Roger Daltrey plots rare North American solo tour

DETROIT (Billboard) - With the Who inactive for the moment, Roger Daltrey is gearing up to launch his first solo tour of North America since 1985.

The Use It Or Lose It theater trek -- a nod to the 65-year-old singer's vocal cords -- kicks off October 10 in Vancouver, B.C., and runs through November 30 in Clearwater, Fla.

Daltrey will dust off material from his nine solo albums, some covers (he's previously preformed songs by Queen, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen) and, of course, a generous selection of Who favorites.

"I feel so passionate about (Who guitarist/songwriter Pete) Townshend's music, what he wrote and his standing in the big scheme of things," Daltrey told Billboard.com. "I love playing Townshend's music old, new, whatever."

Daltrey said the Who had "no intention of stopping" but that after more than 45 years together he's learned to be patient.

"I think Pete's got every intention of writing more new Who stuff," Daltrey said, "but he hates to say that until he's actually written it 'cause it's in the lap of the gods, isn't it? I wish I could write it, 'cause we'd be doing it tomorrow. But, sadly, I'm not the writer that Townshend is. One genius is enough in a band....You just have to be there for him if he needs you. That's my function. I'm just an instrument for him, and...I'm quite happy with that."

Daltrey, meanwhile, is not ruling out the possibility of another solo album, though he hasn't released one since 1992's "Rocks in the Head."

"I think I've got one more really good album in me," he said. "I'm working on ideas. There's whole new dimensions to come out of me, I think. It's finding the material, but the way I always feel is there must be an enormous amount of really talented songwriters out there who can't sing, so please send your songs."

Townshend's younger brother Simon Townshend, a touring guitarist with the Who, will accompany Daltrey on the tour, along with guitarist and musical director Frank Simes, keyboardist Loren Gold, bassist Jon Button and drummer Scott Devours.

(Editing by dean.goodman at Reuters)

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