That’ll be Sir Roger Daltrey from now on. The Who frontman has been knighted by King Charles III as part of the monarch’s Birthday Honours.
Daltrey, 81, was recognized for his wealth of musical contributions as well as his charitable work, in particular his long standing collaboration with the Teenage Cancer Trust, for whom he has served as a patron since 2000. Part of that work has included helping to organize the group’s annual fundraiser at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which has raised more than £36 million.
“It’s with the greatest pleasure we’re delighted to announce that Sir Roger Daltrey CBE has been recognised with a Knighthood in HM The King’s Birthday Honours,” the Who wrote in a statement posted to the band’s social media accounts. “It’s richly deserved not just for his remarkable contribution to British music and culture for over half a century, but for the tens of millions of pounds that his relentless fundraising and brilliant live performances have generated for Teenage Cancer Trust among other causes. Sir Roger is a true inspiration and we salute him and all the other honourees from the worlds of music and the creative arts for enriching our lives with their brilliant human artistry and achievements.”
Daltrey tacked on a statement of his own. “It is a wonderful honour for me and especially for Teenage Cancer Trust,” the singer wrote. “I accept this award not only for myself but on behalf of all the unsung heroes who have given their energy towards making the Teenage Cancer Trust the success it has become. The likes of The Who and their fans, Angie Jenkison, Lindsay Hughes, Des Murphy, Rob Ballantine and the late Chris York are some of many who have done so much to elevate the charity, to the point where it now has 28 specialist units in NHS hospitals across the U.K.”
Others to be honored by the king this year include Gary Oldman, David Beckham, Elaine Paige, Georgia Harrison, and fellow musical artists such as Steve Winwood and 10cc’s Graham Gouldman.
The Who will be taking their farewell tour across North America this August and September, playing stadiums and arenas with support from acts including Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters, Billy Idol, Booker T. Jones, Candlebox, Feist, Joe Bonamassa, Tom Cochrane, ZZ Ward, and the Joe Perry Project. And late last week, it was announced that the group would be releasing a new live album, Live At The Oval 1971. The album is the first-ever official recording of The Who’s set at ‘Goodbye Summer: A Rock Concert in aid of Famine Relief for the People of Bangladesh,’ held on The Oval cricket ground in Kennington, South London on September 18th, 1971.
Order The Who’s Live at the Oval 1971 now.
