When did Zak Starkey join The Who? Rock band parts ways with Ringo Starr’s son

English rock drummer Zak Starkey, joined the legendary rock band The Who, in 1996. However, a spokesperson confirmed to The Sun on April 15, that the son of Ringo Starr, The Beatles drummer has been fired from the band, after a "huge fallout" with band's frontman Roger Daltrey, and guitarist Pete Townsend.

A spokeperson for the band anounced,

"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 played with the band in their two March shows, after which an insider reportedly told The Mirror that the decision has upset the drummer and "It's a little acrimonious to say the least."

This comes after a Metro report claimed that frontman Roger Daltrey complained several times that Zak was overplaying at the Royal Albert Hall concert which were in honour of Daltrey's Teenage Cancer Trust charity. At one point during the show, Daltrey seemingly 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."

What has Zak Starkey said about leaving the band?

While the announcement of Zak Starkey being fired from The Who was initially confirmed to The Sun on April 15, the decision had been thought over, and Zak had apparently known about it.

On April 13, Starkey took to Instagram, where he shared a message about things he has "heard" about his firing, and said in the caption in all caps,

"HEARD TODAY FROM INSIDE SOURCE THAT TOGER DAKTREY LEAD SINGER AND PRINCIPLE SONGWRITER OF THE GROUP UNHAPPY WITH ZAK THE DRUMMER'S PERFORMANCE AT THE ALBERT HALL A FEW WEEKS AGO IS BRINGING FORMAL CHARGES OF OVERPLAYING AND IS LITERALLY GOING TO ZAK THE DRUMMER."

Zak Starkey has also played for Oasis, and despite joining The Who in 1996, he was not available to record most of the latter's 2006 album Endless Wire, since he was on the road with Oasis. Zak had also joined Oasis to replce long-time member Alan White before the band split in 2009.

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Since Oasis is reportedly going to reunite, rumors are that Starkey might be joining them.

Roger Daltrey had initially founded the band The Who under the name of The Detours in 1959, with Peter Townsend joining him later.

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