Latest news with #TheSongIsOverNorthAmericanFarewellTour
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The Who fires Ringo Starr's drummer son Zak Starkey for the second time in 1 month: ‘Madness'
Déjà vu. The Who has fired drummer Zak Starkey for the second time ahead of their upcoming farewell tour. Starkey, 59, was previously let go from the band and then re-hired just days later in April. 9 Guitarist and co-founder Pete Townshend shared the news of Starkey's latest firing on Instagram Sunday. 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' Townshend, 80, wrote. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' 9 Townshend also announced that drummer Scott Devours will replace Starkey on 'The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour' that starts in August. Starkey shared his own statement about his firing and 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.' 9 9 Starkey added that there were 'weeks of mayhem of me going 'in and out and in and out' … like a bleeding squeezebox.' He went on to clarify that while he does have 'other projects' that he's working on, none of them have 'ever interfered' with his gig with The Who. 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- i didn't,' he reiterated. 'I love The Who and everyone in it.' 9 Starkey was fired from The Who 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. Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey were allegedly 'upset' with Starkey over the gigs. 9 'The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,' the spokesperson for The Who told The Sun. 'They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.' 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. 9 9 'After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I'm surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?' he added. But days later, The Who announced that Starkey was back in the band. 'He's not being asked to step down from The Who. There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,' Townshend wrote on Instagram. 9 Starkey, the son of The Beatles' Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The Who drummer Zak Starkey fired for the second time in 1 month: ‘Madness'
Déjà vu. The Who has fired drummer Zak Starkey for the second time ahead of their upcoming farewell tour. Starkey, 59, was previously let go from the band and then re-hired just days later in April. Advertisement 9 Zak Starkey of The Who performs at the band's residency in Las Vegas in 2017. Getty Images Guitarist and co-founder Pete Townshend shared the news of Starkey's latest firing on Instagram Sunday. 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,' Townshend, 80, wrote. 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' Advertisement 9 Pete Townshend announces Zak Starkey's second firing. The Who/Instagram Townshend also announced that drummer Scott Devours will replace Starkey on 'The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour' that starts in August. Starkey shared his own statement about his firing and 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.' Advertisement 9 Zak Starkey and Pete Townshend. The Who/Instagram 9 Zak Starkey clarifies his exit from The Who. Zak Starkey/Instagram Starkey added that there were 'weeks of mayhem of me going 'in and out and in and out' … like a bleeding squeezebox'. He went on to clarify that while he does have 'other projects' that he's working on, none of them have 'ever interfered' with his gig with The Who. Advertisement 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- i didn't,' he reiterated. 'I love The Who and everyone in it.' 9 Zak Starkey performs during Desert Trip at The Empire Polo Club on October 16, 2016. Kevin Mazur Starkey was fired from The Who 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. Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey were allegedly 'upset' with Starkey over the gigs. 9 The Who performs in Las Vegas on July 29, 2017. Getty Images 'The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,' the spokesperson for The Who told The Sun. 'They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.' 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. 9 Zak Starkey and Roger Daltrey of The Who perform in California in August 2004. Getty Images Advertisement 9 Zak Starkey at the 'Moonage Daydream' premiere in London in September 2022. Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images 'After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I'm surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?' he added. But days later, The Who announced that Starkey was back in the band. 'He's not being asked to step down from The Who. There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,' Townshend wrote on Instagram. Advertisement 9 Zak Starkey performs at The Box in London in June also acknowledged that the news of Starkey's initial departure 'blew up very quickly' but insisted the band was moving forward 'with optimism and fire in our bellies.' Starkey, the son of The Beatles' Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Legendary British rock band The Who announces farewell tour: ‘All good things must come to an end'
Legendary British band The Who are set to embark on their final farewell tour in the United States, after which they will retire for good. During a press conference held in London on Thursday, the iconic group and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced they would be heading out on one last tour across North America later this year. 'Well, all good things must come to an end,' guitarist Pete Townshend said in a press release. 'It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal,' Pete added. A post shared by Live Nation Concerts (@livenation) The 79-year-old musician noted that he and frontman Roger Daltrey 'still carry the banner' for their late bandmates, Keith Moon and John Entwistle, as well as for their devoted fanbase. 'I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy — the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy,' Pete continued. 'Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love, and laughter. Make sure you join in,' he added. Named after the band's rarely-performed 1971 track, The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour will begin in Florida, before the group travel across the United States and Canada for the 14-date concert series. They are set to conclude the tour with a final performance in Las Vegas in September. 'Every musician's dream in the early '60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever,' Daltrey added in his own statement. 'The warmth of the American audiences over the years has been inspirational to me, and reflects the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom!' he said. He continued, 'Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me — this was the land of the possible. It's not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with the Who has been. Thanks for being there for us, and look forward to seeing you one last time.' This is not the first time the Who have announced a farewell tour. The Baba O'Riley hitmakers originally retired after completing their first farewell tour in 1982, but have since reunited for several more over the years, including the band's 50th-anniversary tour in 2015.
