Zak Starkey Clears the Air on The Who Exit: “I Was Retired, Not Fired”
Zak Starkey, longtime drummer for The Who and son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr, has broken his silence to clarify the confusion surrounding his departure from the iconic rock band. In a candid Instagram post dated May 26, Starkey shared details of a recent phone call with frontman Roger Daltrey that seemed to muddle — rather than clarify — the narrative.
“Roger said I hadn’t been ‘fired’… I had been ‘retired’ to work on my own projects,” Starkey explained. “I told him I just spent nearly eight weeks in Jamaica finishing work at my studio, and my band Mantra of the Cosmos is releasing a single in early June.” He went on to note that he is fully available moving forward, with Daltrey responding simply, “Oh!”
The conversation comes after weeks of conflicting reports and statements. Starkey initially confirmed his departure in April, following Pete Townshend’s statement that “the time has come for a change,” praising Zak’s years of service. But Starkey’s own version suggested he had been “fired two weeks after reinstatement,” claiming he was asked to falsely say he quit to focus on other projects — a statement he refused to make.
Despite the upheaval, Starkey insists his friendship with Daltrey remains intact. “On good terms and great friends as we have always been,” he wrote, signing off with a light-hearted nod to his mother’s famous saying: “The mind boggles!”
The Who has since named Scott Devours as Starkey’s replacement for their upcoming farewell tour. While emotions run high, Starkey’s fans are relieved to hear from him directly — even if the full story remains as cryptic as ever.