Zak Starkey, long-time drummer for The Who, has once again been dropped from the band. That would be the second time in a month the latter band has — as recently revealed by band member Pete Townshend. You might be surprised to know that Starkey has been kicking it with The Who since 1996. Instead, a storm of tumultuous events soon conspired to bring about his controversial exit. His journey with the iconic rock band began when he received a drum kit from family friend Keith Moon on his eighth birthday.
In recent weeks, Starkey’s position within The Who became uncertain, prompting Townshend to describe “weeks of mayhem” where he felt like a “bleeding squeezebox,” going “in and out and in and out” regarding Starkey’s status. This internal strife reached its peak during a performance in March when lead vocalist Roger Daltrey publicly expressed frustration with Starkey’s drumming, stating, “To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can’t.” This concern came to a head with Starkey in anointing Daltrey as “Toger Daktrey” and accusing him of “overplaying.”
Even in the midst of this unplanned turmoil, Starkey made it clear that he wasn’t going anywhere and put fans’ minds at ease. Maybe that’s because just three days after Townshend’s initial announcement of dismissal, Starkey was back on the bench. But alas, this brief revival was not to last. On May 17th, Townshend officially announced that Starkey had been released again. This is an unprecedented time for Starkey in another way—as it’s the first time in his 40-year professional drumming career that he’s been officially booted from a band.
“I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit to follow my other musical endeavours,” – Zak Starkey
Starkey explicitly stated that he did not leave mutually. He told them how much he loved The Who and categorically ruled out any plan to retire. He stated, “Not true. I love The Who and would never have quit and let down so many amazing people who stood up for me through all this madness.” After his firing, Starkey took to social media to say thank you. Further indicating his respect for Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, he made clear that he intended to back their play, no matter what.
Townshend acknowledged Starkey’s contributions to the band, stating, “After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change.” He acknowledged that Starkey has many exciting new projects in the pipeline and wished him well in his future pursuits.
“A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best,” – Pete Townshend
The Who are embarking on their first-ever farewell tour. In the meantime, fans have to wonder how this will change what we hear in live performances and studio recordings moving forward. Starkey’s departure opens up thrilling new opportunities for other musicians to fill the gap. Josh Freese, who played with The Who during this period, gave a bit of insight into the experience recently.