Zak Starkey has broken his silence after being fired from legendary British rock band The Who. Turn out it's not as acrimonious as reported.
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According to reports, the Who fired the son of The Beetles' drummer Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey, over his quality during their couple of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. The Metro reported that Roger Daltrey complained of Zak Starkey "overplaying" during their performances.
Starkey's over-eager drumming must have really rubbed The Who the wrong way. Letting go of Zak Starkey was reportedly a unanimous one, per The Sun. "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future."
Despite the Metro reporting there being some degree of ire on stage, Zak Starkey holds no resentment toward the band. The drummer spoke to PEOPLE about his termination.
"I'm very proud of my near 30 years with The Who," he said. "Filling the shoes of my Godfather, 'uncle Keith' has been the biggest honor and I remain their biggest fan. They've been like family to me."
Zak Starkey Is "Surprised And Saddened" Over Being Sacked
"After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I'm surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?" he continued. The way he referenced Daltrey's alleged comments comes across as though he didn't hear them on stage.
"I plan to take some much needed time off with my family, and focus on the release of 'Domino Bones' by Mantra Of The Cosmos with Noel Gallagher in May and finishing my autobiography written solely by me," he shared of his next steps.
"29 years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best," he concluded.
I wonder who The Who will end up getting to replace Starkey as their drummer. The band really can't have that many more concerts in them, so I can't imagine they're looking for a drummer who'll be with them for the long haul.
