Former Who drummer Zak Starkey recently explained what really led to his firings from The Who and addressed his current relationship with Roger Daltrey, in a statement shared on NY Post.
Starkey opened up about the band’s internal dynamics and his refusal to compromise his integrity despite the consequences.
“We’re still friends. We still talk all the time. But The Who has an addiction to friction, and tempers flare,” Starkey said. “I’m not the guy with a temper, really. I’m just a guy who won’t be walked all over, and I don’t think that I should be treated unfairly and not be able to speak up.”
The drummer detailed the circumstances surrounding his dismissals from the legendary rock band.
“I got fired. I was asked to make a public statement apologizing for dropping beats, which I did, and I was rehired. So I said nothing,” he continued. “Then they made a statement saying I’d moved on, inferring I’d quit. So I went back and said, ‘Look, I didn’t f–king quit, you fired me. That’s a lie, and I’m not going to f–king lie.'”
Starkey also revealed how a newspaper interview ultimately led to his second firing.
“A little bit more time went by, and I spoke to Roger a few times, and then he basically said don’t take your drums from our storage facility because we probably want you back,” he said. “Then a couple of days later, an article came out in the Telegraph, which I had done a few weeks before, and I got fired, again, the next day.”
The recent revelations shed light on the ongoing tensions within one of rock’s most enduring bands. They highlight the complex dynamics between veteran musicians and their collaborators.
Starkey’s dismissal from The Who represents more than just a personnel change for the legendary rock group. The A.V. Club reported that The Who attempted to put a PR spin on Starkey’s firing by claiming they had “retired” him rather than terminated his services outright. This semantic distinction appears to be part of the band’s effort to control the narrative surrounding the departure of Ringo Starr’s son from their lineup.
The drummer’s connection to rock royalty adds another layer to this story. As the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Starkey brought both musical pedigree and generational continuity to The Who’s rhythm section. His tenure with the band spanned multiple tours and recordings. This makes his departure particularly significant for fans who had grown accustomed to his powerful drumming style behind Roger Daltrey’s vocals and Pete Townshend’s guitar work.
The timing of Starkey’s final dismissal appears to have been triggered by his candid interview with The Telegraph, which the band viewed as problematic. AOL noted that Starkey revealed where he stands with The Who after singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend fired him from the group last year. He emphasized that despite the professional conflicts, personal relationships remain intact.
The situation reflects broader challenges facing veteran rock bands as they navigate internal politics, public relations, and artistic differences. AOL indicated that The Who continues to hint at potential final performances. This suggests that the band’s future remains uncertain even as they deal with personnel changes and internal friction that Starkey described as an “addiction” within the group’s dynamic.
