Pete Townshend says his addiction to painkillers made it difficult to get in shape for the Who's final tour.
But, speaking to the New York Times, Townshend has revealed that getting show-ready was an uphill battle.
“I went through a period of feeling very depressed, and when I had a knee operation early this year, I got readdicted to painkillers,” ” Townshend told the New York Times.
“This is the way rock stars die,” he added, “OxyContin.”
Townshend's words aren’t melodrama. Prince died from a fentanyl overdose in 2016, seven years after Steven Tyler got hooked on prescription opioids. Musicians and painkillers can be a potent mix, and tragically, Townshend’s troubles came after three decades of sobriety.
“I’d gone through severe alcohol addiction for many years, then narcotics,” he says. “I’d been clean for over 30 years.”
Thankfully, the story has a happy ending.
“I called a close friend who’s working for a recovery clinic in Spain,” he explains, “and he got my head sorted out. I’m feeling really good at the moment.”
The guitarist, who turned 80 in May, has previously played down this tour being the definitive end for the Who. When asked about the band’s plans post-tour, he’d offered a cryptic response, adding, “I’m a dangerous fucker.”
His response to The New York Times was somewhat more measured.
“It’s in Roger’s hands,” he replied. “I don’t like being away from my family, my studios, my dogs, and my friends. I’m not looking to spend the next five years of my life waiting to drop dead on the stage.”
But he isn’t looking to end his 64-year partnership with Roger Daltrey either.
“The end of the tour could give Roger and I permission never to call each other again,” he admits. “I hope that doesn’t happen.”
He does accept, however, that he and Daltrey “are very different and we have different needs as performers.” The singer is dealing with deafness, which has obviously complicates his performance abilities. Says Townshend, “He’s a singer, and he has to be 100 percent fit in order to do his job.”
Billed as The Song Is Over, the Who tour set to conclude in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 28.
Although Townshend has said performing “doesn’t fill my soul” like it does for other performers, he appreciates the U.S. audiences and is glad to be able to give them one final swan song. The Who's first American performance took place in June 1967 at the Monterey Pop Festival.
“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 when the 15-date run was announced in May (via Guitar World). “Music was everywhere. We all felt equal.”
