Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey reveals alleged altercation with The Who's Roger Daltrey got him fired

New York Post

17-06-2025

Zak Starkey can explain.
The Who's former drummer, 59, addressed his shocking exit from the band in a new interview with The Telegraph published on Monday, June 16, and shed some light on what allegedly led to his firing.
In April, The Who announced they were parting ways with Starkey — who is Ringo Starr's son — following two shows at Royal Albert Hall in the UK, which saw the likes of Bill Murray, Sadie Frost, Tracy-Ann Oberman, and famed hypnotist Paul McKenna, in attendance.
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9 Zak Starkey has addressed his shocking exit from The Who after almost 30 years.
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9 Starkey claims he was kicked out following an alleged altercation with The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey.
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However, days later, Pete Townshend revealed that Starkey would stay in the group despite 'some communication issues.'
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All that changed in May when Starkey once again announced he was ousted from the Grammy-nominated rock band, marking his second firing in one month.
Now, he claims he was kicked out following an alleged altercation with The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey.
9 'What happened was I got it right and Roger [Daltrey] got it wrong,' Starkey explained.
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'What happened was I got it right and Roger [Daltrey] got it wrong,' Starkey told The Telegraph, referring to the rare performance of 'The Song Is Over' at London's Royal Albert Hall.
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After his second firing, it was alleged that Starkey's bandmates weren't happy with his performance at the event.
But, the drummer claims it wasn't his performance that was lacking.
9 Starkey with his father, Ringo Starr, in London in September 2016.
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Starkey told the outlet that The Who band members 'hate rehearsing,' noting they rarely perform their 6-minute-long 1971 hit 'The Song Is Over.'
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According to Starkey, Daltrey 'took a bit out' for the show. 'Roger [came] in a bar early,' he told the outlet.
Starkey also claimed that one week later, the band's manager, Bill Curbishley, called to fire him.
9 Daltrey, Starkey and Pete Townshend of The Who performing at the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show at the Sun Life Stadium on February 7, 2010, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
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'He says, 'It's my unfortunate duty to inform you' — it's like Porridge or something — 'that you won't be needed from now on. Roger says you dropped some beats,'' he alleged.
Starkey watched the performance but said, 'I can't find any dropped beats,' claiming, 'Then Pete [Townshend] had to go along with it because Pete's had 60 years of arguing with Roger.'
But the drama didn't stop there.
9 'Roger says you dropped some beats,' Starkey was allegedly told when he was fired from The Who.
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Starkey shared that he still wanted back in the band after the alleged feud; however, he was allegedly instructed that he needed to admit that he dropped 'two beats' in the performance.
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'Two weeks later it was like, 'Roger says he can't work with you no more, and we'd like you to issue another statement saying you're leaving to do your other projects' and I just didn't do it because I wasn't leaving [of my own volition],' Starkey alleged, adding 'they didn't specify' why they fired him the second time.
Starkey shockingly doesn't have any hard feelings, telling The Telegraph, 'I don't blame anyone. I blame The Who because they're unpredictable, aggressive and f—— insane,' stating those are reasons he 'loves' the band.
9 'I don't blame anyone,' Starkey said. 'I blame The Who because they're unpredictable, aggressive and f—— insane.'He also hinted that his days of playing with The Who might not be over.
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'I spoke to Roger last week and he said, 'Don't take your drums out of [The Who's] warehouse yet in case we need you,'' Starkey said. 'I said, 'Best let me know.''
Starkey didn't just expose the alleged altercation that he claimed got him fired. The drummer also alleged that he turned down the offer to tour with Oasis for The Who.
The Post reached out to the band's rep for comment.
9 The Who with their original lineup, including drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwhistle, in 1965.
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Townshend was the first to address Starkey's second firing in May.
'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' he wrote on Instagram. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.'
Starkey immediately hit back with a different story.
9 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' Townshend wrote on Instagram on May 18. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.'
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'I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavors,' the musician said in a lengthy social media rant. 'Not true. I love The Who and would never have quit and let down so many amazing people who stood up for me through this madness.'
Starkey claimed that Daltrey told him he wasn't 'fired' from the band for a second time but rather 'retired' and free to work on his own projects.
He clarified, 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who — i didn't. I love The Who and everyone in it.'
Starkey, the son of The Beatles' Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.