Just days after The Who announced that they’d parted ways with longtime touring drummer Zak Starkey, Zak is back in the band. Founding Who guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend shared the good news in a message titled “News Flash! Who Back Zak!” that was posted Saturday, April 19, on the band’s official website and social media pages.
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The post also featured a photo of Townshend hugging Starkey.
“He’s not being asked to step down from The Who,” Pete wrote. “There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.”
As previously reported, some issues arose during one of The Who’s two March 2025 shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert series. During a performance of the 1971 tune “The Song Is Over,” frontman Roger Daltrey complained that he wasn’t able to hear the rest of the band because the drums were too loud. Daltrey stopped singing in the middle of the song and had the band start again.
[RELATED: A “Surprised and Saddened” Zak Starkey Issues First Public Statement After The Who Firing]
Townshend also suggested that some of the problems may have stemmed from the fact that The Who’s Teenage Cancer Trust gigs were the band’s first with a new pared-down lineup after touring for years with an orchestral show.
He continued in his note, “Roger and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral [lineup] and he has readily agreed.”
Townshend Also Took On Some Blame for The Who’s Onstage Issues
Pete also pointed to himself as being a factor in the band’s recent concerts not going smoothly. He noted that he still was experiencing issues from a surgery he underwent recently.
“I take responsibility for some of the confusion,” Townshend maintained. “Our TCT shows at the Royal Albert Hall were a little tricky for me. I thought that four and a half weeks would be enough time to recover completely from having a complete knee replacement. (Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?) Wrong!”
Townshend Touched on Other Possible Reasons for the Rocky Performances
Pete also mentioned some other factors that may have added to The Who’s performances being less than stellar.
“Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage,” he said. “The sound in the [center] of the stage is always the most difficult to work with. Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologized.”
Townshend’s Message Concluded on a Positive Note
Near the message’s conclusion, Pete sounded hopeful that The Who were excited to keep playing with Starkey still on board.
“We are a family,” he wrote, “[T]his blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.”
Townshend also brought up Daltrey’s upcoming solo concerts. He suggested that there had been inaccurate speculation about the drummer from Roger’s solo band being considered as Starkey’s replacement in The Who.
“As for Roger, fans can enjoy his forthcoming solo shows with his fabulous drummer, Scott Devours, who it was rumored might replace Zak in The Who and has always been supportive of the band,” Townshend wrote. “I owe Scott an apology for not crushing that rumor before it spread. He has been hurt by this. I promise to buy him a very long drink and give him a hug.”
Starkey’s Recent Online Messages
Starkey reposted Townshend’s message on his own social media pages. He also added a note that reads, “[Very] grateful to be a part of the who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx.”
On Saturday, April 18, Zak also alluded to the truce with Daltrey by posting the following: “Sorry Rog, I dropped a few beats … I’ll pick em up next time if I can. Apologies… love Zakx.”
About the Initial Reports of The Who’s Split with Starkey
Initial word that Starkey had been fired from The Who emerged about a week ago, when Zak posted a cryptic, purposely misspelled and seemingly sarcastic message about the apparent split.
The note read, “Heard today from inside source that Toger Daktrey lead singer and principal 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.”
On April 16, Starkey shared a more serious statement with People that clarified the situation.
“I’m very proud of my near 30 years with the Who,” the statement read. “Filling the shoes of my godfather, ‘uncle Keith’ [the band’s late original drummer, Keith Moon,] has been the biggest honor and I remain their biggest fan. They’ve been like family to me.
The note continued, “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 [at the Royal Albert Hall], but what can you do? … Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best.”
A rep for The Who, meanwhile, shared a statement from the group about the split with U.K. newspaper The Guardian on April 16.
“The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,” the statement said. “They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”
News of Starkey’s exit from The Who was greeted with an extremely negative reaction from many fans. Online chatter widely criticized Daltrey over the decision to replace Zak.
The Who’s Upcoming Tour Plans
The Who has just two previously announced confirmed concerts on its upcoming 2025 schedule. The shows are scheduled for July 20 in Padua, Italy, and July 22 in Milan, Italy.
It’s assumed that Starkey will be with the band for those performances.
More About Zak Starkey
Starkey, of course, is the eldest child of famed Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. He’s been The Who’s touring drummer since 1996.
Zak also has played on many of the band’s studio recordings over the last 20 years or so.
Starkey, 59, has played drums with many other artists over the years. From 2004 to 2008, he was a touring member of Oasis.
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