The Who’s Pete Townshend opens up about his future: ‘I’ve got maybe 10 years left as a creative’

The Who’s Pete Townshend is turning 80 in May, and while he’s still working on music and other projects, he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to keep at it.

“I’ve got maybe 10 years left as a creative,” he tells Rolling Stone in a new interview. “So I’m doing all kinds of interesting things, theatrical projects, art projects, book projects, working. … I’m really active on music and doing stuff and trying to keep myself fueled up.”

To that end, Pete Townshend The Studio Albums, a box set of his solo albums, drops Friday. Pete is also set to reunite with his bandmate Roger Daltrey to headline two benefit shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall March 27 and March 31. He notes he’s “hoping to keep it simple.”

“I’m actually nervous. And I think Roger’s nervous as well,” Pete says. “We’re both in our eighties. … That kind of stuff gets harder as you get older.”

But regardless of the pressure, Townshend notes the shows are sold out. “I could go out and just play a f****** kazoo. I’ve made the money for the charity.”

As for the future of The Who, Pete says, “I think we’re at an interesting time. And I think for the Who, it’s probably not as interesting as it is for some other people.”

“I think what we call the Who is just Roger and me. And we can exchange e-mails and we can sit and nag at each other about various political things on which we agree or disagree,” he says. “But the fact is that we have this legacy, and it’s a Black Swan legacy, which is that we’ve been lucky.”