Roger Daltrey | |
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 Daltrey performing in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Roger Harry Daltrey (1944-03-01)1 March 1944 (age 81) East Acton, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Works | |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | The RD Crusaders |
Spouses | |
| Website | thewho |
Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of therock bandthe Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence.[1][2][3] His stage persona earned him a position as one of the "gods of rock and roll".[2]
Daltrey's hit songs with the Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Baba O'Riley", "Who Are You" and "You Better You Bet". He began a solo career in 1973 while still a member of the Who, and has released ten solo studio albums, five compilation albums and one live album. His solo hits include "Giving It All Away", "Free Me", "Without Your Love" and "Under a Raging Moon".
The Who are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. As a member of the band, Daltrey received aLifetime achievement award from theBritish Phonographic Industry in 1988,[4] and from the Grammy Foundation in 2001.[5] He was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and theUK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.[6][7][8] He andPete Townshend receivedKennedy Center Honors in 2008, andThe George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement atUCLA on 21 May 2016.[9]
Daltrey was ranked number 61 onRolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest singers of all time in 2008;[10]Planet Rock listeners voted him rock's fifth-greatest voice in 2009.[11] Daltrey has also been an actor and film producer, with roles in films, theatre, and television. In June 2025 Daltrey was appointed aKnight Bachelor in theBirthday Honours for services to charity and music.
Daltrey was born on 1 March 1944 atHammersmith Hospital inEast Acton, London, during aWorld War II bombing raid.[12] He is the eldest of three children of Harry and Irene Daltrey, and has two younger sisters.[12] His father, an insurance clerk, was called up to fight in the Second World War, and three-month-old Roger and his mother were evacuated to a farm in Scotland.[12]
Daltrey attended Victoria Primary School andActon County Grammar School in west London,[12] the same schoolPete Townshend andJohn Entwistle attended.[12] He showed academic promise in the English state school system and was top of his class in theeleven-plus examination, after which he went to Grammar School.[13]
Daltrey made his first guitar, a cherry redStratocaster replica, himself in 1957.[14] He joined askiffle group called the Detours who needed a lead vocalist, and produced it when they told him to bring a guitar. His father bought him anEpiphone guitar in 1959 and he became the band's lead guitarist.[12]
He also became the band's leader, and gained a reputation for using his fists to impose discipline. According to Townshend, Daltrey "ran things the way he wanted. If you argued with him, you usually got a bunch of fives,[15] [a hard punch]".[16] Daltrey explained, later in life, that this harsh approach came from the tough neighbourhood in which he had grown up, where arguments were resolved by fighting. He was expelled from school, and Townshend wrote in his autobiography, "until he was expelled, Roger had been a good pupil."[17]
They discovered in 1964 that another band was performing as the Detours, and discussed changing their name. Townshend suggested "the Hair" and Townshend's room-mate Richard Barnes suggested "The Who". The next morning, Daltrey made the decision for the band, saying "It's the Who, innit?"[18]
Townshend began writing original material for the band, and after their first hit single ("I Can't Explain") andrecording contract in early 1965, Daltrey's dominance of the band diminished.[19] The other members of the Who fired him from the band in late 1965 after he beat up their drummer,Keith Moon, for supplying illegal drugs to Townshend and Entwistle, but he was re-admitted to the band a week later on probation after he promised not to do it again. He recalled, "I thought if I lost the band, I was dead. If I didn't stick with the Who, I would be asheet metal worker for the rest of my life."[20]
The band's second single, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", was a collaboration between Daltrey and Townshend.[21] While Townshend was developing into an accomplished composer, Daltrey was gaining a reputation as a singer and front-man. The Who's stage act was energetic, and Daltrey's habit of swinging the microphone around by its cord on stage became a signature move. His Townshend-inspired stuttering expression of youthful anger, frustration and arrogance in the band's breakthrough single, "My Generation", captured the revolutionary feeling of the 1960s for young people around the world and became a trademark sound. His scream near the end of "Won't Get Fooled Again" was a defining moment in rock and roll.[22]
By 1973, Daltrey was experiencing success with his solo projects and acting roles. While the other members of the band were recording the music for their sixth studio albumQuadrophenia, he took the opportunity to examine the Who's financial books and found they had fallen into disarray under the management ofKit Lambert andChris Stamp. Lambert was Pete Townshend's artistic mentor, and challenging him led to renewed tension within the band. During a filming session, in an incident that Daltrey later claimed was overblown, Townshend and Daltrey argued over the schedule, Townshend hit Daltrey over the head with his guitar, and Daltrey responded by knocking Townshend unconscious with a single blow.[23]
In the Who's milestone achievements,Tommy (1969),Who's Next (1971), andQuadrophenia (1973), Daltrey became the face and voice of the band as they defined themselves as rebels in a generation of change. WhenKen Russell's adaptation ofTommy appeared as a feature film in 1975, Daltrey played the lead role. He was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture", and appeared on the cover ofRolling Stone magazine on 10 April 1975. He worked with Russell again, starring asFranz Liszt inLisztomania, and collaborated withRick Wakeman on thesoundtrack of the film.[24]
The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, died in 1978. The band continued working after his death, but Daltrey thought that new drummerKenney Jones had been the wrong choice.[25] The Who broke up in 1983 when Townshend felt that he could no longer write for them.[26]
The band reformed in 1989 for a 25th Anniversary Tour, which also celebrated the 20th anniversary of their rock operaTommy. The tour featured a large backing band, with guest appearances bySteve Winwood,Patti LaBelle,Phil Collins,Elton John, andBilly Idol. Daltrey managed to complete the tour in spite of an abdominal ailment, for which he later received surgery.[27]
In 1996, Pete Townshend was approached to produceQuadrophenia for thePrince's Trust concert atHyde Park, London. Daltrey agreed to help to produce a one-off performance, and the opera was to be performed with a large backing band. On the night before the show, Daltrey was struck in the face by a microphone stand swung byGary Glitter and the accident fractured hiseye socket. There was concern that he might not be able to perform, but Daltrey covered the bruises with an eye patch and completed the show as scheduled. Townshend took the production on tour in 1996–97 as the Who.[28]
After the success of theQuadrophenia tour, the band returned as the Who with a five-piece line-up for tours in 1999–2000, and they made a major impact atthe Concert for New York City in 2002. After Entwistle's death in June 2002, Daltrey and Townshend decided to continue with an already planned tour, with bassistPino Palladino taking Entwistle's place. They also completed a brief tour in 2004. In 2006, they released the Who's first studio album of new material in twenty-four years,Endless Wire, which led to suggestions that the much-discussed artistic tension in the Who lay between Daltrey and Townshend. The band undertook a world tour in 2006–07 in support of the album.[29]
In February 2010, Townshend and Daltrey, headlining as the Who, performed the half-time show atSuper Bowl XLIV inMiami Gardens, Florida, and were seen by 105.97 million viewers across the world. In March 2010, Townshend and Daltrey, with an extensive backing band, performedQuadrophenia at theRoyal Albert Hall in London as a tenth-anniversary charity benefit for theTeenage Cancer Trust.Eddie Vedder ofPearl Jam sang the part of the Godfather andTom Meighan ofKasabian sang the part of Aceface.[30]
Daltrey wrote several songs in the band's catalogue during their early years:
Daltrey also wrote a song titled "Crossroads Now" for the Who, which grew from an onstage jam in 1999.[35] Another Daltrey song, "Certified Rose", was rehearsed by the Who shortly before the death of John Entwistle. The band had intended to play it, as well as Townshend's "Real Good Looking Boy", during their 2002 tour, but it was dropped after Entwistle's death.[36] It was rumoured that a studio version had been recorded during theEndless Wire sessions which may have featured Entwistle's basslines from 2002, but Townshend later stated that no such recording had been made.[37] A more recent recording of "Certified Rose" was released on Daltrey's tenth solo studio album,As Long As I Have You (2018).[38]
Daltrey has released ten solo studio albums. His debut,Daltrey (1973), was recorded during a hiatus in the Who's touring schedule. The best-selling single from the album, "Giving It All Away", peaked at No. 5 in the UK and the album, which introducedLeo Sayer andDavid Courtney as songwriters, made the Top 50 in the United States. The inner sleeve photography showed atrompe-l'œil which referred to theNarcissus myth, as Daltrey's reflection in the water differed from his actual appearance. He also released a single in 1973, "Thinking", with "There Is Love" on theB-side featuringJimmy Page ofLed Zeppelin on guitar. The British release, with considerable airplay of "Giving It All Away" (first lines "I paid all my dues so I picked up my shoes, I got up and walked away") coincided with news reports of the Who being sued for unpaid damage to their hotel on a recent tour, which included a TV set thrown out of a window.[39]
Daltrey's second solo studio album,Ride a Rock Horse, was released in July 1975. It was his second most commercially successful solo album.[citation needed]
When Leo Sayer launched his own career as a singer, Daltrey called on a widening group of friends to write for and perform on his albums.Paul McCartney contributed the new song "Giddy" toOne of the Boys (1977), where the band includedHank Marvin ofthe Shadows,Eric Clapton,Alvin Lee andMick Ronson, as well as calling on a member of the Who, John Entwistle.
McVicar (1980) was a soundtrack album from thefilm of the same name, in which Daltrey starred and also co-produced; it featured all the other members of the Who at that time (Townshend, Entwistle, andKenney Jones).McVicar included two hit singles, "Free Me", and "Without Your Love", Daltrey's best-selling solo recording.[40]
His fifth solo studio album,Parting Should Be Painless (1984), received negative reviews and was his poorest-selling studio album up to that point. In it, Daltrey had vented his frustrations after the break-up of the Who by assembling a set of roughly autobiographical songs. They included a track contributed byBryan Ferry ("Going Strong"), and a cover version of theEurythmics ("Somebody Told Me"). Daltrey said the album covered musical areas that he had wanted the Who to pursue.[41] Thetitle track of the next studio album,Under a Raging Moon (1985) was a tribute to the Who's drummer,Keith Moon, who had died in 1978 at the age of 32.
Daltrey's final studio album of the 1980s,Can't Wait to See the Movie (1987), featured the track "The Price of Love", co-written byDavid Foster which was also featured in the 1987 movieThe Secret of My Success, starringMichael J. Fox.
On his only studio album of the 1990s,Rocks in the Head (1992), Daltrey's voice ranged from a powerful bluesy growl in the style ofHowlin' Wolf, to tender vocals shared with his daughter Willow on the ballad "Everything a Heart Could Ever Want".
Daltrey appeared inthe Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, singing the hard rockQueen song "I Want It All", in homage to his friendFreddie Mercury who had died the previous year one day after a public announcement that he hadAIDS.[42][43]
To celebrate his 50th birthday in 1994, Daltrey performed two shows atCarnegie Hall inNew York City. A recording of the concerts was later issued on CD and video, entitledA Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who, and is sometimes calledDaltrey Sings Townshend. The success of these shows led to a US tour under the same name, featuring Pete Townshend's brotherSimon on lead guitar.Phil Spalding played bass in the first half of each show and John Entwistle played bass in the second half. An Australian leg was considered but eventually scrapped.[citation needed]
A fan of thePremier League football clubArsenal F.C., Daltrey wrote and performed a specially commissioned song, "Highbury Highs", for the 2006 Highbury Farewell ceremony after the final football match was played at theHighbury ground.[44] Daltrey's performance was part of Arsenal's celebration of the club's 93 years at Highbury as it prepared to move to a new stadium.[45]
Daltrey embarked on a solo tour of the US and Canada on 10 October 2009, the "Use It or Lose It" tour, with a new touring band he called "No Plan B" onThe Alan Titchmarsh Show.[46] The band includedSimon Townshend on rhythm guitar and backing vocals,Frank Simes on lead guitar,Jon Button on bass guitar,Loren Gold on keyboards, andScott Devours on drums.[47]Eddie Vedder made a guest appearance at theSeattle show on 12 October.[48] In 2010, Daltrey and No Plan B appeared for several dates withEric Clapton,[49] includingSummerfest held inMilwaukee,Wisconsin.[50]
On 15 March 2018, Daltrey announced the forthcoming release on 1 June of a new solo studio album,As Long as I Have You.[51] He appeared onBBC One'sThe Graham Norton Show on 13 April 2018 to promote the single taken from the album.[52]
In May 2021, Daltrey announced a return to touring, with the solo Live and Kicking Tour, starting in August 2021.[53] The tour was rescheduled and carried out during the summer of 2022.[54]
In 1998, Daltrey performed two songs with theJim Byrnes Blues Band at the Los AngelesHighlander Convention.[55]
On 12 January 2009, he headlined a one-off concert withBabyshambles at theO2 Academy Bristol forTeenage Cancer Trust. On 5 July 2009, he joinedthe Jam's lead vocalist,Paul Weller, on stage atHop Farm Festival inPaddock Wood,Kent for an encore of "Magic Bus".[56] In 2011, Daltrey recorded a duet on the song "Ma seule amour" with French singer and composerLaurent Voulzy for his seventh studio albumLys and Love.[57]
In November 2014, while staying at the Mar Hall Hotel inBishopton, Renfrewshire, ahead of the Who's gig at theSSE Hydro inGlasgow, Scotland, Daltrey joined local band Milestone for an impromptu rendition of "I Can't Explain". The band were playing at a wedding reception in the hotel.[58]
Pete Townshend said Daltrey had "almost invented the pseudo-messianic role taken up later byJim Morrison [ofthe Doors] andRobert Plant [of Led Zeppelin]".[1] His stage persona earned him a position as one of the "gods of rock and roll".[2] He developed a trademark move of swinging and throwing his microphone through a complex sequence, matching these sequences with the tempo of the song that was being played, although Daltrey reduced the athleticism of his performances in later years. According to a review of the Who's performance at theQuart Festival in 2007:
Suddenly each and everyone stopped caring about the down-pouring rain. When the Who took the stage we couldn't do anything but to reach for the sky and howl. Anyone who has ever thought of calling these gods old men and dinosaurs should be deeply ashamed. The reports we've heard from around the world were true: Live rock doesn't get any better.[59]
Daltrey hand-built his first guitar from a piece ofplywood, and he also built guitars for the band in the early days when they had little money to buy equipment.[60] As lead guitarist for the Detours, Daltrey played a 1961Epiphone Wilshire solid-body electric guitar, which he later sold to Pete Townshend on an easy payment plan.[61][62] After he took over as the band's vocalist in the 1960s, and during the 1970s, Daltrey rarely played guitar on stage, except for aMartin acoustic guitar he used while promoting his debut solo studio albumDaltrey (1973).[63] He began playing guitar with the Who again during the band's tours in the 1980s, and used aFender Esquire to play a second guitar part for the song "Eminence Front" on the Who's 1982, 1989 and later tours.[64] During the 1989 tour, Daltrey played aGibson Chet Atkins SST guitar for the song "Hey Joe". During the Who's 1996–97 Quadrophenia tour, he played aGibson J-200 acoustic guitar.[65]
After 1999, it became common for Daltrey to play guitar during both the Who and solo shows. He played a Versoul Buxom 6 handmade acoustic guitar on the Who's 2002 tour.[66] Daltrey owns aGibson Everly Brothers Flattop acoustic guitar which he played on the Who and solo tours in the late first decade of the 21st century.[67] On his 2009 tour, he played Pete Townshend's "Blue, Red and Grey" on an Ashbury cutaway tenor EQukulele.[68]
Daltrey is among those who brought the harmonica into British popular music.[69] Harmonica brands he has used includeHohner andLee Oskar.[70]
Daltrey usesShure microphones. Their cords are taped to strengthen the connection to the microphone and to avoid cutting his hands when he swings and catches it. He commonly uses a standardShure SM58,[71] but has also used Shure SM78 (in 1981), Shure model 565D Unisphere 1, and Shure model 548 Unidyne IV.[72] Daltrey also uses a hybrid monitoring system, with one in-ear monitor supplemented by floor wedges.[73]
Daltrey contributed to a collection of childhood fishing stories published in 1996 entitledI Remember: Reflections on Fishing in Childhood.[74] In 2009, he contributed a foreword toAnyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958–1978 by Andrew Neill and Matt Kent.[75] In 2011, he wrote a tribute article in honour of the lateKen Russell which was published in Britain'sDaily Express.[76]
In October 2018, Daltrey published his memoir,Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story.[77] The title is a reference to the man who threw him out of grammar school, enabling him to go into a successful music career.[78]
In 1976 Daltrey was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture" for his starring role in the film version of the Who's rock operaTommy. He also performed as a guest on the Chieftains' recording ofIrish Evening: Live at the Grand Opera House which won aGrammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in 1993. With the Who, Daltrey received aGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 for outstanding artistic significance in music.[79]
In 1990 Daltrey was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame inCleveland,Ohio as a member of the Who.[80] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also included three songs that Daltrey recorded with the Who on the list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, including: "My Generation", "Go to the Mirror!", and "Baba O'Riley".[81] In 2005, Daltrey received aBritish Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors Gold Badge Award for special and lasting contributions to the British entertainment industry.[82][83]
In 2003 Daltrey was honoured byTime magazine as a European Hero for his work with theTeenage Cancer Trust and other charities.[84] In theNew Year's Honours List published on 31 December 2004, he was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Music, the Entertainment Industry and Charity.[85][86]
As a member of the Who, Daltrey was inducted in 2005 into theUK Music Hall of Fame.[87] In December 2008, he and Pete Townshend were honoured with America's most prestigious cultural awards as recipients of the 31st annualKennedy Center Honors inWashington, D.C., by the then-president of the United States,George W. Bush.[88] On 4 March 2009, three days after his 65th birthday, Daltrey accepted theJames Joyce Award from theLiterary and Historical Society ofUniversity College Dublin for outstanding success in the music field.[89]
On 12 March 2011, he received theSteiger Award (Germany) for excellence in music.[90] In November 2011, Daltrey and Pete Townshend received the Classic Album Award forQuadrophenia from theClassic Rock Roll of Honour Awards at theRoundhouse inChalk Farm, London.[91]
In July 2012 Daltrey received an honorary degree fromMiddlesex University in recognition of his contributions to music.[92]
Daltrey has received numerous awards for his music, including Best Blues Album in theBritish Blues Awards 2015 alongsideWilko Johnson.[93]
In 2019 Daltrey was the recipient of the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement. He received his Golden Plate along withPete Townshend and presented by Awards Council memberPeter Gabriel ofGenesis.[94][95]
In June 2025 Daltrey was made aKnight Bachelor in theBirthday Honours for services to charity and music.[96]
All of the Who'sEncore Series profits go to young people's charities. Daltrey was instrumental in starting theTeenage Cancer Trust concert series in 2000, with the Who playing in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2010, and Daltrey playing solo in 2011 and in 2015 as the Who. The annual concerts have raised over £20 million. He has endorsedthe Whodlums, a Who tribute band which raise money for the trust.[97]
Daltrey performed at the firstChildLine Rocks concert at London'sthe O2 on 13 March 2008.[98] In 2009, Daltrey was a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.[99][100] In the same year, he appeared on stage withMichael J. Fox for the "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's" benefit. In April 2010, he headlined the Imagine A Cure II show honouring the legacy ofthe Beatles'John Lennon, which raised money for the Puget Sound Affiliate ofSusan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity. In 2011, Daltrey became a patron of the Children's Respite Trust for children with disabilities.[101]
In 2011, Daltrey,Aerosmith'sSteven Tyler, andJulie Andrews provided funding forRobert S. Langer's research at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology into vocal cord repair for victims of cancer and other disorders.[102] On 4 November 2011, Daltrey and Pete Townshend launched the Daltrey/Townshend Teen and Young Adult Cancer Programme at theRonald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, to be funded by the Who's charityTeen Cancer America.[103] The launch, followed on 5 November by a fund-raising event, was also attended byRobert Plant, and theFoo Fighters'Dave Grohl.[104] Daltrey also announced that a portion of ticket sales from his solo tours would go to fund the teen cancer centres. In 2012, he offered his support to a project helping unemployed young people inHeathfield, East Sussex, run by Tomorrow's People Trust.[105]
In 1970, Daltrey publicly supported TheNational Campaign for Freedom of Information, saying: "I come from aworking-class background and I am proud of it, and I intend to fight for the workers' right to know. We all need to know what goes on behind the scenes that is causing this country's economic mess. When we have a Freedom of Information Act in this country we shall have restored our Right to Know the Truth and that will bring sanity to our tax laws."[106] AFreedom of Information Act became law in 2000.
Daltrey was previously a supporter of theBritish Labour Party, but he withdrew his endorsement, citing his opposition to the "mass immigration" policies put in place under theBlair government.[107] In 2018, he criticised Labour leaderJeremy Corbyn, describing him as a "communist".[108]
Daltrey supported Britainleaving theEuropean Union (EU).[109] He wrote inThe Mirror: "Whatever happens, our country should never fear the consequences of leaving. We went into theCommon Market in 1973. Do you know what was going on before we went in? It was the 1960s. The most exciting time ever – Britain wasSwinging. Films, Theatre, Fashion, Art and Music.... Britain was the centre of the world. You got that because Britain was doing its own thing. It was independent. Not sure we'll ever get that again when we're ruled bybureaucrats in the European Union."[110] He again criticised the EU in 2019, saying, "If you want to be signed up to be ruled by a fucking mafia, you do it. Like being governed byFIFA".[111]
In 2017, Daltrey opined that a "dead dog" could have defeatedHillary Clinton in the2016 United States presidential election.[112] In 2018, he denounced theMeToo movement, saying: "I find this whole thing so obnoxious. It's always allegations and it's just salacious crap."[113]
In 2021, Daltrey criticised "thewoke generation" in an interview withZane Lowe'sApple Music 1 podcast, arguing that younger generations are limiting themselves by stifling and undoingcreative freedoms that had emerged through the artistic revolutions of the 1960s. He elaborated by saying "It's terrifying, the miserable world they're going to create for themselves. I mean, anyone who's lived a life and you see what they're doing, you just know that it's a route to nowhere."[114][115]
Daltrey has been married twice. In 1964, he married Jacqueline "Jackie" Rickman. Later that year, their son, Simon, was born. They divorced in 1968. In 1967, Daltrey's son Mathias was born as a result of Daltrey's affair with Swedish model Elisabeth Aronsson. In 1968, Daltrey met Heather Taylor, a UK-born model living with her grandmother at the time, who supposedly was the subject of the 1967Jimi Hendrix song "Foxy Lady".[116] Daltrey and Taylor have been married since 1971. They have three children: Daughters Rosie Lea (born 1972) and Willow Amber (born 1975)[117] and son Jamie (born 1981).[118]
On 1 March 1994, his 50th birthday, Daltrey received a letter from a woman who stated that she was his daughter. Her birth resulted from a brief relationship that occurred during the interval between Daltrey's marriages. Daltrey later met two more daughters who were born during this period in the late 1960s.[119] All three had been adopted, and had grown to adulthood before meeting their biological father.[116] Daltrey stated that Heather had joined him in welcoming them to their extended family.[116] In 2021, Daltrey said, "'When three daughters arrived on my doorstep [unexpectedly in the '90s, the products of relationships with women in the '60s], I accepted them and I love them very much'".[120] As of 2018, Daltrey had eight children and fifteen grandchildren.[121]
In 1971, Daltrey bought a farm atHolmshurst Manor, aJacobean country house nearBurwash inEast Sussex.[106] In 1981 he opened atrout farm, Lakedown Trout Fishery, designing its four spring-fed lakes himself.[122] The business is now run by his son Jamie.[123]
Daltrey announced onstage in 2018 that he had sufferedhearing loss as a result of exposure to loud noise levels during performances and was now "very, very deaf". He urged audience members to use earplugs.
In 1978, during the recording of the Who's eighth studio albumWho Are You, Daltrey had throat surgery to remove nodules.[124] During a solo tour in 2009 he began finding it harder to reach the high notes. In December 2010 he was diagnosed with vocal corddysplasia and consultedSteven M. Zeitels, director of theMassachusetts General Hospital Voice Center and professor atHarvard Medical School. Zeitels performed laser surgery to remove a possibly pre-cancerous growth.[125] Both surgeries were considered successful, and Daltrey has regular checks to monitor his condition.[126]
Daltrey has an allergy tocannabis that affects his singing voice. When second-hand marijuana smoke from an audience has affected his performance, he has occasionally interrupted the concert to request that people not smoke it.[127][128] Daltrey has stated that he has never taken hard drugs.[129][130]
Daltrey is a supporter ofArsenal F.C.[131]
In a 2019 interview withThe Times, bandmate Townshend revealed that Daltrey is anatheist, stating, "I believe in God, he doesn't."[132]
Solo
Collaborations with other artists
| Other recordings
The RD Crusaders
(Formed byRichard Desmond and Daltrey in 2003 to raise money for charitable causes. Featured performers wereGary Brooker,Gary Moore,Greg Lake,Lulu,Margo Buchanan,Robert Plant,Russ Ballard,Sam Brown,Simon Townshend,Steve Balsamo,Steve Smith, andZoot Money)[133] |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy | 1975 | Tommy Walker | film |
| Lisztomania | 1975 | Franz Liszt | film |
| The Legacy | 1978 | Clive | film |
| McVicar | 1980 | John McVicar | also producer |
| The Beggar's Opera | 1983 | Captain Macheath | BBC musical production |
| The Comedy of Errors | 1983 | The Dromios | TV film |
| Bitter Cherry | 1983 | short | |
| Murder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce | 1984 | Roger Cunningham | film |
| Pop Pirates | 1984 | Producer | film |
| Buddy | 1986 | Terry Clark | TV series |
| The Little Match Girl | 1986 | Jeb Macklin | musical film |
| The Hunting of the Snark | 1987 | The Barrister | concert appearance |
| Crossbow | 1987 | Francois Arconciel/François Arconciel | TV series |
| Gentry | 1987 | Colin | TV series |
| How to Be Cool | 1988 | Himself | TV series |
| Mack the Knife | 1989 | Street singer | musical film |
| Cold Justice | 1989 | Keith Gibson | film |
| Forgotten Prisoners: The Amnesty Files | 1990 | Howard | TV film |
| Buddy's Song | 1991 | Terry Clark | film, also music score composer, producer |
| Midnight Caller | 1991 | Danny Bingham | TV series |
| If Looks Could Kill | 1991 | Blade | film |
| The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert | 1992 | Himself | concert performance |
| The Real Story of Happy Birthday to You | 1992 | Barnaby (voice) | short |
| Tales from the Crypt | 1993 | Dalton Scott | TV series |
| Highlander | 1993–98 | Hugh Fitzcairn | TV series |
| Lightning Jack | 1994 | John T. Coles | film |
| A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who | 1994 | Himself | concert performance |
| The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True | 1995 | Tin Man | concert performance |
| Bad English I: Tales of a Son of a Brit | 1995 | film | |
| Vampirella | 1996 | Vlad | film |
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | 1996 | Tez | TV series |
| Sliders | 1997 | Col. Angus Rickman | TV series |
| Pirate Tales | 1997 | William Dampier | TV mini-series |
| Like It Is | 1998 | Kelvin | film |
| The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns | 1999 | King Boric | TV film |
| The Bill | 1999 | Larry Moore | TV series |
| Rude Awakening | 1999–2000 | Nobby Clegg | TV series |
| Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula | 2000 | King Janos | TV film |
| Best | 2000 | Rodney Marsh | film |
| The Young Messiah – Messiah XXI | 2000 | Himself | concert performance |
| The Simpsons (episode "A Tale of Two Springfields") | 2000 | Himself, as part of the Who | TV series |
| Strange Frequency 2 | 2001 | Host/devil | TV series |
| Chasing Destiny | 2001 | Nehemiah Peoples | film |
| Witchblade | 2001 | Father Del Toro/Madame Sesostris | TV series |
| .com for Murder | 2001 | Ben | film |
| That '70s Show | 2002 | Mr. Wilkinson | TV series |
| The Wheels on the Bus | 2003 | Argon the Dragon | children's DVD |
| Trafalgar Battle Surgeon | 2005 | Loblolly Boy | TV film |
| The Mighty Boosh | 2005 | Himself | TV series, Series 2 episode 2 'The Priest and the Beast' |
| Johnny Was | 2006 | Jimmy Nolan | film |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | 2006 | Mickey Dunn | TV series (episode: "Living Legend",season 7, episode 9) |
| The Last Detective | 2007 | Mick Keating | TV series |
| Once Upon a Time | 2012 | Caterpillar | TV series (uncredited) |
| Pawn Stars | 2013 | Himself | 1 Episode |
Daltrey has a well-known allergy to marijuana smoke that affects his throat and singing voice, a condition the band even emphasized during the informational slides it projected before its set.
