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The Who fire drummer Zak Starkey AGAIN – ‘I was asked to say I’d quit’
19 May 2025, 10:29
The Who have refired their drummer of almost 30 years after previous firing “confusion”.
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The Who’s Pete Townshend has revealed the band have gotten rid of their drummer Zak Starkey once more, a month on from when “confusion” led to the 59-year-old being fired and rehired in less than a week by the band.
Taking to social media as he did to clear up April’s events, Pete wrote in a statement: “After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change.”
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Calling this change “a poignant time,” he added: “Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”
Pete then revealed that Scott Devours, who has been a part of Who vocalist Roger Daltrey's solo touring band No Plan B since 2009, will be taking over drumming for the Who going into their farewell North American tour.
On the band’s website, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend confirmed Scott’s new role saying “We hope all our fans will welcome him.”
They also wrote: “The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20 years younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects.
“He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world.”
Zak – who is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr – has drummed with the Who since 1996, and made it clear in his own statement post-firing that it was not his choice to leave the band.
“I was fired two week after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quite the Who to pursue my other musical endevours [sic],” he penned on Instagram.
“This would be a lie. I love the who and would never had quit,” he stressed. “So I didn’t make the statement.
“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,” he added.
Zak’s post went on to list the many different projects he has worked on while drumming for the Who, to stress that he has “always” been able to balance commitments before and so would have done again this time, if given the opportunity.
“As u see there has always been time for other projects,” he said, naming his band Mantra of the Cosmos as his most recent one.
“None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them,” he added.
“The lie is or would have been that I quit the who – I didn’t. I love the who and everyone in it,” he concluded.
Zak Starkey - The Who
Zak’s brief exit from the Who in April 2025 was rumoured to have been down to the band being unhappy with his playing at several Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London in March.
At the time a band spokesperson told press: “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.”
Zak responded by telling Rolling Stone he was “surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with [his] performance that night” but just three days later Pete Townshend took to the Who website to suggest there had been a miscommunication behind the scenes.
“News flash! Who back Zak!” he opened his statement, which said: “Zak is not being asked to step down from The Who” and in which Pete said he took "some" responsibility for the “confusion” which had led to reports of Zak’s sacking.
“There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,” the 80-year-old penned, but evidently further issues arose after he made this statement.
