Roger Daltrey performs in Florence, Italy in June 2023.Photo:Roberto Serra - Iguana Press/Getty
Roberto Serra - Iguana Press/Getty
Roger Daltreysays he’d be content if his song was over.
The Wholead singer, 79, revealed in a new interview withThe Times, that he has thought about his own death and legacy — especially after he became seriously ill with viral meningitis in 2015 — and he’s “ready” for what comes next.
“My dreams came true so, listen, I’m ready to go at any time. My family are all great and all taken care of,” Daltrey told the U.K. outlet.
“You’ve got to be realistic,” he added. “You can’t live your life forever. Like I said, people my age, we’re in the way. There are no guitar strings to be changed on this old instrument.”
Daltrey said he’s “thought about it" himself.
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform onstage at Madison Square Garden in May 2022 in New York City.Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kevin Mazur/Getty
“If I became a burden on everyone, I’d consider [assisted dying],” he explained. “A good friend of mine — a lovely woodsman called Tom — he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. If I had stage 4 pancreatic cancer I wouldn’t have chemo. I’d take the morphine and go down.”
Daltrey previously shared his feelings on death in a 2021 interview withEnd Well, where he described “letting go” after he became really sick and then feeling as if he was “wrapped in a cotton ball.” He said the experience made him not afraid of death.
“I don’t mind. I don’t mind the next bit. It’s gonna be an adventure like the last bit,” he said.
In March, Daltrey revealed in an interview withNMEthat he and bandmatePete Townshendarelikely done in the recording studioafter having released a dozen studio albums.
“What’s the point?” Daltrey told the outlet with a laugh. “What’s the point of records? We released an album four years ago, and it did nothing. It’s a great album too, but there isn’t the interest out there for new music these days.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He said he believes fans are most passionate about The Who’s earlier recordings, and that when he and Townshend tour, they try to give the people what they want.
“People want to hear the old music. I don’t know why, but that’s the fact,” he explained. “[Our fanbase ranges] from 80 years old, all the way down to 8 years old. We’ve got quite a lot of young people in our audience these days. It’s quite interesting that they’re picking up on our music.”
source: people.com
