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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, expressed. “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 dismissed two weeks after being reinstated and coerced into making a statement claiming I had voluntarily left The Who to pursue my other musical ventures,” he explained. “This is simply not the truth. I have a deep love for The Who and would never have chosen to leave, betraying the trust of so many incredible individuals who supported me during this chaotic period.”
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 ousted from The Who last month following his performance at the band’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.