The son of the famed drummer Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey, shared his father’s talents on the drums. That talent eventually brought him to the stage with the Who in 1996. For nearly the next three decades, Starkey helmed the drums for the Who. That was until he was shockingly fired. Not once. Not twice – but three times. With the firing playing out on social media and headlines, Starkey recently explained his current relationship with his former bandmates, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.
Although no longer a part of the Who, Starkey continued to share his love for music. While promoting his upcoming show in New York City on February 20, the drummer told The Post that he remained friends with Daltrey and Townshend. “We’re still friends.” And Starkey’s friendship with the Who went far beyond well wishes. “We still talk all the time.”
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Like the announcement of Starkey getting fired, the new statement might come as a shock, given what transpired in 2025. Those who need a timeline for what exactly happened between the drummer and the Who – here is a breakdown.
Zak Starkey Apologized For “Dropping Beats”
In April, news broke that Starkey was unexpectedly fired from the Who. According to the drummer, the decision stemmed from an altercation between him and Daltrey. “I got fired. I was asked to make a public statement apologizing for dropping beats, which I did, and I was rehired.”
While back with the Who, Starkey barely lasted a month before he found himself on the outside again. This time, it happened shortly before the Who announced the farewell tour that took them across the United States and Canada.
“I Didn’t Quit, You Fired Me”
The reason for the second firing – Starkey suggested that his fellow bandmates wanted him to release a statement claiming he wasn’t fired but quit. “I said nothing. Then they made a statement saying I’d moved on, inferring I’d quit. So I went back and said, ‘Look, I didn’t f**king quit, you fired me. That’s a lie, and I’m not going to f**king lie.’”
With Starkey and the Who finding common ground once again, the three moved forward. “A little bit more time went by, and I spoke to Roger a few times, and then he basically said don’t take your drums from our storage facility because we probably want you back.”
The Article That Ended It All
Putting the past behind them, the Who pushed forward. At least, until an article from the Telegraph was released. “Then a couple of days later, an article came out in the Telegraph, which I had done a few weeks before, and I got fired, again, the next day.”
The third time appeared to be the last as Starkey expanded his solo career. As for his thoughts on the Who – “The Who has an addiction to friction, and tempers flare. I’m not the guy with a temper, really. I’m just a guy who won’t be walked all over, and I don’t think that I should be treated unfairly and not be able to speak up.”
Despite the turbulent split, Starkey insists there’s no lingering animosity. While his chapter with the Who appears to have come to a close, he remains focused on his own music and future projects.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)