The Who leaves fans devastated as band announce RETIREMENT
Legendary rock band The Who have officially announced their retirement from touring after 60 years.
The iconic British group will embark on a farewell tour of North America this summer, aptly named The Song Is Over.
The 16-show run will kick off on August 16 in Florida and conclude in Las Vegas on 28 September.
Roger Daltrey, 81, and Pete Townshend, who turns 80 this month, will perform hits from their six-decade career in what is being billed as a “truly grand finale”.
Townshend admitted at a London press conference: “I am not crazy about touring.”
The tour, named after a song from their 1971 album Who’s Next, will visit major cities including Atlantic City, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia and Seattle.
Fans will be treated to classic hits such as I Can’t Explain, Pinball Wizard, Won’t Get Fooled Again and Baba O’Riley.
Tickets will be available through a Citi presale and the Whooligan Fan Club from May 13, with general sales beginning on May 16.
The band will perform two nights each in Toronto and Los Angeles during the farewell run.
Daltrey and Townshend remain the only surviving members of the original lineup.
Daltrey reflected on the band’s American success: “Every musician’s dream in the early 60s was to make it big in the US charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever.”
He added: “To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible.”
The 81-year-old vocalist revealed health concerns have impacted touring plans.
“I can’t do consecutive shows. I’ve been ordered by my throat specialist to have a day off after every gig, and then after every three gigs you have to have two days off,” he explained.
Townshend described the farewell tour as “a poignant time”, reflecting on the band’s history in North America.
“The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely,” he said.
The guitarist added: “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.”
He promised the tour would be “about fond memories, love and laughter”.
Responding, many fans pointed out the band have performed several farewell tours in the past, while others expressed their sadness over the news.
Some questioned the decision to hold the tour is the US rather than the UK, with a fan on X writing: “That’s disappointing”.
“I was at their final show in December of ‘82 in Toronto and I’ll be there in September of this year God willing,” another shared on Instagram.
“Haven’t there already been several farewell tours???” one more asked, with someone else echoing this by adding: “Farewell tour again? What’s that makes 5 Farewell tours?”
“I would say this one is definitely the end! Roger is 80 now,” someone else noted, while another pointed out: “The Who and Oasis during the same weekend in NYC.” (sic)
Fans can join the Whooligan Fan Club at thewho.com to receive exclusive merchandise including the previously unreleased album, Live at the Oval 1971.
The Who, formed in 1964, are best known for albums including Who’s Next, Tommy and Quadrophenia.
Throughout their career, the band has had 14 UK Top 10 singles and were inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.
Daltrey admitted he’s “not confident” about potential UK farewell shows.
“Touring America is a damn sight easier than touring the UK, because the UK has decided to make it as difficult as possible to go from A to B,” he explained.
“Let’s see if we survive this one,” he added, leaving the door slightly ajar for British fans.
The band’s most recent album, Who, was released in 2019.