Raleigh,
N.C. — For 50 years, The Who has been making hit after hit, and the unique,
iconic voice of Roger Daltrey has led the way the whole time.
You know,
so many people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for singing the soundtrack of
my life,’ which is kind of scary. We’ve done all that?” Daltrey said with a
laugh.
The
legendary singer is also using his voice to help teenage cancer patients.
At every
concert stop, including Tuesday’s performance at PNC Arena in Raleigh, the band
holds a fundraiser for a charity that Daltrey started about three years ago
called Teen Cancer America.
“We do
sound checks where people pay to hear us make a terrible racket while we get
the sound sorted out,” he said. “We charge them for that, and all that goes
into the pot. We’re having fundraisers every night.”
Daltrey
and his bandmate, guitarist Pete Townsend, founded a similar organization in
Britain 25 years ago called Teenage Cancer Trust. Since then, the charity has
raised more than $200 million.
The goal
of the non-profit is to set up places in hospitals to focus on cancer treatment
for young people who are no longer children, yet not quite adults.
It doesn’t
have to be a big space, just somewhere they can meet, be together. The parents
can meet other parents going through the same horror,” Daltrey said.
“Psychological and social well-being for anyone with serious illness like
cancer is incredibly beneficial to the patient.”
At 71,
Daltrey still loves to perform and is passionate about giving back to the fans
who have helped him and The Who persevere for 50 years.
I’ve had a
life of privilege,” he said. “I really have, I mean, due to the music business.
And when you look at the music business, what it is, it is literally,
completely and utterly supported by that age group. So, this is just a way of
easily giving back.”
As a
child, Daltrey spent time in a hospital after he swallowed a nail. The
experience gives him a certain empathy for teens undergoing treatment.
I remember
the horrors of being isolated,” he said. “I hated it.”
The first
Teen Cancer America facility started at UCLA. The group is in talks with 40
other hospitals, including Duke University Hospital, to expand the program.
Triangle
resident Sally Webb is a member of the board of directors for Teen Cancer
America. Her younger sister was diagnosed with a brain tumour in her early
teens and died in her 20s.
Webb also
sits on the executive committee of the Triangle Chapter of the British-American
Business Council, which co-hosted a pre-concert event in Raleigh that raised
$7,000 for Teen Cancer America.
Daltrey
said his work with the charity has given him immeasurable return.
I get so
much good feeling out of doing this. You can’t buy it,” he said.
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