Déjà vu.
The Who has fired drummer Zak Starkey for the second time ahead of their upcoming farewell tour.
Starkey, 59, was previously let go from the band and then re-hired just days later in April.
Guitarist and co-founder Pete Townshend shared the news of Starkey’s latest firing on Instagram Sunday.
“After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,” Townshend, 80, wrote. “A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.”
Townshend also announced that drummer Scott Devours will replace Starkey on “The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour” that starts in August.
Starkey shared his own statement about his firing and disputed Townshend’s reasons for his exit.
“I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavors,” he wrote. “Not true. I love The Who and would never have quit and let down so many amazing people who stood up for me through this madness.”
Starkey added that there were “weeks of mayhem of me going ‘in and out and in and out’ … like a bleeding squeezebox”.
He went on to clarify that while he does have “other projects” that he’s working on, none of them have “ever interfered” with his gig with The Who.
“The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- i didn’t,” he reiterated. “I love The Who and everyone in it.”
Starkey was fired from The Who last month following his performance during the group’s two charity shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall in late March.
Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey were allegedly “upset” with Starkey over the gigs.
“The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,” the spokesperson for The Who told The Sun. “They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”
Starkey spoke out about his blindsided departure, revealing that he “suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf” in January.
“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, but what can you do?” he added.
But days later, The Who announced that Starkey was back in the band.
“He’s not being asked to step down from The Who. There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,” Townshend wrote on Instagram.
Townshend also acknowledged that the news of Starkey’s initial departure “blew up very quickly” but insisted the band was moving forward “with optimism and fire in our bellies.”
Starkey, the son of The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, joined The Who in 1996.
