The Who Reveal Cancer Scare

Roger Daltrey had throat operation

The Who’s iconic frontman Roger Daltrey has revealed that he had an operation on his throat in 2009.

One of rock’s most famous vocalists, Roger Daltrey’s powerful voice has echoed around some of the world’s biggest arenas. In recent years, though, the singer seems to gain more pleasure from his work with the Teenage Cancer Trust.

In a new interview, though, the frontman has opened up about his own cancer scare. The Who’s Roger Daltrey told American broadcaster CBS that after a tour in 2009 he discovered a pre-cancerous growth on his throat.

Completing a thirty date tour, The Who even performed at the Superbowl in front of a televised audience of millions. Returning home, Roger Daltrey began to feel uncomfortable when singing.

“My voice wasn’t behaving in the normal way,” he explained. “It was becoming hard work to sing. I just got lucky that somebody put me in touch with Steven Zeitels (Director of the Mass General Voice Center in Massachusetts).”

“He told me that he didn’t like what he saw. He took off what he could from the problem area on my vocal cord. He said it wasn’t cancer but it was a pre-cancerous growth and you have to keep an eye on it.”

The operation was relatively simple, and allowed The Who to perform at the Superbowl a mere six weeks later. However Roger Daltrey claimed that the recovery process was still a difficult obstacle.

“I got depressed after he did the operation, during what I call the Big Silence,” he explained. “That’s when I realised what it would be like to not have a voice.”

Finishing, Roger Daltrey paid tribute to The Institute of Laryngology and Voice Restoration, a support group started by patients, saying: “It will give people who have no voice, not even a voice box, a voice again. And that’s going to be an extraordinary achievement.”

The Who performed in the Hammersmith Apollo last night (January 13th).

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