Last week, The Who announced they have decided to part ways with drummer Zak Starkey – who had been with the band for nearly 30 years. This was the second time in a month that Starkey (son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr) was let go from the band.
In April, days after announcing his exit following an apparent conflict between him and frontman Roger Daltrey, The Who rehired him, only to fire him again on May 18th. According to Starkey, the band had even asked him to lie about being let go and to instead say he quit.
Now, The Who’s new drummer Scott Devours – who played in Daltrey’s solo band – has spoken out about the situation. In a statement posted to his social media, Devours broke his silence on Starkey’s firing, admitting that fans may not be too happy with him for replacing the band’s longtime drummer.
“I’m sure there are many fans who will not accept me or anyone on that throne except for Zak. I know that this will be the case for some and I acknowledge that,” Devours wrote. “For others, perhaps the jury is still out. Maybe I’ll need to let the music do the talking? In my world, there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger.”
“The weight of this responsibility is enormous, and I am feeling every ounce of it. What I want to say to all of the fans is that I will do everything I can to honor the legacy of The Who, Zak, Kenney Jones, Simon Phillips, and the memory of the great Keith Moon. For my name to even be mentioned in a sentence like that literally sends shivers down my spine, and I know I need to earn this honor.”
He continued: “Since this is the last time Pete and Roger will be touring the US, playing the greatest songs ever written, I will be giving them every second of my time, every beat of my heart, and every drop of my sweat and blood. This is my ultimate goal. But this tour isn’t about me or anyone other than The Who, which IS Pete and Roger. I will give them everything I have and the rest is soon to be history.”
