Zak Starkey Says He Paid a Price for Standing His Ground With The Who

Former Zak Starkey has spoken candidly about the circumstances behind his dismissals from The Who, offering new insight into the band’s internal tensions and his ongoing relationship with frontman Roger Daltrey. Starkey’s remarks were shared in a recent statement to the New York Post.

“An Addiction to Friction”

Despite the public fallout, Starkey insisted that his personal relationship with Daltrey remains intact. He described a band dynamic marked by volatility, while positioning himself as someone unwilling to stay silent when treated unfairly.

“We’re still friends. We still talk all the time. But The Who has an addiction to friction, and tempers flare,” Starkey said. “I’m not the guy with a temper, really. I’m just a guy who won’t be walked all over, and I don’t think that I should be treated unfairly and not be able to speak up.”

His comments paint a picture of long-standing creative and personal tensions within one of rock’s most enduring groups.

Firings, Rehirings, and Public Statements

Starkey detailed how his first firing unfolded, including what he described as pressure to publicly accept blame for performance issues.

“I got fired. I was asked to make a public statement apologizing for dropping beats, which I did, and I was rehired. So I said nothing,” he explained. “Then they made a statement saying I’d moved on, inferring I’d quit. So I went back and said, ‘Look, I didn’t f–king quit, you fired me. That’s a lie, and I’m not going to f–king lie.’”

According to Starkey, the refusal to accept a rewritten narrative ultimately deepened the rift between him and the band.

The Final Break and a Complicated Legacy

The drummer said a later newspaper interview triggered his second and final dismissal. He recalled being told not to remove his equipment from storage because a return seemed possible—only for that to change abruptly.

“A little bit more time went by, and I spoke to Roger a few times, and then he basically said don’t take your drums from our storage facility because we probably want you back,” Starkey said. “Then a couple of days later, an article came out in the Telegraph… and I got fired, again, the next day.”

As the son of Ringo Starr, Starkey brought both lineage and longevity to The Who, performing on multiple tours and recordings. His departure, reportedly framed by the band as a “retirement” rather than a firing, underscores the challenges veteran rock acts face as they balance legacy, internal politics, and public perception. While The Who continues to hint at possible final performances, Starkey’s account suggests that behind the scenes, unresolved friction remains a defining force.