After a brief and much-reported fallout earlier this spring, legendary rock band The Who has confirmed that drummer Zak Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr — will remain in the band, but with a request to refine his playing style as they move forward.
The situation unfolded following The Who’s Royal Albert Hall performances in March 2025, when frontman Roger Daltrey openly expressed frustration with the sound balance onstage, particularly how the drums were fitting into the band’s mix. One review of the show noted that Daltrey had to pause a song because he couldn’t hear the key over the drums.
In the wake of those shows, there were reports that the band had decided to move on without Starkey after nearly three decades as their drummer. But over the past week, guitarist Pete Townshend has clarified the situation in a statement, saying Starkey is not being asked to step down and that previous notices of his departure stemmed from miscommunication.
Townshend explained that he and Daltrey had simply asked Starkey to “tighten up his latest evolved drumming style” to better suit The Who’s current non-orchestral lineup, a stylistic adjustment that Starkey has agreed to undertake.
There were earlier suggestions that The Who planned to replace Starkey with Scott Devours, who has performed with Daltrey on his solo tours, but Townshend’s statement directly addressed and dismissed the rumor, emphasizing that internal communication was largely to blame for the initial confusion.
The exchange has attracted significant attention given Starkey’s long tenure with the band — he has played with The Who since 1996 and is widely respected as one of the group’s more consistent presences since the death of original drummer Keith Moon.
While the request to refine his drumming could signal creative tensions within the group, Townshend framed the update as amicable, emphasizing that recent issues “got too much oxygen” in the press and that the band is moving forward “with optimism.”
As The Who continues toward what has been billed as their farewell tour, fans will be watching closely to see how Starkey’s role evolves onstage and whether this episode leads to a tighter, more balanced sound as the band wraps up its storied career.
