- Zak Starkey is a successful rock drummer in his own right
- Keith Moon gifted him a drum set when he was 8 years old
- Breaking news: The Who have fired Starkey from the band after 30 years
Unless you’ve been living under a rock your whole life, you’ll know Ringo Starr as the legendary drummer of The Beatles. But did you know his son, Zak Starkey, is also a hugely successful drummer in his own right – and he’s done it all without riding on the coattails of that famous name.
Read more: Fans react to The Beatles biopics cast announcement
In fact, he has been an integral part of The Who’s live lineup since the mid-1990s – that is, until now. News has recently broken that Starkey has been fired from the band, after frontman Roger Daltrey reportedly complained about his performance at recent shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Read more: Who is Harris Dickinson, New Beatles Biopic Star?
The move has left Starkey “shocked and saddened” after spending 30 years touring with the band. He added: “Filling the shoes of my godfather, Uncle Keith [Moon], has been the biggest honour, and I remain their biggest fan. They’ve been like family to me.”
Zak Starkey taught himself to play
Starr gave his son the freedom to forge his own path and never expected him to follow in his footsteps. However, after a gift from The Who’s eccentric drummer Keith Moon – known to young Starkey as Uncle Keith -at the age of 8, the wheels were set in motion.
Starkey soon began teaching himself to play the drums on the kit, receiving just one lesson from his Beatle dad. While Starr praised his talents, he believed Starkey would be better off becoming a lawyer or doctor rather than following him into the music business.
The same gifted drum kit was later sold at Sotheby’s for £12,000 in 1992 (equivalent to $43,000 today) and was purchased by the Hard Rock Cafe.
In an interview with Modern Drummer in 2006, Starkey stated that he “wanted to play the drums because of Keith”. He goes on to explain that when his Dad took him to see T-Rex live when he was six, that was the moment he knew his destiny. “That was it for me; I wanted to be Marc Bolan. Then I got into David Bowie …. Then when I was eight, I discovered The Who’s Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy. That turned everything on its head. It was so different and it sounded so alive. It was bouncy”.
Career take-off
In the early 1980s, at just 17 years old, Starkey played with the re-formed Spencer Davis Group and recorded with the Semantics. He also contributed to The Who’s bassist John Entwistle’s solo album The Rock and briefly joined the Icicle Works in 1988.
His career took off in 1992 when he joined his Dad’s All-Starr Band, and in 1994, he began touring with The Who, later becoming a permanent member.
Reflecting on the moment Starkey joined The Who, Starr spoke to Hard Rock in 2011, saying, “It was great. The Who are my son’s band. He’s a Who fan, and Keith Moon was Uncle Keith to him. He felt he should have been in the band ten years earlier… He gave that band the kick they needed.”
His drumming was widely praised for bringing a unique energy without trying to replicate the band’s late wild rocker Moon. Starkey’s contributions to the Who continued over the years, including standout performances at the 2001 Concert for New York City and the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
Zal Starkey played with Oasis
In addition to playing live with The Who, Starkey joined Oasis in 2004, recording with them and joining them on tour until his departure in 2008.
A year after leaving Oasis, he opened up on his experience in the band speaking to Music Radar, saying “Liam, Noel, Gem and Andy are some of the smartest musicians I’ve ever met.” He continued “In fact, they’re the most inspiring band I’ve ever worked with. I played with Oasis for four years and literally spent every day crying with laughter. Those lads are on it and that’s why they’re ******* massive.”
Starkey has also played with rock icons such as Johnny Marr, Paul Weller and Mick Jones. His most recent project is Mantra of the Cosmos, a British supergroup formed in 2023, bringing together influential figures from the music scenes of the 1990s and beyond. He assembled the band with Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder.
