The legendary rock band The Who has announced the departure of their longtime drummer, Zak Starkey, following a series of performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, had been with the band for nearly three decades.
The circumstances surrounding Starkey‘s exit appear to stem from a public disagreement between him and vocalist Roger Daltrey during one of their Royal Albert Hall shows on March 30th. During a performance of “This Song is Over,” Daltrey stopped the song, addressing the audience to express his frustration with the drum sound.
“To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can’t,” Daltrey stated to the crowd, around the 3:10 mark of fan-recorded footage. “All I’ve got is drum sound: boom, boom, boom. And I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry guys.”
Following these performances, on April 16th, The Who issued an official statement regarding Starkey‘s departure: “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.”
However, Starkey‘s own statement to Rolling Stone suggests that the issue during the Royal Albert Hall show was indeed a catalyst for his dismissal and that the parting may not have been entirely amicable. “I’m very proud of my near thirty years with The Who. 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,” Starkey said. He also mentioned a recent health issue, stating, “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.”
Addressing Daltrey‘s on-stage comments, Starkey added, “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?” He concluded by outlining his immediate 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. Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run and I wish them the best.”
Adding another layer to the situation, Starkey also posted a cryptic message on social media over the weekend, seemingly hinting at prior knowledge of his departure and a less than smooth parting. In an all-caps message accompanying a picture of himself with Daltrey, Starkey wrote: “Heard today from inside source that Toger Daktrey [sic] lead singer and principal songwriter of the group unhappy with Zak the drummer’s performance at the Albert Hall a few weeks ago is bringing formal charges of overplaying and is literally going to Zak the drummer.” This post further suggests that Daltrey’s on-stage criticism was a significant factor in Starkey‘s exit from The Who after nearly three decades with the iconic band.
