Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, clarifies the truth about his second firing from The Who
From fired to retired.
Drummer Zak Starkey posted a statement on Instagram Monday clearing up the circumstances surrounding his latest exit from The Who.
Starkey, 59, claimed that bandmate Roger Daltrey told him he wasn't 'fired' from the group for a second time, but rather 'retired' and free to work on his own projects.
'NOISE&CONFUSION!!!! I had a great phone chat with Roger at the end of last week which truly confused both of us!!!' Starkey wrote.
'Rog said I hadn't been 'fired'…I had been 'retired' to work on my own projects,' Starkey shared. 'I explained to Rog that I have just spent nearly 8 weeks at my studio in Jamaica completing these projects, 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….Rog said 'Oh!' and we kind of left it there.'
Starkey insisted that he and Daltrey, 81, are 'on good terms and great friends as we have always been.'
'Gotta love these guys,' the musician added. 'As my mum used to say 'The mind boggles!!!' XXX.'
Starkey, who is the son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
He was fired from the band for the first time last month following his performance during the group's two charity shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall in late March.
Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend were allegedly 'upset' with Starkey over the gigs.
Starkey spoke out about his blindsided departure, revealing that he 'suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf' in January.
But The Who quickly rehired Starkey. Townshend, 80, claimed that the drama had to do with 'some communication issues' that were 'aired happily.'
Starkey was let go from the band, again, earlier this month.
'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' Townshend wrote on Instagram. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.'
Townshend also announced that drummer Scott Devours will replace Starkey on The Who's upcoming farewell tour that starts in August.
Starkey shared his own statement where he disputed Townshend's reasons for his exit.
'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,' he wrote. '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.'
He also clarified that while he does have 'other projects' that he's working on, none of them have 'ever interfered' with his gig with The Who.
'I love The Who and everyone in it,' Starkey said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Verge
25 minutes ago
- The Verge
This playable Meccano version of Atari's Lunar Lander is a mechanical marvel.
Andrew Liszewski Lego may have long ago surpassed the popularity of Meccano but Pete Wood demonstrates why the over 100 year old mechanical building toy still has devoted fans. Meccano Martian Mission is a recreation of the 1979 Atari game Lunar Lander but without any screens. It's an entirely mechanical creation with levers and dials used to control the thrust of a landing craft trying to safely touch down on a recreation of Mars' rugged terrain scrolling by.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Alfred Brendel, pianist renowned for refined playing of Beethoven, dies at age 94
LONDON — Alfred Brendel, a pianist and poet renowned for his refined playing of Beethoven over a six-decade career, died Tuesday at his home in London. He was 94. Brendel's death was announced by the public relations agency Bolton & Quinn. Born in what is now the Czech Republic, Brendel gave his first recital in Graz, Austria, in 1948 at age 17. His final concert was with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein on Dec. 18, 2008. 'I grew up in a family that was not musically inclined, not artistically inclined and not intellectual, so I had to find out a lot of things for myself,' he said in a 2012 interview for the Verbier Festival . 'I was a young person who in the early 20s did not think I have to achieve something within five years but I thought I would like to be able to do certain things when I'm 50. And when I was 50 I said to myself I have actually done most of the things I want to do.' Brendel also was praised for his interpretations of Mozart, Schubert, Liszt and Haydn. He recorded the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas three times, and he played them over a month at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1983, among 77 recitals in 11 cities during the 1982-83 season. He repeated the sonatas again at Carnegie over three seasons in the 1990s. 'With winks to the audience and demonstrative hand movements, he has a playful manner that offsets his serious, contemplative interpretations,' The Associated Press wrote during the 1990s cycle. Born on Jan. 5, 1931, in Wiesenberg, northern Moravia, Brendel studied piano in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, with Sofia Dezelic and then at the Graz Conservatory with Ludovika von Kaan. He also took composition lessons with Artur Michl. His studies were interrupted when he and his mother fled as the Russian army invaded during World War II. 'When I turned 16, my piano teacher told me I should now continue on my own and give a first public recital,' he recalled during a lecture after his retirement . 'I should also audition for the great Swiss pianist Edwin Fischer, which I did the following year. Three of his masterclasses that I attended during the Lucerne festivals made an impact that lasts to this day. I also met Eduard Steuermann, the pupil of Busoni and Schoenberg. Apart from these encounters, I studied on my own.' Brendel had lived in London since 1971. He received 10 Grammy nominations without winning. He wrote several books, including a collection of poems called 'Cursing Bagels.' 'I used to live a double life,' he said in a 2012 interview with the Verbier Festival. 'I'm also a literary person lecturing, giving readings of my poems and teaching.'
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Beyoncé pays tribute to both Paul McCartney and Stella McCartney for ‘Blackbird' inspiration
Beyoncé is showing her gratitude to the McCartney family in connection to the legendary Beatles song 'Blackbird.' The superstar – currently on her international 'Cowboy Carter' tour – covered the 1968 track on her groundbreaking album of the same name and performs it during the show. Following her six-night run at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Beyoncé honored Beatles member and 'Blackbird' scribe Paul McCartney on her Instagram page on Monday, thanking him 'for writing one of the best songs ever made.' 'Every time I sing it I feel so honored. And it is a full circle moment to wear your beautiful daughter's design,' Beyoncé added, referring to McCartney's daughter Stella McCartney, a famed fashion designer. Beyoncé posted a series of photos showcasing the Stella McCartney-designed tour costume, consisting of a white t-shirt with two black birds on the bust and a pair of rhinestone fringe chaps. The elder McCartney previously commended Beyoncé's rendition of his iconic song, which is included on 'Cowboy Carter' under the slightly revised title 'Blackbiird' and is amplified by the voices of four up-and-coming Black female country artists featured on the track: Tiera Kennedy, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Reyna Roberts. 'I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place,' Paul McCartney wrote on his Instagram page last year, going on to 'urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out.' Paul McCartney originally wrote 'Blackbird' amid the 1960s civil rights movement in the United States. It was inspired by the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who were the first to desegregate schools in late 1950s Arkansas. 'When I saw the footage on the television in the early 60s of the black (sic) girls being turned away from school, I found it shocking and I can't believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now,' Paul McCartney wrote in his post. He added, 'Anything my song and Beyoncé's fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud.'
