Zak Starkey has been drumming for The Who for nearly 30 years, so it came as a bit of a surprise when the band announced his dismissal last month. The group would later backtrack on the decision claiming that “communication issues” were to blame.
Early this week, however, Starkey was apparently fired for a second time. Guitarist Pete Townshend wrote: “After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best. Scott Devours who has worked with Roger’s solo band will join the Who for our final shows. Please welcome him.”
Starkey made a statement regarding the news shortly after it broke. “I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the Who to pursue my other musical endeavors,” he wrote. “This would be a lie. I love the Who and would never have quit. So I didn’t make the statement. Quitting the Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going ‘in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox.’”
Starkey is the son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr and has also performed with Oasis, Johnny Marr and The Semantics, among others.
