Zak Starkey

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Zak Starkey's connection to the Who runs deep. At the age of eight, he was given a drum kit by the Who's drummer, Keith Moon, who was one of his father's closest friends and Starkey's godfather. Moon discussed drumming with him as a boy, though they never sat together at a drum kit. The drum kit was later sold at Sotheby's for £12,000. Starkey subsequently began teaching himself to play the drums. His father gave him only one lesson, but discouraged his growing interest because of the desire not to see him in the same business. Kenney Jones, drummer for Faces and Moon's replacement in the Who, stated that he 'virtually taught' the young Starkey to play the drums. By the age of twelve, Starkey was performing in pubs as a member of the garage band the Next. After Moon's death, Jones gifted the teenage Starkey a white drum kit formerly owned by Moon, which had been kept in storage by the Who. In 1994, Starkey joined John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey of the Who on a tour entitled 'Daltrey Sings Townshend', which had developed from a two-night performance at Carnegie Hall to celebrate Daltrey's fiftieth birthday. In the spring of 1996, he left the band Face to work with the Who on their Quadrophenia tour. He received good reviews in this role and was praised by the music press for his strong drumming presence, without trying to emulate the band's original drummer Keith Moon. Both Townshend and Daltrey stated that Starkey was the best match for the band since the death of Keith Moon. On 20 October 2001, he performed with the Who at the Concert for New York City at Madison Square Garden. This was heralded as the Who's 'comeback' performance and they stole the show. Rolling Stone called their performance 'one of the 50 moments that changed rock and roll'. It was also one of John Entwistle's final appearances with the band. On 7 February 2010, Starkey appeared with the Who during the half-time show of Super Bowl XLIV at the Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida. Later that year, on 12 December, he joined them at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.

In Their Own Story

On 15 April 2025, it was reported that Townshend and Daltrey had sacked Starkey as their drummer, due to a disagreement or miscommunication between Daltrey and Starkey. During a charity concert on 30 March at the Royal Albert Hall, Roger Daltrey stopped the show a few times, with Pete Townshend carrying on when he could not, due to a problem with sound levels. Daltrey ended the concert at the last song, saying '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'. Daltrey later explained that the problem was caused by the sound person feeding a bad mix into his in-ear monitor, but Starkey took this as criticism of his playing, sniped back, and there were hurt feelings all round. Starkey stated: 'I was surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night' but added: 'I remain their biggest fan' and 'wish them the best.' On 19 April, the band publicly announced that Starkey would be remaining with the band after all, with Townshend stating that all communication issues between Starkey and the band had been 'aired happily'. However, a month later on May 18, Townshend announced on Instagram that Starkey would be leaving to pursue other projects. Starkey refuted this statement on Instagram, saying he had been fired two weeks after reinstatement and had been asked by the band to state that he had quit. The band then released a formal announcement reiterating their impending retirement and that Starkey 'needs to devote all his energy' towards his other projects. He later claimed that he had been 'retired rather than fired'. Starkey was still set to perform songs by The Who at an upcoming solo concert in February 2026.

Reader's Guide

Instrument and Role: Zak Starkey is a drummer, musician and percussionist. He toured and recorded with the Who from 1996 to 2025. He also worked with Oasis as a touring guest member from 2004, recording all but one track on the sessions for Don't Believe the Truth. He was a founding member of Johnny Marr & the Healers in 2000, whose first album Boomslang was released in 2003. Key Musical Contributions: Starkey played on John Entwistle's solo album The Rock (released in 1996). He replaced Chris Sharrock as the drummer in the Icicle Works in 1988, appearing on only one recording. He also plays on the 1989 album Silver and Gold, a solo work released by Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith. Starkey was not available to record for most of the Who's 2006 album Endless Wire, as he had been on the road with Oasis and only had time to play on one track. Notable Performances: Starkey performed with the Who at the Concert for New York City (2001), Super Bowl XLIV halftime show (2010), the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, and 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief. He also played with the Who at Glastonbury Festival in 2007 and as the headline act at the Glastonbury Festival during the Who Hits 50! tour. On 30 March 2010, he played with the band during their performance of Quadrophenia at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Touring and Collaborations: During 1992 and 1995, Starkey toured with Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, having previously guested on the band's 1989 tour. He joined the Semantics briefly, replacing founding drummer Jody Spence, during the recording process for their album Powerbill. He also played shows with Mick Jones of the Clash and formed the Silver Machine with Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes, Glen Matlock and Little Barrie.

Did You Know?

• Zak Starkey was given a drum kit at age eight by his godfather, the Who's drummer Keith Moon. The kit was later sold at Sotheby's for £12,000.
• Kenney Jones, Moon's replacement in the Who, stated that he 'virtually taught' the young Starkey to play the drums.
• Starkey's father Ringo Starr gave him only one drum lesson and discouraged his interest, hoping he would become a lawyer or doctor instead.
• The Who performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony on 12 August 2012 with drummer Scott Devours, not Zak Starkey.