Zak Starkey, drummer and son of Ringo Starr, was fired from The Who after almost 30 years with the band

The Who He said goodbye to Zak Starkeyson of Ringo Starr And drummer of the band since 1996, after what seems to be a dispute about his way of playing at the band’s concert last month at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

“The band made the collective decision to separate from Zak after this round of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall”said a representative of the band to The Guardian. “They feel a great admiration for him and wish him the best for his future.”

In a statement to the Variety portal, Starkey declared: “I am very proud of my almost thirty years with The Who. Replace my godfather, Uncle Keith, has been a great honor and still being his greatest fan, “he said, referring to the original drummer of The Who, Keith Moonwho died in 1978 and was an intimate friend of Zak’s father and mentor of the young Starkey.

“They have been like a family for me. In January, I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in the right calf of the hype. It is already completely cured and does not affect me to play the battery or run. After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, it surprises me and it saddens me that someone has a problem with my performance that night, but what are you going to do? I plan to take a well -deserved rest with my family and focus on the launch of ‘Domino Bones’ by Mantra of the Cosmos with Noel Gallagher in May and in finishing my autobiography, written exclusively for me. 29 years in any job are a good streak, and I wish you the best. “

The conflict between Zak Starkey and The Who

The breakpoint seems to revolve around the apparent discontent of the leader Roger Daltrey With the interpretation of Starkey during the concert last month, for the benefit of Teenage Cancer Trust. According to a report by the British newspaper Metro, Daltrey, 81, paused in the last song of the group, “The Song is Over”saying: “To sing that song I need to listen to the tone, and I can’t. I only have the battery doing bum, bum, bum. I can’t sing with that. I’m sorry, guys.”

Starkey, 59, hinted at the decision on an Instagram publication full of words games during the weekend, in which he used his first name instead of the verb “Sack”, British jargon to be fired. In the photo foot of himself with Daltrey, he wrote in capital letters: “Today I knew, of an internal source, which Toger Daktrey, singer and main composer of the group, discontent with Zak’s performance, the drummer, at Albert Hall a few weeks ago, will formally accuse him of playing too much and literally, he will say goodbye to him and bring a substitute for ‘The Burwash Carwash Skiffle ‘N’ Tickle Glee Club Harmony Without Empathy Allstars’.

The composer’s comment was probably an indirect to Daltrey, who contributed to writing only a few songs throughout the more than six decades of The Who, and Pete Townshend He is famous for having written the overwhelming majority of the legendary material of the band.

Starkey, whose father was a close friend of the original drummer of The Who, Keith Moon, and grew up with him as a mentor, became the full -time drummer of the band in 1996, almost 20 years after Moon’s death.

Daltrey also had a conflictive relationship with the replacement of Moon, the former drummer of FACES and Small Faces Kenney Joneswho acted with the group in the years after Moon’s death in 1978. He played with the group on his first “Farewell” tour in 1982, but did not return when he met seven years later.

Over the years, Starkey has also played with Oasis —And it is possible to join the band in its next meeting tour, since the training has not yet been announced – together with the former guitarist of The Smiths, Johnny Marrreggae legends Sly and Robbieand Ringo. Recently he played with the Mantra of the Cosmos group, along with the veterans of the British indie of the 90s, Shaun Ryder and Bezof Happy Mondaysand Andy Bellof Oasis and Ride.