“This is the way rock stars die, OxyContin”: Pete Townshend opens up about the health challenges he encountered and overcame before The Who's final bow

Pete Townshend of The Who performs at Parco Della Musica on July 22, 2025 in Milan, Italy.

In the midst of what the Who have dubbed ‘The Song Is Over’ farewell tour of North America, Pete Townshend has opened up about his health and whether it really is the Who's, and Townshend's, final bow – at least in a touring capacity.

"I went through a period of feeling very depressed," he divulges in an interview with The New York Times. “And when I had the knee operation early this year, I got readdicted to painkillers. This is the way rock stars die, OxyContin.