Zak Starkey Dismissed from The Who After Nearly 30 Years

Zak Starkey, drummer for The Who and son of Ringo Starr, has spoken publicly after being dismissed from the band following nearly 30 years of performing with them. Starkey expressed pride in his tenure and described filling the role of his godfather, original drummer Keith Moon, as a great honor, but admitted to being surprised and saddened by his dismissal. The split followed the band's March concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall, where concerns were reportedly raised about Starkey's performance, with frontman Roger Daltrey allegedly unhappy about 'overplaying' during the shows. Starkey revealed he had suffered a medical emergency in January involving blood clots in his leg, but stated this had fully healed and did not impact his drumming. Both Starkey and the band described the separation as a collective decision, with mutual expressions of admiration and well wishes for the future. Starkey now plans to focus on family, releasing new music with his band Mantra Of The Cosmos, and completing his autobiography.