Roger Daltrey calls Pete Townshend his best friend and brother

Roger Daltrey says that nearly 50 years after meeting Who cofounder Pete Townshend, their relationship has developed way beyond bandmates and business partners into family. Both he and Townshend were saluted on Sunday (December 7th) at the Kennedy Center Honors along with Morgan Freeman, country legend George Jones, choreographer Twyla Tharp, and Barbra Streisand.

Daltrey spoke to The Washington Post and was emotional about his long, and at times turbulent, relationship with Townshend in and out of the Who: "He's my brother. He's my best mate. We don't see each other a lot, but I find him deeply entertaining, deeply interesting. Of course, sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes I say, 'Oh... don't be so bloody stupid.' But there's almost a telepathy between us. The more I go through life, the more I think there is some kind of order to the universe. This is no coincidence."

Since the Who's initial split in 1982, any band work -- be it on the road or in the studio -- has always been beholden on Townshend's whims and approval. Daltrey says that he understands how to best serve Townshend's music: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "'Just have to be there if he needs you. That's the function. I'm just an instrument for him -- and I accept that, I'm quite happy with that. But I do all the other stuff behind the scenes, the business side of it. I deal with the interviews when he doesn't fancy doing them, and a whole raft of other stuff that has to do with Who business that Pete doesn't do, that I do. So, y'know, we do kind of share the load in different ways."

Out now is The Who's double DVD Live At Kilburn 1977. The two-disc set features the band's infamous Kilburn State Gaumont gig from December 15th, 1977 -- which was drummer Keith Moon's second-to-last performance with the band prior to his death the following year.

The second bonus disc features the Who at the peak of their live career performing at the London Coliseum on December 14th, 1969.

The Who kicks off the first gig of their three-night stint at London's IndigO2 arena on December 14th.
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