Pete Townshend: Reveling at 80 on Final Who Tour and Bold New Beginnings

London’s indefatigable rock sage Pete Townshend recently granted AARP The Magazine a deeply revealing interview, with the questioning prowess of Jim Sullivan guiding him through reflections on The Who’s swan song and his exhilarating future ahead.

At 80, Townshend stands not on a retirement ledge, but on a mountain top. “I think I’m on the fucking mountain top! … I am healthy, and I think I probably have another five years in show business,” he declares with spirited conviction. While he may not yet know exactly what form that future will take, his creative engine is roaring, producing, writing, collaborating. “I’m very good at producing shows, producing artists, working with artists,” he says.

The full interview by Jim Sullivan for AARP The Magazine is here

The Who are currently traversing North America on what they promise is the last hurrah, “The Song Is Over” tour, 17 electrifying dates from August 16 through to September 28 in Las Vegas. When asked about touring again at his age, Townshend responds with unguarded honesty, touring can be lonely. Still, at 80, he asks, “Why shouldn’t I revel in it? Why shouldn’t I celebrate?”

Despite the heartbreak of losing Keith Moon and John Entwistle, Townshend reframes The Who not just as a band, but as “a brand rather than a band,” a legacy he and Roger Daltrey feel duty-bound to honor. Today’s performances are more than just concerts, they are celebrations, tributes to a half-century of pure rock artistry.

Behind the scenes, Townshend has been quietly prolific. In his AARP interview, he revealed that he has a staggering 140 completed tracks, primed for release. These cuts serve as both a testament to his inexhaustible creativity and the foundation for the long-awaited solo album, The Age of Anxiety, which he has been diligently working on since 2007.

When pressed about retirement, Townshend is clear-eyed and realistic, “We reserve the right to pop up again,” he says of occasional reunions or one-offs with Daltrey. But he admits it’s unlikely, “at our age, we will not.” Still, he has no plans to step out of the spotlight entirely.

Looking beyond The Who, Townshend plans to take to the stage in a new way, he intends to tour with one-man shows, stripped-back performances where he can experiment, reinterpret, and engage on a deeply personal level. He also envisions working with Roger Daltrey, but in different contexts, charity endeavors and unique special projects that continue The Who’s legacy through fresh lenses.

Townshend has long proven that his creativity thrives outside the confines of The Who. His solo work, spanning albums like Empty Glass and White City: A Novel, offered glimpses of a songwriter willing to stretch boundaries and push lyrical and sonic limits. Now, freed from the demands of fronting one of rock’s most enduring institutions, he appears determined to recapture that spirit in a new chapter of artistic exploration.

Townshend’s outlook is refreshingly unfiltered. He’s aware of mortality, “We’re lucky to be alive,” and sees this as a moment to both honor his past and thrill at his future. He recognizes their farewell tour as the closing of a monumental chapter, but not the end of his journey.
“I’ve thought, ‘Well, this is my job, I’m happy to have the work,’ but… ‘why shouldn’t I celebrate?’” he muses. That sentiment encapsulates the spirit he brings as he steps forward, eyes bright, guitar in hand, ready to revel in what’s next.

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Tagged as: 60s, Pete Townshend, rock, The Who, UK