Classic Rock Drummer Claims He Wasn't Fired Twice But ‘Retired'
Starkey, the 59-year-old son of Ringo Starr, had played drums with the classic rock icons for three decades, up until his dismissal in April. Starkey said he was "surprised and saddened" after getting fired, but Pete Townshend later posted on social media that Zak was back in the band and his departure was due to "communication issues."
Except, fans got fooled again. Townshend posted on May 18 that the "time had come for a change," and that Zak was out. Scott Devours, drummer for vocalist Roger Daltrey's solo band, would handle drumming on The Who's forthcoming final North American tour.
Now, Starkey says he wasn't fired. The band "retired" him.
On May 26, the drummer posted a message to Instagram. "I had a great phone chat with Roger at the end of last week, which truly confused both of us!!! Rog said I hadn't been 'fired'…I had been 'retired' to work on my own projects."
"I explained to Rog that I have just spent nearly 8 weeks at my studio in Jamaica completing these projects," wrote Starkey, "that my group Mantra Of The Cosmos was releasing one single at the beginning of June and after that had run its course (usually 5/6 weeks)."
"I was completely available for the foreseeable future," the drummer added. "Rog said 'Oh!' and we kind of left it there- On good terms and great friends as we have always been. Gotta love these guys. As my mum used to say, 'The mind boggles!!!'"
After the second firing on May 18, Starkey said he was "asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavors. This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never have quit. So I didn't make the statement."
Quitting the who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going 'in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox," he added.
Related: Legendary Rock Band's New Drummer Speaks Out After Replacing Son Of Music Icon
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