Pete Townshend is focusing on his recovery with the aim of performing with The Who at a later date, after withdrawing from Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival due to ongoing health problems.
The 81-year-old guitar legend has sustained damage to his left foot and is dealing with balance issues. Despite his efforts to be ready for the festival—scheduled for September 26 and 27 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas—he notes that the long flight from the UK makes travel impractical given his current condition.
In a message posted on Clapton’s X page, he explained: “I’m deeply sorry to say that because of damage to my left foot and the related balance problems, I cannot commit to traveling to perform at the Crossroads Festival in Austin. I very much wanted to take part and have worked hard to get into shape, and I am improving, but the lengthy flights from London and the jet lag upon return would set back my progress in a way I can’t afford.”
Townshend has instead contributed a generous $50,000 to Clapton’s Crossroads Centre—a drug-treatment clinic near St Philip’s, Antigua—through his own charity, Double O, which supports addiction-recovery organizations.
He added: “I’m making a $50,000 donation to the festival’s cause from my Double O foundation, and someday I hope I might accept Eric’s invitation to join him on stage. He has asked me several times. There have always been obstacles, this time relating to my recovery from knee replacement in February 2025 and some complications.”
“I want to especially thank Derek Trucks and Susie Tedeschi for offering to back me as my band. That is something I can only dream about, and perhaps one day it will happen.”
“In the meantime I will continue to work on getting well so I can perform with Roger and The Who in the future.”
The post was captioned: “We love you @PeteTownshend_, feel better and we are so appreciative of your donation (sic).”
The Who played their final shows in 2025, but it doesn’t sound as if the group is finished yet.
In commenting on his deal with Primary Wave Music, Townshend alluded in May to Roger [Daltrey] and the many friends and colleagues around The Who. “We’re always trying to create something special, and if it’s God’s will we’ll keep doing that, hoping one day we can astonish you again the way we used to.”
