THE JIG IS UP

The Who Just Fired Ringo Starr’s Drummer Son After Bad Performance

Zak Starkey was allegedly at odds with the band over their Royal Albert Hall gig last month.

The Who, an English rock band formed in 1964, has parted ways with the band’s drummer Zak Starkey, the Guardian reported. Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, first joined the band in 1996. According to the report, Starkey allegedly had a disagreement with the band over his performance at their Royal Albert Hall gig last month. A representative for the band suggested that the decision was mutual, writing: “[The band] have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.” But a review of the band’s March gig suggested that Who’s lead singer, Roger Daltrey, also complained about Starkey’s performance on stage. The frontman paused their final song, The Song Is Over, and apologized to the audience: “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.” However, a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post from Starkey, 59, suggested that the breakup wasn’t as warm as the band’s rep claimed. Sharing a photo of himself with Daltery, Starkey quipped that Daltrey will be “bringing formal charges of overplaying” against him.