also noted that he thought TV presenter Esther Rantzen, who has stage 4 lung cancer, was “incredibly brave to raise the issue” of assisted dying after joining the non-profit organization Dignitas, which provides medical assistance in the death of terminally ill patients.
Daltrey said he had “thought about it” himself.
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform on stage at Madison Square Garden in May 2022 in New York City.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
“If I became a burden to everyone, I would think [assisted dying],” he explained. “A good friend of mine — a lovely woodsman named Tom — had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. If I had stage 4 pancreatic cancer, I wouldn’t be on chemotherapy. I’d take morphine and go downstairs.”
Daltrey previously shared his feelings about death in an interview with End Well 2021, where he described how he “let go” after becoming very ill and then feeling like he was “wrapped in cotton wool”. He said the experience made him not fear death.
“I do not mind. I don’t mind the next part. It will be an adventure like the last,” he said.
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Daltrey revealed in March in an interview with NME that he and bandmate Pete Townshend probably ended up in the recording studio after releasing a dozen studio albums.
“What’s the point?” Daltrey told the outlet with a laugh. “What’s the point of a record? We released an album four years ago, but it didn’t do anything. And it’s a great album, but there’s no interest in new music these days.”
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He and Townshend were released WHO 2019, which was their first new material in 13 years. Although the album was well received by critics and reached #2 on the Billboard 200, it failed to make waves like their previous albums. Who’s next and Tommy did in the 1960s and 1970s.
He said he believes fans are most passionate about The Who’s early recordings and that on tour he and Townshend are trying to give people what they want.
“People want to hear old music. I don’t know why, but that’s a fact,” he explained. “[Our fanbase ranges] from 80 years, up to 8 years. These days we have a lot of young people in our audience. It’s very interesting that they accepted our music.”
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Source: HIS Education