On May 26, Starkey spoke out about the nature of his dismissal, clarifying a conversation he had with singer Roger Daltrey. “Rog said I hadn’t been ‘fired’…I had been ‘retired’ to work on my own projects,” posted Starkey to Instagram.
The split marked , which he joined in 1996.
The band originally cut ties with Starkey in April after issues with Starkey’s performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March. Roger Daltrey claimed he struggled to hear his voice above the drums during the shows. They brought Starkey back briefly, blaming mixed signals, before confirming a final split two weeks later. I was “asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavors.” . “This would be a lie. I love The Who and would never have quit.”
Devours, who plays drums for Roger Daltrey’s solo band, will be stepping in for the last tour. “It’s hard to express the tsunami of emotions that I’m processing since that incredible news,” Devours shared on Instagram.
Despite the changes, bonds remain strong between Starkey, the son of Beatles Ringo Starr, and the band. After a recent call with Daltrey, Starkey said they remain “on good terms and great friends as we have always been.”
