Yesterday we broke the news that Zak Starkey has been dismissed from the ranks of The Who and that Starkey isn’t happy about it. Now Starkey has issued a more legible and personal statement expressing his thoughts upon his departure.
Trouble apparently started brewing soon after the band’s recent Royal Albert Hall charity gigs for the Teenage Cancer Trust, on 27 March and 30 March. The Teenage Cancer Trust being a charity in which lead vocalist Roger Daltrey plays a founding role.
Taking to Instagram Starkey left a cryptic post suggesting that: “Toger Daktrey [sic] lead singer and principal songwriter of the group [was] unhappy with Zak the drummer’s performance at the Albert Hall a few weeks ago [and] is bringing formal charges of overplaying and is literally going to Zak [sic] the drummer and bring on a reserve.”
Yesterday that garbled prophecy came true with an official statement from the band reading “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."
Now Starkey has come forward with his own statement confirming the split and his degree of upset.
“I’m very proud of my near thirty years with The Who,” Starkey told Rolling Stone. “Filling the shoes of my Godfather, ‘uncle Keith’ has been the biggest honor and I remain their biggest fan. They’ve been like family to me. In January, I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf. This is now completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running.”
“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? 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.
“Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best.”
Wanted: Drummer. Quickly
Starkey first got together with The Who after playing with Daltrey on an American tour in 1994. Two years later he joined the band officially for their tour to celebrate their 1973 LP Quadrophenia.
The question now is who will replace Starkey in The Who?
Starkey’s original Instagram post suggests that the band already have plans in this direction and intends to replace him with “a reserve from The Burwash Car Wash Skiffle ‘n’ Tickle Glee Club Harmony Without Empathy Allstars” – a prediction that is best described as open to interpretation…
However, the fact remains that the band does have two upcoming shows in Italy at the Stadio Euganeo in Padua on 20 July and at the Parco della Musica di Milano on 22 July and are currently without a drummer.
And drumming for The Who – literally sitting in the seat once filled by the legendary Keith Moon – is, as we’ve just learnt, a difficult role to fill.
The most likely stand-in would appear to be Scott Devours, who has been in Roger Daltrey’s band since 2009 and was a previous replacement for Starkey when he dipped out due to his tendon problem.
Similarly top session player Simon Phillips (above) is also in the frame after playing with Pete Townshend on his solo albums and live shows.
Philips also has form playing with The Who on their 1989 reunion tour and stepping in to replace Starkey when the in-demand drummer couldn't make his day job due to being required by Johnny Marr and the Healers on the same night.
Interestingly, in a 2024 interview with Mojo, Townshend revealed that it that Daltrey who was in charge of appointing the various members of The Who over the years and that Townshend “wasn’t 100% happy” with some of his choices. “I’d get Simon Phillips on drums and Pino Palladino on bass, and I’d dig ‘Rabbit’ [keyboardist John Bundrick] out of his bed,” Townshend suggested.
At the time of writing, new members of The Who are yet to be appointed.
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