Zak Starkey claims he was told to lie about being fired from The Who: “I love The Who and would never had quit”
Zak Starkey has released a fiery statement on Instagram in reaction to The Who firing him for a second time.
The news of his exit came via Pete Townshend’s personal Instagram on May 18th. The guitarist posted a picture with the statement written atop his face: “After many years of great work on drums from Zak, the time has come for change.”
Starkey screenshotted the post, writing his own comment on top of it, which he largely reiterated in his statement. It began: “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.”
After the shocking claim , Starkey went on, “I love The Who and would never had quit. So I didn’t make the statement ……”
The drummer finished with a nod to all the fans who have supported him through this journey: “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 x.”
In April, after a public on-stage struggle at a charity show at the Royal Albert Hall, it was presumed the drummer of 29 years had been fired from the band. A spokesperson for The Who confirmed his departure at the time, stating, “The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”
However, taking to Instagram on April 19th, Townshend shared a selfie of himself smiling along with the caption: “News Flash! Who Zak Back! Zak is not being asked to step down from The Who. There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.”
Starkey has now been replaced by Scott Devours for The Who’s upcoming North American farewell tour. The run of dates will take place in August and September. Notable stops on the road include visits to iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and Fenway Park in Boston. They’ll play their final date on September 28th in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
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