‘Surprised’ Zak Starkey speaks out after being sacked by The Who

Drummer Zak Starkey has said he is “surprised and saddened” that anyone would take issue with his Royal Albert Hall performance with The Who, after being sacked from the band he has played with for almost 30 years.

The British musician, who is the son of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen Starkey, had been the band’s full-time drummer since he joined their Quadrophenia tour in 1996.

However, this week the band’s representatives shared a statement that a “collective decision” was made to part ways with Starkey after their Royal Albert Hall shows, during which frontman Roger Daltrey reportedly complained about his performance.

“I’m very proud of my near-30 years with The Who,” Starkey said in a statement shared to Rolling Stone on Wednesday evening (16 April). “Filling the shoes of my godfather, ‘uncle Keith [Moon] has been the biggest honour and I remain their biggest fan. They’ve been like family to me.”

Referencing the blood clots he suffered in his “right bass drum calf” in January, Starkey said his injury had completely healed and “does not affect my drumming or running”, seemingly shutting down speculation that the “serious medical emergency” could have affected his playing.

According to a Metro report, The Who’s frontman Roger Daltrey openly complained several times that Starkey was “overplaying” at the Royal Albert Hall gig on 30 March.

“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,” he apparently told the audience at one point.

“After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I’m surprised and saddened [that] anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?” Starkey said.

“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.”

Starkey’s representative had previously told The Independent that the split was 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!”

Starkey and Noel Gallagher collaborated on the Mantra of the Cosmos track “Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)” in January. The drummer first met the Oasis rocker in 1995, and later joined the band in 2004, playing on the albums Don’t Believe the Truth and Dig Out Your Soul.

Meanwhile, Daltrey and The Who returned to perform at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows in March.

Daltrey stepped down from his longtime role as curator last year, having launched the fundraising series back in 2000.