'I'm happy saying that part of my life is over': Roger Daltrey on the future of The Who
Roger Daltrey is "happy" to declare his time with The Who to be "over" but admitted only Pete Townshend can make the final call.
Roger Daltrey is "happy" to declare his time with The Who to be "over".
The 79-year-old rocker last played with the group last summer and while he insisted it has to be bandmate Pete Townshend who makes the call as to whether they work together again, it seems he is already set to move on, 60 years after the band first formed.
Asked if there will be more from The Who, Roger told the Times newspaper: "I can’t answer that. I don’t write the songs. I never did. We [he and Townshend] need to sit down and have a meeting, but at the moment I’m happy saying that part of my life is over."
In 2012, The Who sold their back catalogue for a reported £100 million and Roger admitted it was a "hard" decision to make, particularly because he isn't interested in wealth.
He reflected: "I found it hard to do.
"It was like selling the family silver, but then they made such a good offer. I’m a wealthy man, but I’m no good to society because I don’t want anything.
"Still to this day I have that wartime mentality. I find it hard to throw anything away. My Merc is 20 years old and my jeans have holes in them.”
The 'My Generation' hitmaker is aware the younger generation of musicians have made far more than The Who did in their early years, but he still thinks they are being ripped off.
He said: “Money doesn’t make you happy. But I do think the industry has been stolen from young artists. There’s no money in streaming, even if you write a great song. You can write a hit for Taylor Swift and, even if it gets a billion streams, you’ll receive a cheque for about £3,000.”
Roger's comments come after Pete also recently admitted he is unsure what's next for their group.
He told Record Collector magazine: “I think it’s time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next.
"Because Sandringham shouldn’t feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era.
“You know, we lost Bob Pridden, our long time sound man, a couple of years ago and our fabulous road manager/ production manager Roy Lamb is retiring.
“Roger and I are still banging on with new people around us.
“It’s a question of, really, what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun?
“So, I wrote to Roger and said, come on, let’s have a chat and see what’s there.”
