Zak Starkey Fired from The Who Again: What’s Really Going On?

Zak Starkey, longtime drummer for The Who and son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr, has officially been let go from the band again. And this time, it seems like the door might actually be shut for good.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it just happened. Starkey was fired last month after some backstage drama following a performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Then, just a few days later, he was brought back in after what Pete Townshend called a communication issue. That patch didn’t hold. Now, in a fresh twist, he’s out once again, and this time the gloves are off.

In a statement on Instagram, Pete Townshend thanked Zak for his years of great work and wished him the best with his new projects. It sounded clean. Almost like a mutual parting. But then Zak responded.

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And he wasn’t having it.

According to Zak, he was fired just two weeks after being reinstated. He says he was pressured to make it look like he quit to pursue other music ventures. But as he put it, “I didn’t. I love The Who and everyone in it.” His post painted a picture of chaos behind the scenes, describing weeks of being “in and out and in and out… like a bleeding squeezebox.”

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So what sparked this falling out in the first place? It all started with that Royal Albert Hall gig. During their final song, Roger Daltrey reportedly called out Starkey’s drumming right on stage, saying he couldn’t hear the key over all the “boom, boom, boom.” It was a rare and raw moment. Zak didn’t take it lightly. He clapped back with a cheeky nickname, calling Daltrey “Toger Daktrey,” and accused him of bringing formal charges of overplaying.

Despite a quick reinstatement and a brief truce, it seems the tension never really died down. And now, with The Who’s North American farewell tour around the corner, they’re moving ahead without Zak.

This departure hits differently, not just because of the public back and forth, but because Zak Starkey wasn’t just a touring drummer. He’s been with The Who since 1996, handpicked and mentored by the legendary Keith Moon himself. He grew up around the band, got his first kit from Moon at age 8, and for nearly three decades, he’s been part of their sound.

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This is also the second high-profile drummer exit in just a week. Foo Fighters recently let go of Josh Freese, who had been filling in after Taylor Hawkins’ tragic passing.