Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and lead vocalist of rock band the Who, and is known for his singing voice and stage presence.
Daltrey's recorded 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.
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Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and lead vocalist of rock band the Who, and is known for his singing voice and stage presence.
Daltrey's recorded 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 singles include "Giving It All Away", "Free Me", "Without Your Love" and "Under a Raging Moon".
The Who are considered one of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands of the 20th century and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. As a member of the band, Daltrey received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1988 and from the Grammy Foundation in 2001. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. He and Pete Townshend received Kennedy Center Honors in 2008 and the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA in 2016.
Daltrey was ranked number 61 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest singers of all time in 2008, and Planet Rock listeners voted him rock's fifth-greatest voice in 2009. He has also worked as an actor and film producer, with roles in film, theatre and television. In June 2025 Daltrey was appointed Knight Bachelor in the Birthday Honours for services to charity and music.
Daltrey was born on 1 March 1944 at Hammersmith Hospital in East Acton, London, during a World War II bombing raid. He is the eldest of three children of Harry and Irene Daltrey and has two younger sisters. His father, an insurance clerk, was called up to serve in the Second World War, and Daltrey and his mother were evacuated to a farm in Scotland when he was an infant.
He attended Victoria Primary School and Acton County Grammar School in west London, the same school later attended by Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. He performed well academically in the English state school system and achieved high marks in the eleven-plus examination before attending grammar school.
In 1957 he made a guitar, a cherry red Stratocaster replica. He later joined a skiffle group called the Detours, which required a lead vocalist, and initially brought the instrument when asked to bring a guitar. His father bought him an Epiphone guitar in 1959 and he became the band's lead guitarist. He also acted as the band's leader and was reported to enforce discipline physically at times. According to Townshend, Daltrey "ran things the way he wanted. If you argued with him, you usually got a bunch of fives". Daltrey later stated that this approach reflected his upbringing in a working-class environment where conflicts were often settled through fighting. He was later expelled from school.
In 1964 it was discovered that another band was performing under the name the Detours, and the group considered changing its name. Several suggestions were made, including "the Hair" and "The Who", and the name "The Who" was ultimately adopted after Daltrey endorsed it.
Townshend later became the primary songwriter for the band, and after their first hit single "I Can't Explain" and a recording contract in 1965, Daltrey's role within the group became less dominant. The Who fired him in 1965 after he assaulted drummer Keith Moon following disputes related to drug use within the group, but he was re-admitted a week later on probation after agreeing not to repeat the behaviour.
The band's second single, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", was a collaboration between Daltrey and Townshend. While Townshend developed as the main composer, Daltrey established himself as the group's lead singer and frontman. He became known for energetic stage performances, including swinging a microphone by its cable. His vocal style on "My Generation" and his performance on "Won't Get Fooled Again" became among the band's most noted recordings.
By 1973 Daltrey was also pursuing solo work and acting roles. During the recording period for the album "Quadrophenia", he reviewed the band's financial records and found issues in their management under Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. This contributed to internal tensions. During a later filming session, Daltrey and Townshend argued over scheduling, and both men were involved in a physical altercation.
The Who's albums "Tommy" (1969), "Who's Next" (1971) and "Quadrophenia" (1973) established the band as a major act in rock music. In 1975 Daltrey played the lead role in the film adaptation of "Tommy", for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture. He also appeared in "Lisztomania" and worked on related soundtrack material.
The Who's drummer Keith Moon died in 1978, and the band continued with Kenney Jones as his replacement. The Who disbanded in 1983 when Townshend decided he could no longer write material for the group.
The band reformed in 1989 for a 25th Anniversary Tour marking the anniversary of "Tommy". The tour included a large backing band and guest appearances by several musicians. Daltrey completed the tour despite health issues that later required surgery.
In 1996 Daltrey participated in a performance of "Quadrophenia" for a Prince's Trust concert in Hyde Park. The day before the performance he was injured in an incident involving a microphone stand, resulting in a fractured eye socket, but he performed using an eye patch. The production later toured in 1996–97.
The Who continued touring in various line-ups following the death of bassist John Entwistle in 2002, with Pino Palladino taking his place. The group released the studio album "Endless Wire" in 2006 and toured in support of it. In 2010 Daltrey and Townshend performed at the Super Bowl XLIV half-time show and later staged performances of "Quadrophenia" for charity.
Daltrey wrote or co-wrote several songs for the Who, including "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (1965), "See My Way" (1966), "Early Morning Cold Taxi" (1967), "Here for More" (1970), "Crossroads Now" (1999) and "Certified Rose", which was later released on his solo album "As Long as I Have You" (2018).
Daltrey has released ten solo studio albums. His debut album "Daltrey" (1973) included the single "Giving It All Away". His second album, "Ride a Rock Horse" (1975), was a commercial success. He later collaborated with various musicians on albums including "One of the Boys" (1977), "McVicar" (1980), "Parting Should Be Painless" (1984), "Under a Raging Moon" (1985), "Can't Wait to See the Movie" (1987) and "Rocks in the Head" (1992). He also performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, singing "I Want It All".
In 1994 he performed two concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City, later released as "A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who". He also undertook a related US tour. He wrote and performed "Highbury Highs" in 2006 for the closing of Arsenal F.C.'s Highbury stadium.
In 2009 he toured North America with a new band called No Plan B, and later performed with Eric Clapton on several occasions. In 2018 he released the album "As Long as I Have You". He returned to touring in 2021 with the Live and Kicking Tour, which took place in 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Daltrey
Studio albums
Daltrey (1973)
Ride a Rock Horse (1975)
One of the Boys (1977)
McVicar (1980)
Parting Should Be Painless (1984)
Under a Raging Moon (1985)
Can't Wait to See the Movie (1987)
Rocks in the Head (1992)
As Long as I Have You (2018)
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…shrink me down again