The Who Frontman Roger Daltrey's Agonizing Final Days: Rocker, 81, Heartbreakingly Admits He's Close to Going 'Full Tommy' as He's Now Deaf and Losing Eyesight
Legendary British rocker Roger Daltrey told fans during a live concert in London he's going blind.
March 31 2025, Published 9:16 a.m. ET
Legendary British rocker Roger Daltrey has admitted his eyesight is deteriorating – and fears he will soon be both blind and deaf, just liek his band's iconic album character Tommy.
RadarOnline.com can reveal The Who frontman, 81, gave fans the heart-wrenching health update while performing a charity gig in London.
Daltrey revealed his eyesight is deteriorating amid longstanding concerns over his hearing.
Daltrey 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."
Tommy is the name of the band's iconic 1969 rock opera album.
It follows the story of Tommy Walker, an army soldier who later becomes deaf, dumb and blind.
Daltrey previously blamed his heart issues on his band being "too loud."
Asked how his hearing was, he responded: "Terrible, terrible. Without these things" — indicating his in-ear aids – "everything's a mumble. It’s a penalty for what we did in our lives. We were too f------ loud."
Daltrey's bandmate Pete Townshend, 79, also joked during the London concert, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, he was "Superman" after getting his knee replaced – and told the audience: "Maybe I should auction off the old one. Elton John had one done, and he wears his as a bracelet. Unfortunately, mine's in three bits."
In April 2023, The Who hinted at calling it a day after almost 60 years together.
Guitarist Townshend claimed he and lead singer Daltrey, who are the only remaining band members, were considering retirement due to their "old" ages.
The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend has also experienced recent health issues after undergoing a hip replacement.
He revealed the pair may take inspiration from Rocket Man singer Elton, who hung up his microphone after his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which comprised of 333 shows and ended in July 2023, having begun in September 2018.
Townshend said: "It's difficult to make a decision going forward, to say we're going to do this or that, because we don't know how well we're going to be or how fit we're going to be.
"We're both old. That in itself has a downside because, apart from what you can or can't do on the stage, when you finish touring you come back to normal life – whatever it is that you decide to do to fill your time away from the road – and it's harder and takes longer.
"So life slows down because it's so much harder getting up and down the stairs, but it also speeds up."
Daltrey previously blamed his hearing woes on The Who being 'too loud.'
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Daltrey previously told how the band haven't got long left in regards to performing live.
He sad: "We're at that stage where it's obviously getting closer to retirement.
"But all the time we're doing well I'm never going to say we're not going to do something more in the future.
"I've always said that you don't give this business up, it gives you up."
John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Doug Sandom were all members of The Who before their deaths, while Kenney Jones last performed with the band in 2014.
