Keith Moon, the Who's original drummer, gave Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey his first drum kit for the lad's eighth birthday. In 1996, years after Moon died, Starkey took over as the English band's drummer, a gig that lasted until now—much longer than his father's career with the Beatles. The Who, and especially singer Roger Daltrey, were unhappy with a performance in London last month for the Teenage Cancer Trust, the Guardian reports. This statement followed: "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future."
The Metro's review of the concert said Starkey's drumming was called out during the final song. Daltrey stopped during "The Song Is Over" to say: "To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys." Starkey gave a sort-of jokey response on Instagram over the weekend, posting a photo of him with Daltrey and saying that he'd heard he was being dismissed and that the singer "is bringing formal charges of overplaying" against him. Daltrey might be less amused by the reference to him as "the principal songwriter of the group"; that would be Pete Townshend.
Starkey issued a statement on Wednesday saying he was proud of his tenure with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band and of "filling the shoes of my Godfather, 'uncle Keith,'" per Rolling Stone. "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," he wrote, "but what can you do?" These things happen in the music industry; after dropping Pete Best as their drummer, the Beatles hired one Ringo Starr. (More The Who stories.)
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