The Who Break Silence on Zak Starkey Exit as Confusion Surrounds His Dismissal

Zak Starkey has said he remains uncertain about how — and why — his tenure with the Who came to an abrupt and confusing end earlier this year, though he stresses that the situation has not damaged his long-standing friendships within the band.

In April 2025, The Who announced that they had parted ways with Starkey, who had served as the group’s drummer for nearly three decades. Reports quickly surfaced suggesting that singer Roger Daltrey decided on a London performance during which he reportedly struggled to hear himself over Starkey’s drumming.

Soon after the announcement, guitarist Pete Townshend publicly stated that the dismissal had been reversed. That reprieve proved short-lived, however, as Starkey was subsequently informed that he was once again out of the band — a sequence of events he later said cost him a potential opportunity to join Oasis on their reunion tour.

‘We Never Became Enemies’

Despite the public back-and-forth, Starkey insists that the split never turned personal. Speaking in a recent interview with Q1043 New York, he emphasized that communication between himself and Daltrey has remained intact.

“I’d like to say that we remained friends throughout,” said Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. “I spoke to Roger like, two weeks ago…we never actually became, like, enemies or anything.”

Still, Starkey acknowledged that the repeated reversals left him bewildered. “I think they just wanted to change; and then they didn’t, and then they did, and then they didn’t, and then they did, and then they didn’t,” he said. “It was pretty confusing. And I think they’re still confused. I’m still confused!”

Nearly 30 Years With the Who

Starkey went on to frame the situation within the context of his long history with the band and its members, dating back to his teenage years. “I’ve been working with Roger on and off since I was 17,” he said, adding that he began collaborating with late bassist John Entwistle even earlier.

Having spent 29 years as the Who’s drummer, Starkey said he was unwilling to let the ending overshadow decades of shared experiences. “I wouldn’t bury a friendship over it,” he explained. “It’s just band business.”

Letting Go Without Bitterness

While Starkey admitted he would have preferred a more definitive and dignified conclusion to his time with the band, he made clear that resentment has no place in how he views the outcome.

“I have nothing against them,” he said. “As far as I know, they’re done. I’d like to have finished it off, but I didn’t. … I don’t hold a grudge, really, because they’re my friends; and we’ve been friends for such a long time.”

In the end, Starkey appears more focused on perspective than disappointment. His comments suggest a musician aware that long-running bands often end not with dramatic finales, but with unresolved transitions and complicated emotions. For Starkey, the legacy of nearly three decades onstage with the Who — and the personal relationships formed along the way — outweighs the confusion of how it all concluded.