Scott Devours admits joining The Who has been “shadowed by Zak Starkey’s loss”
Last week, The Who’s Pete Townshend confirmed Scott Devours would replace their drummer of 29 years, Zak Starkey. Now, Devours has taken to Instagram to detail his thoughts on the matter.
On May 18th, Townshend posted a simple message on Instagram: “After many years of great work on drums from Zak, the time has come for change.” He then added, “Scott Devours, who has worked with Roger’s solo band, will join The Who for our final shows. Please welcome him.”
In reaction, Starkey screenshotted the picture and hit back with his own revelations: “I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endevours this would be a lie.”
In light of his tumultuous exit, Devours toed the line between celebration and contemplation carefully. Taking to Instagram in a third iteration of Townshend’s initial beanie picture, the drummer began his statement: “Yesterday, with a short, simple Instagram post, Pete and Roger, once again, changed my life forever.”
In the comments, he expanded on his emotions, beginning with a sincere thank you, writing, “The amount of positivity thrown my way has been overwhelming.” However, the gratitude seeped into guilt.
He then wrote: “I understand and accept the reality that there are many lifelong Who fans who are absolutely gutted by the news that Zak is no longer on the throne behind The Who. As a huge fan myself, there is a part of me that’s processing this loss with a heavy heart too.”
The drummer continued: “It really is a strange contradiction of emotions to have the greatest moment of my professional career also be one framed with some sadness and shadowed by someone else’s loss. It’s tough to put into words actually, but I know it’s there and it’s real.”
However, he boiled it down to the reality at the heart of the situation, adding, “I’m sure there are many fans who will not accept me or anyone on that throne except for Zak. I know that this will be the case for some and I acknowledge that. For others, perhaps the jury is still out. Maybe I’ll need to let the music do the talking?”
Though he had stressed the importance of Starkey’s perspective, Devours was candid in revealing the hierarchy of importance with which he views the band. “In my world,” he wrote, “there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger.”
Devours will join The Who on their upcoming North American farewell tour, ‘The Song is Over’. It will span 17 stops across North America, beginning on August 16th in Florida and concluding on September 28th in Las Vegas.
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