Zak Starkey looks downcast as he's seen for the first time since being sacked as drummer of The Who AGAIN
Zak Starkey looked downcast as he was seen for first time since being sacked as drummer for The Who for the second time.
The son of Ringo Starr, 59, was fired from the band last week, just one month after he was sacked then quickly reinstated.
He looked unhappy as he strolled through Manchester BBC Breakfast Studios in Manchester after the news broke, sporting a black parka jacket and tartan trousers.
Guitarist Pete Townshend took to Instagram last week to announce that Zak, the Who's drummer since 1996, was no longer part of the band.
But Zak quickly took to his own social media to claim that his departure was not a mutual decision and that he was fired from the band.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
Zak's sacking comes just months ahead of the legendary bands farewell tour across North America and Pete revealed Scott Devours will replace him on drums.
The statement from Pete read: 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.'
In a second post, Pete and Roger Daltrey added: 'The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20yrs younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects.
'He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world.
'Scott Devours – Who fans will know him from Roger's solo shows – will be replacing Zak. We hope all our fans will welcome him. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey'.
Resharing The Who's post, Zak hit back: 'I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endevours this would be a lie.
'I love the who and would never had 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 x.
'To clarify "other projects" yes I do have other projects and always have. The Who have been sporadic or minimalist in touring most years apart from a two extensive tours in 2000 and 2006/7.'
Zak continued to list his other previous projects before adding: 'Releasing singles but not touring cos members are so busy. None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them.
'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- I didn't. I love the who and everyone in it.'
But on Monday, Zak again took to his Instagram account to share that his version of events had been contradicted yet again after a phonecall with The Who singer-guitarist Roger.
Zak said Roger told him he hadn't actually been fired and instead 'retired to work on his own projects'.
He wrote: 'NOISE&CONFUSION!!!! 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 n my own projects. 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….
Zak's sacking comes just months ahead of the legendary bands farewell tour across North America and Pete revealed Scott Devours will replace him on drums
'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!!!" XXX.'
It comes weeks after The Who shared the shock news that they will be retiring from touring after 60 years, following a final run of shows in the US later this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The unreported REAL reason Hailey Bieber sold her Rhode makeup brand for $1 billion... and why it will spark a 'calculated shift' in her marriage, told by insiders
Hailey Bieber struck a massive deal last week after agreeing to sell her beauty brand Rhode to E.l.f. Beauty for a whopping $1 billion. Not only did the acquisition reflect the significant growth of Hailey's makeup and skincare line in just three short years, but it also signaled that the nepo baby model-turned-mogul may have more up her sleeve than just blush and lip balms.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
These boots were made for… summer
Act now to keep your subscription We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at sex crimes retrial
Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at his New York sex crimes retrial, his lawyer said Sunday. That means jurors soon will get the case against the former movie studio boss who propelled the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. The trial will move on to closing arguments Tuesday without testimony from Weinstein, Aidala said Sunday night. The court handles other cases on Mondays. It's unclear whether jury deliberations would begin Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. It was a fraught decision for Weinstein, who has never answered questions in open court about any of the accusations women have made. He didn't testify at previous trials in New York and California and was convicted in both. He denies the allegations, and attorney Arthur Aidala has said that Weinstein was giving a lot of thought to whether to take the stand this time. While his California appeal winds on, Weinstein won a new trial in his New York rape and sexual assault case when the state's highest court overturned his 2020 conviction. He's charged in New York with raping Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola, separately, in 2006. Mann was an actor and hairstylist, Haley a production assistant and producer, and Sokola a model who aspired to an acting career. All three women have testified for days at the retrial, giving emotional and graphic accounts of what they say they endured from a powerbroker who suggested he'd help them achieve their show-business dreams, but then maneuvered them into private settings and preyed on them. His attorneys have argued that anything that happened between him and his accusers was consensual. In the U.S., defendants in criminal cases aren't obligated to testify, and many decide not to, for various reasons. Among them: the prospect of being questioned by prosecutors. Weinstein has been watching the New York retrial intently from the defense table, sometimes shaking his head at accusers' testimony and often leaning over to one or another of his attorneys to convey his thoughts. One of the lawyers, Arthur Aidala, said outside court Thursday that Weinstein thought a lot of holes had been poked in the accusers' accounts, but that he also was pondering whether jurors would feel they needed to hear from him. The jury has heard from a few other defense witnesses — one of them via a transcript read by court employees. That witness, Talita Maia, testified at the 2020 trial but was unavailable this time, so jurors instead got a reading Friday of her earlier testimony. One court stenographer voiced the 2020 attorneys' questions, while another stenographer sat in the witness box and rendered Maia's answers, at times with emphasis. Maia and Mann were roommates and friends in 2013 but later fell out. According to Maia, Mann never mentioned in those days that Weinstein had hurt her in any way. Both Maia and another witness, Thomas Richards, met up with Mann and Weinstein shortly after Mann has said she was raped. Both witnesses testified that they saw nothing amiss. Richards, who was subpoenaed to appear and said he didn't want to be seen as a Weinstein supporter, recalled Mann and Weinstein having "friendly conversation' at a meal he shared with them that day. Mann testified earlier this month that she never told police or anyone else that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her because she didn't think she'd be believed, and she was scared at how he might react. Weinstein's defense also brought in Sokola pal Helga Samuelsen, who also has friendly ties to the former producer. Samuelsen testified Thursday that Weinstein visited Sokola once and spent about a half-hour in a bedroom with her in a New York apartment the women briefly shared in 2005; Sokola told jurors no such thing happened. The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted, but Sokola, Mann and Haley have given their permission to be identified.
