Zak Starkey Is Out Again From The Who
via badbrad / Youtube
After nearly three decades behind the kit, Zak Starkey is officially out of The Who — and things are getting messier by the day. On April 16, the band initially announced that Starkey had been dismissed after 29 years of touring. But in a surprising twist just three days later, they walked it back, blaming “communication issues” and saying Zak would stay on.
Now, there’s a new update from Pete Townshend that seems to end the back-and-forth for good.
Pete Townshend Says It’s Time for a Change
Townshend took to Instagram to clarify the situation:
“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. Scott Devours who has worked with Roger’s solo band will join the Who for our final shows. Please welcome him.”
It sounded like a clean, respectful transition—until Starkey shared his side of the story.
Zak Speaks Out: “I Was Fired”
In a statement of his own, Zak didn’t hold back. He wrote:
“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.
“This would be a lie. I love the Who and would never had quit. So I didn’t make the statement.”
He added:
“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.’”
Bottom line, one thing’s clear: Zak is out, and Scott Devours is officially in. The drama now sets the stage for The Who’s upcoming farewell tour, which kicks off in August.
