The Who Announce Farewell Tour … Again

The Who announced their first farewell tour in 1982, but the rock legends are saying goodbye for good on a North American jaunt cleverly dubbed The Song Is Over. Anchored by 81-year-old vocalist Roger Daltrey and nearly 80-year-old guitarist Pete Townshend, the tour will run from Aug. 16 in Sunrise, Fl., through Sept. 28 in Las Vegas; for now, no international dates have been confirmed.

“Every musician’s dream in the early ’60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts. For The Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever,” Daltrey said today (May 8) at a London press event. “The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me. This was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”

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“Well, all good things must come to an end,” Townshend added. “It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans. I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”

The news follows the band’s two late March London shows in support of Teenage Cancer Trust, after which longtime drummer Zak Starkey was fired and then quickly rehired.

During the press conference, Townshend said, “This wasn’t a career that I chose. It chose me. Creativity has been what sustained me, rather than performing. It has been about the relationship between the audience and us. What’s so interesting is that the fans have patiently waited. The longevity has been something that just happened. When we look at artists like the Stones, like Bruce Springsteen and other, much older artists like,Bob Dylan, one is inspired in a sense to think, what could we do that would be new and different? Whatever we play, the chances are, I will have written it. There’s that sense of closing a circle and having one last grab of trying to bring that thing to life.”

More to come.

Here are The Who’s tour dates:

Aug 16 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena
Aug 19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Aug 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Aug 23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
Aug 26 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
Aug 28 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
Aug 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sep 2, 4 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sep 7 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sep 17, 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Sep 21 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sep 23 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sep 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sep 28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.