Drumming News :
After a turbulent year that saw him fired, rehired and fired again, drummer Zak Starkey is officially back behind the kit with The Who.
Starkey’s return comes as the legendary British rock band prepares to resume its farewell performances around the world. The drummer, who had been a member of The Who since 1996, confirmed that he has reunited with singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend following months of uncertainty about his future with the group.
The reconciliation was first revealed by Daltrey during his recent solo concert in Las Vegas. Speaking to the audience, the Who frontman said the band had been rehearsing with Starkey again and that it “sounded great.”
Starkey quickly responded on social media, making it clear that the reunion was more than just a casual rehearsal.
“Nice one Rog x,” Starkey wrote. “Lookin forward to tearin it up with The Who again.”
He went on to describe the rehearsal as unusually intense for a band more accustomed to spending downtime drinking tea and discussing when they should call it a day.
“We rehearsed for an afternoon and were absolutely on fire,” Starkey added. “I’m so happy to be back playing the music I love with people I love. It’s good to be home.”
Representatives for both The Who and Starkey subsequently confirmed that the drummer is indeed back in the band.
The reunion marks a dramatic turnaround from the chaos that surrounded Starkey’s departure in 2025. In April of that year, The Who fired him following a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall during a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert. Just days later, he was reinstated, only to be dismissed again roughly a month afterward.
The initial dispute reportedly grew out of a musical mishap during the charity performance. Starkey said the band was performing “The Song Is Over” when Daltrey came in early, leading to tension onstage. What might ordinarily have been a minor concert mistake instead became the beginning of a very public disagreement.
The fallout soon became personal, with Starkey and Daltrey exchanging increasingly sharp comments. Even Townshend appeared puzzled by the decision to remove the drummer, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already messy situation.
When The Who embarked on their North American farewell tour in 2025, Starkey was replaced behind the drums by Scott Devours. The tour, billed as the band’s farewell to American audiences, concluded in October.
But apparently, the story wasn’t over.
Although The Who have completed their final scheduled American tour, Daltrey has repeatedly suggested that the band isn’t finished performing altogether. Earlier this summer, he told The Arizona Republic, “It’s not over by any means. It’s just that was the last tour of America for The Who.”
For now, the band has no new tour dates officially scheduled. Daltrey, meanwhile, continues his own U.S. solo tour, which runs through a September 29 performance in Medford, Massachusetts.
Still, Starkey’s return strongly suggests that The Who’s farewell may have another chapter left to play.
After nearly three decades, a bitter split and an unexpected reconciliation, Starkey is once again preparing to take the stage with the band he considers home.
And this time, if the rehearsal is anything to go by, The Who may be ready to tear it up one more time.
