Band replaces him with Roger Daltrey’s solo drummer after messy split.
In a messy encore to last month’s on-again, off-again saga, The Who have permanently parted ways with longtime drummer Zak Starkey.
Guitarist Pete Townshend announced the split on Instagram, calling it “a poignant time” and wishing Starkey well—but the drummer fired back, alleging the band pressured him to falsely claim he quit voluntarily.
Starkey, son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996 and became their longest-serving drummer.
His exit follows a turbulent spring: fired after a contentious Royal Albert Hall show in March, rehired days later, then axed again two weeks ago.
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Replacement Scott Devours (Roger Daltrey’s solo band drummer) will take over for the farewell tour, kicking off in August.
Fans are divided, with some mourning Starkey’s departure and others praising Devours. Meanwhile, Starkey remains defiant: “I love The Who and would never quit,” he posted, comparing his whiplash exits to a “bleedin’ squeezebox”.
