Déjà vu.
The Who has fired drummer Zak Starkey for the second time forward of their upcoming farewell tour.
Starkey, 59, was beforehand let go from the band after which re-hired simply days later in April.
Guitarist and co-founder Pete Townshend shared the information of Starkey’s newest firing on Instagram Sunday.
“After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,” Townshend, 80, wrote. “A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”
Townshend additionally introduced that drummer Scott Devours will change Starkey on “The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour” that begins in August.
Starkey shared his personal assertion about his firing and disputed Townshend’s causes for his exit.
“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,” he wrote. “Not true. I love The Who and would never have quit and let down so many amazing people who stood up for me through this madness.”
Starkey added that there have been “weeks of mayhem of me going ‘in and out and in and out’ … like a bleeding squeezebox”.
He went on to make clear that whereas he does have “other projects” that he’s engaged on, none of them have “ever interfered” together with his gig with The Who.
“The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- i didn’t,” he reiterated. “I love The Who and everyone in it.”
Starkey was fired from The Who final month following his efficiency throughout the group’s two charity exhibits for Teenage Most cancers Belief at London’s Royal Albert Corridor in late March.
Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey had been allegedly “upset” with Starkey over the gigs.
“The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,” the spokesperson for The Who instructed The Solar. “They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”
Starkey spoke out about his blindsided departure, revealing that he “suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf” in January.
“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?” he added.
However days later, The Who introduced that Starkey was again within the band.
“He’s not being asked to step down from The Who. There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,” Townshend wrote on Instagram.
Townshend additionally acknowledged that the information of Starkey’s preliminary departure “blew up very quickly” however insisted the band was transferring ahead “with optimism and fire in our bellies.”
Starkey, the son of The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
