"I’m surprised and saddened": Zak Starkey breaks silence after being fired from The Who

Zak Starkey has finally opened up about the news of him getting removed from The Who band after the drum incident that took place at the Royal Albert Hall on March 30.

The drummer was accused of playing loud during the live performance of The Song Is Over, to which the singer, Roger Daltrey, told the audience,

"To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can’t. All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry guys."

On April 16, the band's spokesperson officially released a statement that said,

"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."

The news soon went viral among The Who fans, who showed their disappointment with the decision. The former drummer has finally broken the silence by giving a statement to Rolling Stone that says,

"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?"

Zak Starkey suffers from blood clots in the right bass drum calf

In the departure statement given by Zak Starkey, the drummer gave details about his past medical emergency by adding,

"In January, I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf. This is now completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running."

The drummer was advised to cancel the London performance that he was scheduled to perform with his band, Mantra of the Cosmos, in January. The sudden cancellation came due to the medical emergency of blood clots in Starkey's right bass drum calf, which was affecting his performance.

He was later given blood thinners to stop the situation from getting worse. As per Starkey's latest statement, he is now completely healed.

In the statement, Zak Starkey also shared his future plans by adding,

"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. Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best.”

Trending

Zak Starkey is currently a part of the band Mantra of the Cosmos. In the past, he has been a part of well-known bands including The Who, Oasis, The Lightning Seeds, and Johnny Marr & The Healers.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback