Who's Townshend explores aging in musical

The Who's Pete Townshend, who penned the lyric, "I hope I die before I get old," for My Generation, is tackling the theme of aging in a new musical project.

The 64-year-old songwriter and guitarist is working on a musical entitled Floss, which follows an aging pub-rock musician and the troubled relationship he has with his wife.

"As a 19-year-old, with My Generation, I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock," Townshend said in a blog posting on The Who website this week.

"At 64, I now want to take on aging and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock 'n' roll."

Songs from Floss — which is being designed for performances outdoors or in arenas — are slated to appear on a new Who album to be released in 2010.

Townshend also said he is in talks for the musical to be staged in New York, possibly in 2011.

"Floss is an ambitious new project for me, in the style of Tommy and Quadrophenia," he said, citing his previous rock operas.