Zak Starkey’s Rollercoaster Journey with The Who

Zak Starkey, the drummer for The Who, found himself out of the band for the second time within a month but made a quick return.

On Monday, guitarist Pete Townshend shared via Instagram that Starkey is no longer part of the band and expressed a bit of hesitation about the farewell tour in North America.

“After years of great work on drums from Zack, it’s time for a change to happen,” Townshend mentioned in his post. “It’s a challenging time. Zack has many new projects ahead, and I wish him the best.”

Having drummed for The Who since 1996, Starkey later clarified that the decision wasn’t mutual.

“I was let go two weeks after coming back and was asked to say that I had stopped pursuing other musical endeavors,” Starkey posted on social media an hour after Townshend’s announcement.

“That’s not accurate. I care about the band and have always appreciated the support from so many fantastic people who have been there for me during this madness.”

He also mentioned a chaotic few weeks, saying, “I’ve been in and out of the picture.”

Starkey insisted that performance issues weren’t a concern for anyone involved. Earlier this April, he had been dismissed from the group amid some questions surrounding his performance at a Royal Albert Hall concert.

Frontman Roger Daltrey seemed to express dissatisfaction with Starkey’s stage presence during recent gigs, according to a review. This feedback led to a swift fallout, where Starkey referred to his bandmates in unflattering terms, feeling overly criticized.

Just three days later, Starkey was welcomed back into the fold, and Townshend spoke positively of his return, with Starkey later expressing gratitude toward both Townshend and Daltrey.

Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr, became a full member during the 1996 Quadrophenia tour. He was introduced to drumming by none other than Keith Moon, a family friend, who gifted him a drum kit on his 8th birthday.

Interestingly, this recent dismissal isn’t unique in the music world; just last week, Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese was let go after filling in for the late Taylor Hawkins for two years.

“I loved my time with them,” Freese stated. “I’m not angry, but I am somewhat surprised and disappointed, as I’ve never been released from a band in my 40 years as a drummer.”