The Who fire drummer Zak Starkey for second time in a month
Zak Starkey has performed with The Who since 1996.
By Issy Ronald, CNN
(CNN) — Legendary rock band The Who have parted ways with their drummer Zak Starkey for the second time in a month, both parties announced on Instagram Sunday.
While Pete Townshend, the band’s guitarist and main songwriter, implied in his statement that the split was mutual, Starkey claimed he had been “fired” and “asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endeavours.”
There have been “weeks of mayhem of me going ‘in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox,” Starkey added.
Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who has played with The Who since 1996, was first fired from the band last month, after they were reportedly unhappy with his performance during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Just days later, however, Townshend and Starkey announced he would be rejoining the band after “some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, … have been aired happily.”
Townshend addressed the Royal Albert Hall concert, too, saying “maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks giving us problems on stage.”
“The sound in the centre of the stage is always the most difficult to work with. Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer,” he said.
It’s unclear why the decision to reinstate Starkey was reversed. CNN has contacted representatives for Starkey and The Who for comment.
Townshend said on Sunday that “the time has come for a change,” adding “Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”
Starkey retorted that he has “other projects and always have,” explaining that “The Who have been sporadic or minimalist in touring most years apart from two extensive tours in 2000 and 2006/7.”
“None of this (other work) has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them.”
Starkey’s departure comes just three months before The Who are due to embark on their farewell North American tour, almost 60 years after the band began performing there.
Of the band’s four founding members, only Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey are still alive. Bass guitarist John Entwhistle died in 2002, while drummer Keith Moon, who was Starkey’s godfather, died in 1978.
Since then, Starkey has “pretty much become the ‘unofficial’ official drummer for The Who,” according to the band’s website.
Scott Devours will take Starkey’s place on the upcoming tour, Townshend announced. Devours has played with Daltrey at his solo gigs and filled in for Starkey as The Who drummer in the past.
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