Legendary rock band says upcoming North American tour is its final one

The Who's farewell tour to feature 16 dates across the U.S. and Canada.

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The Who, the British band that emerged in the 1960s to become one of the most influential acts in rock ‘n’ roll history, announced a North American tour Thursday that it says will be its last.

"Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time,“ said Pete Townshend, 79, the band’s guitarist and principle songwriter and one of the two surviving original members, along with singer Roger Daltrey. ”I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back."

“The Song is Over North America Farewell Tour” features only 16 dates and begins Aug. 16 in Sunrise, Florida. The closest the band will come to Cleveland is Toronto, with shows on Sept. 2 and Sept. 4, and Chicago on Sept. 7.

The band last performed in the Cleveland area in September 2019 at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls. Before that, The Who had not performed in Cleveland since September 2000 despite numerous tours of North America.

“The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio,” Daltrey, 81, said. “Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion.

“To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”

The original lineup of Townshend, Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon first toured the U.S. in 1967 as an opening act for Herman’s Hermits and it included a show on Aug. 31 at Music Hall in Cleveland.

It was an unusual match, with The Who often leaving U.S. fans of Herman’s Hermits stunned as they would play a loud, aggressive 30-minute set, then smash their equipment in a haze of smoke at the end while performing “My Generation.”

The Who didn’t really gain much popularity in the U.S. until 1969, when they released the album “Tommy” and played at Woodstock. By the time they released “Who’s Next” in 1971, they were one of the biggest bands in the world, filling stadiums.

“Who’s Next” is considered one of rock’s greatest and most influential albums, opening with “Baba O’Riley” and including “Bargain,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Going Mobile,” “My Wife,” “The Song is Over,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

Their energetic live shows were legendary, with Townshend’s windmills and leaps, Daltrey swinging the microphone and Moon’s manic drumming.

After the death of Moon in 1978, the band released two albums with Kenney Jones on drums and then broke up after a “farewell tour” in 1982. However, they reunited in 1989 for an extensive tour to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of “Tommy.”

They again reunited in 1996 for a tour featuring their 1973 album “Quadrophenia,” and began touring regularly in 1999. They have released two albums in the past 40 years, “Endless Wire” in 2006 and “Who” in 2019.

They have sold more than 100 million recordings during their 60-year career and have remained a popular touring act despite the death of Moon and Entwistle in 2002. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Daltrey said there currently is no plan for a final tour of the United Kingdom.

“Let’s see if we survive this one,” Daltrey said. “I don’t want to say that there won’t be (a U.K. farewell tour), but equally I’m not confident in saying there will be.”

Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale and through the Who Fan Club beginning Tuesday. Additional pre-sales will run throughout the week ahead of the general sale beginning 10 a.m. May 16 at thewho.com/tour/.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

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