Zak Starkey Disputes The Who Retirement Narrative

Zak Starkey, longtime drummer for The Who and son of Ringo Starr, clarified that his departure from the band was labeled as a 'retirement' rather than a firing, despite earlier conflicting reports. Starkey explained that after a confusing phone conversation with Roger Daltrey, he was told to focus on other projects, even though he was available after completing his own music work. The exit followed a turbulent period involving Starkey being fired, rehired, and then released again, amid rumors of dissatisfaction with his performance and communication issues. Pete Townshend described the lineup change as necessary for The Who's upcoming farewell tour and introduced a new drummer for future shows. Starkey emphasized that he did not choose to leave and remains on good terms with his former bandmates, but openly contested aspects of the official narrative. The situation illustrates a PR effort by the band, contrasted with Starkey's more candid account.