Roger Daltrey is no longer the only octogenarian in The Who. Pete Townshend is celebrating his 80th birthday on Monday, and while age may have slowed him down a bit, it hasn’t stopped him from rocking.
It’s been 60 years since Townshend and his bandmates — Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon — exploded on the U.K. rock scene, with a career that included hits like “My Generation,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Who Are You” and “Pinball Wizard.”
Townshend also had a successful solo career that produced such songs as “Let My Love Open the Door,” “Rough Boys,” “Face the Face” and more.
The Who became known for their dynamic live shows, thanks in part to Townshend’s iconic “windmill” guitar strumming, stage jumps and guitar smashing. And while Townshend has cut back on his stage antics over the years, fans still clamor to see The Who live — and there’s still a chance to do that.
The Who just announced their The Song Is Over North American Farewell tour; during a press conference, Townshend reflected on their long career and whether they can keep going.
“You know, time passes. As you get older it passes faster and faster and faster until you find yourself here. You know, a point where you have to accept that you can’t do what you used to do,” he said. But he noted that seeing artists like The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen still touring inspired him “to think what could we do that would be new and different?”
Looking back on his career, he noted, “This wasn’t a career that I chose, it chose me. And I’ve always been creative, so creativity has been what sustained me.”
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