Zak Starkey, son of the legendary drummer Ringo Starr, did not gently went into this good night after his short pleasant release from the WHO. After almost 30 years with the classic rock legends, Starkey, 59, had a lot to say what the confusing turn of the events that supposedly led to his separation from the band. In a new interview, the front man Roger Daltrey shot back on his former bandmate and characterized Starkery comments as a “character murder”.
The WHO AXTE ZAK STARKEY early this year
In April 2025, the WHO announced that a few weeks after an incident on the stage, they separated from the long -time drummer Zak Starkey during an appearance in the Royal Albert Hall in London. However, the news did not hold. The band announced the reinstatement of Starkey three days later, with guitarist Pete Townshend responsible for “communication problems”.
Later the WHO announced the departure of its drummer again, this time it called a “retirement”. In his own social media, Starkey dismissed this account as “F -Total Bollox … I was released”.
While the exact reason for the exit of the Oasis member is still controversial, all parties agree that he is due to the reproduction of the 1971 track “The Song Is Over” at the second Albert Hall Show from 1971. Roger Daltrey, who suffers from hearing problems, stopped the song after he had lost his place. The Rock'n'Roll -Hall of Fam was irritated and apparently accused Starkey of playing too loudly.
So Starkey does not quite remember. “What had happened was that I understood it correctly and Roger misunderstood it,” he said In a June interview with The Telegraph. The drummer accused the unrest and poor planning.
[RELATED: Ringo Starr Slams “Little Man” Roger Daltrey After Son Zak Starkey Is Fired From The Who]
In an interview this week with The times, Roger Daltrey Beat back in the Who's ex-drummer. “It was a kind of character murder,” said Daltrey, “and it was incredibly annoying.”
With regard to the on-stage Snafu, the 81-year-old rocker explained: “It is checked by a man on the side, and we had so much underbass on the sound of the drums that I couldn't absorb. I pointed to the bass drum and shouted [Starkey] Because it was like flying an airplane without seeing the horizon. When Zak thought I would try, I wasn't. This is all that happened. “
Daltrey made it clear who he considered the band's backbone. “Pete and I keep the right to be the WHO. Everyone else is a session player,” he said. “You can't replace Keith Moon. We wanted to branch ourselves and that's all I want to say. [Starkey’s reaction] I crippled me. “
Selected picture of Tim Mosenfelder/Wireimage