After The Who publicly announced that they had parted ways with their longtime drummer Zak Starkey last week, Pete Townshend reversed course in an Instagram post on Saturday (April 19), confirming that Starkey is still the drummer in the band. “News Flash! Who back Zak!,” Townshend wrote. “Zak is 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.” Following a rocky performance at Royal Albert Hall, Townshend stated that Starkey is not being asked to step down but rather work on his drumming style to better fit the band’s current sound. “Roger [Daltrey] and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed,” wrote the guitar legend. Starkey, the son of the Beatles icon Ringo Star, took to Instagram to share a photo of Townshend embracing him, with the caption, “V grateful to be a part of the who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx.” (Rolling Stone)
