Zak Starkey, son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, has broken his silence after being fired from The Who following nearly three decades as their drummer.
The 59-year-old musician expressed his surprise at the band’s decision in a statement released yesterday.
“After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I’m surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?” Starkey said.
The split comes after The Who’s recent performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March, where frontman Roger Daltrey reportedly complained about Starkey’s drumming.
Starkey had been The Who’s full-time drummer since their Quadrophenia Tour in 1996.
According to a Metro report from the March 30 performance, Daltrey openly complained several times that he was struggling to hear over Starkey’s drumming.
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“To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can’t. All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry guys,” Daltrey told the audience.
The frontman reportedly stopped the show multiple times, at one point saying: “It was going so well… I can sing in any f***ing key you want, but I need to hear which one.”
An insider told The Mirror: “It was the final straw for the band and they knew they had to pull the plug. It’s a shame but it is what it is.”
In January, Starkey suffered what he described as “a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf”.
The drummer was forced to cancel a London gig with his indie band Mantra of the Cosmos at the time.
However, Starkey has emphasised that this health issue has now “completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running”.
A representative for the band previously told media outlets that Starkey had been advised to take blood thinners for two weeks and rest to prevent additional clots.
The timing of the medical issue earlier this year has led to speculation about whether it might have affected his recent performances.
A spokesperson for The Who confirmed the split, stating: “The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall.”
“They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future,” the spokesperson added.
A representative for Starkey described the situation to The Independent as a “typical rock’n’roll falling out”.
“Healing can take time! Zak is without doubt one of the UK’s greatest drummers and his tutor none other than the late Keith Moon!” they said.
An insider told The Mirror that the split was “a little acrimonious to say the least”.
Despite the circumstances of his departure, Starkey remains positive about his future plans.
“I plan to take some much needed time off with my family, and focus on the release of ‘Domino Bones’ by Mantra Of The Cosmos with Noel Gallagher in May and finishing my autobiography written solely by me,” he said.
The drummer, who joined Oasis in 2004 after Alan White’s departure, collaborated with Noel Gallagher on the Mantra of the Cosmos track earlier this year.
The newspapers today are full of the story that ‘The Who’ have sacked their drummer, my mate, Zak Starkey. This is crazy and I think the band, well, Roger is nuts. How on earth can they replace Zak. He is and has always been the only possible replacement for my other mate, the…
— Danny Clifford (@DannyClifford) April 16, 2025
Starkey concluded his statement with a philosophical note about his lengthy tenure with the legendary rock band.
“Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best.”
