The Who’s Zak Starkey mess just went from undesirable to undeniable
It’s no shock that rock bands often serve as less-than-ideal models for dismissing employees. Take Slipknot, for example, who botched the termination of their drummer Jay Weinberg in 2023, and The Who, who created a debacle when they fired Zak Starkey.
Or was he fired? Did he, instead, retire? That depends on who you believe.
In April, it was reported that Starkey announced his departure from the famous band. However, shortly after, guitarist Pete Townshend stated that Starkey was still part of the group. This wasn’t accurate; in fact, Townshend later confirmed that Starkey had indeed left the band, suggesting that a change was necessary by saying, “…the time has come for something new.
Pete Townshend makes a greater mess out of the Who possibly firing Zak Starkey
Later on, vocalist Roger Daltrey stated that drummer Keith Moon did not get dismissed but chose to step down from The Who to collaborate with supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos featuring Noel Gallagher from Oasis. Contrary to this, Keith Moon himself claims he was actually let go.
Townshend recently spoke with The i Paper and acknowledged the situation as a “mess.” Furthermore, he hinted that the suggestion for Starkey’s dismissal originated from Daltrey, which aligns with Starkey’s accusations, suggesting it was indeed Daltrey’s choice initially.
It seems that the disarray began during a Who performance at the Royal Albert Hall in March, as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust concert series. Roger Daltrey appeared to be out of sync with the rest of the band, and he attributed this to Starkey. Surprisingly, the drummer solely maintained the rhythm, while the rest of the band performed without issue.
Townshend stated as much in his recent interview as well.
He informed Paper, “I didn’t notice any issues (during the concert). What you witnessed was a group that hadn’t played together in quite some time. However, I believe it might have been due to the sound quality. Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced my sound technician. I think Roger may have gotten disoriented.
Additionally, the guitarist playfully hinted that he should be careful with his words concerning both Daltrey and Townshend, as they might face consequences together.
Townshend remarked, “I need to choose my words carefully when discussing Roger, as he becomes upset if I even mention him. He might fire me next. However, let me clarify that it wasn’t just Roger who dismissed Zak; it was a decision we both attempted to make jointly, but things escalated beyond our control.
It appears the Starkey issue remains just as unresolved as it was when everything started. Townshend claims that both he and Daltrey dismissed Starkey, but initially, the guitarist stated that the drummer hadn’t been fired. However, this is a complex situation with conflicting accounts.
In essence, it appears that the band will have a new drummer for their 2025 tour. Starkey might continue to claim he was dismissed, but the group may first confirm and then deny this, leaving people to assume things are business as usual globally.
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2025-06-22 17:00