LONDON (AP) 鈥 British rock band The Who are to say their final goodbye to North America this summer.
Singer and guitarist Pete Townshend confirmed Thursday that they will perform hits from six-decade career during "The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour," named after the band鈥檚 1971 hit.
The band, which by the 1970s had become one of the world鈥檚 biggest touring bands, easily filling the largest U.S. stadiums, will play their first gig in Florida on Aug. 16, with further dates in cities including New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver, before a final date in Las Vegas on Sept. 28.
鈥淓very musician鈥檚 dream in the early '60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts," Daltrey said. 鈥淔or The Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever.鈥
The band went from performing club shows to headlining the Woodstock festival in the U.S. and becoming one of the biggest box-office draw in the world. The band were inducted into the Rock n鈥 Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.
Daltrey, 81, and Townshend, two years his junior, have been one of rock's most prolific double acts, surviving the deaths of drummer Keith Moon in 1978 and bass guitarist John Entwistle in 2002.
鈥淭oday, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle, and, of course, all of our long-time Who fans," Townshend said. 鈥淚 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.鈥
Though Daltrey didn鈥檛 write songs, he was able to channel Townsend鈥檚 many and complicated moods 鈥 defiance and rage, vulnerability and desperation.
Together, they forged some of rock鈥檚 most defining sounds: the stuttering, sneering delivery of 鈥淢y Generation,鈥 the anguished cry of 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all wasted!鈥 from 鈥淏aba O鈥橰eilly,鈥 and the all-time scream from 鈥淲on鈥檛 Get Fooled Again.鈥 Two of their albums 鈥淭ommy鈥 and 鈥淨uadrophenia鈥 were also adapted into successful films in 1975 and 1979, respectively.
Pre-sales will run from May 13 ahead of the general sale beginning May 16.
鈥淲ell, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time," Townshend said. 鈥淔or me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible.鈥
Daltrey, who said a throat specialist has told him he should have a 鈥渄ay off鈥 after every gig he performs, and Townshend also revealed there are no plans at the moment for a farewell tour of the U.K.
鈥淟et鈥檚 see if we survive this one,鈥 Daltrey said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to say that there won鈥檛 be (a U.K. farewell tour), but equally I鈥檓 not confident in saying there will be.鈥
