NEED TO KNOW
Pete Townshend is opening up about a serious rift within the ranks of The Who, particularly since the band split from drummer Zak Starkey.
In a new interview with U.K. outlet The i Paper, the iconic guitarist, 80, shared the series of events that transpired around Starkey no longer being with the group, detailing his firing, rehiring and eventual departure from The Who after a 29-year run with the legendary band.
“I will miss Zak terribly. But quite what the story is, I don’t f—— know. I really don’t know,” Townsend shared during the interview.
In April, Starkey announced he was going to depart from The Who. Days later, Townshend walked things back and noted that Starkey was “not being asked” to step down.
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Things changed yet again just one month later, with the band re-clarifying on Instagram that Starkey was no longer a part of The Who. “After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,” Townshend shared on May 18. “A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best. Scott Devours who has worked with Roger’s solo band will join The Who for our Final shows. Please welcome him.”
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Shortly after the band shared the post, Starkey took to his own Instagram page to share his perspective on the matter, noting, “I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical [endeavors],” adding, “this would be a lie.”
“I love the who and would never had quit. So I didn’t make the statement,” the band’s former drummer continued at the time. “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.”
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“It’s been a mess,” Townshend noted of Starkey’s departure in his i Paper interview, further adding, “I think [Roger Daltrey] just got lost. Roger’s finding it difficult. I have to be careful what I say about Roger because he gets angry if I say anything about him at all. He’ll be sacking me next. But that’s not to say that he sacked Zak. It’s a decision Roger and I tried to make together, but it kind of got out of hand.”
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When asked if he felt as though it was a difficult decision to let Starkey go, Townshend said, “Well, I’ve never been a huge…” before stopping himself short and pivoting to say, “I didn’t invite him in, right? Roger invited him. And at that time, I don’t know quite why he chose Zak, but Zak is another Keith Moon. He comes with real, real bonuses and real, real difficulties.”
Though they’ve experienced a major shift in their ranks with the departure of Starkey, who first joined The Who in 1996, Townshend also told i Paper that he’s looking forward to the group’s final American tour, which commences in August.
“I don’t know whether I’ve been up for doing anything with The Who since 1973,” he joked during the interview. “But I am looking forward to it. Not because it’s the end, but because I hope that we can continue to explore other things.”
