Rock royalty doesn’t always wear a crown, as Zak Starkey is discovering in early 2025. The son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr finds himself in an unexpected position – watching from the sidelines as two major chapters in his musical story take surprising turns.
The latest twist? Being left out of the hotly anticipated Oasis reunion tour. Starkey, who kept time for the Britpop giants from 2004 to 2009, recently shared his disappointment during a candid BBC Breakfast appearance. Like any musician worth their salt, he went straight to the source.
“I texted them and said ‘why am I not in it?’” Starkey revealed, his straightforward approach reminiscent of the no-nonsense attitude that made him such a perfect fit for the band in the first place. The gig’s gone to Joey Waronker – you might know him from his work with Beck and R.E.M. – but Starkey’s taking it on the chin.
Here’s the kicker, though – his appreciation for Oasis remains unchanged. “God, yeah. Greatest rock and roll band of my generation. Greatest rock and roll singer of my generation,” he declared, proving that sometimes you can separate the art from the awkward situations.
But wait – there’s more to this tale of musical musical chairs. In a twist that feels almost too perfectly scripted, Starkey’s also navigating a peculiar exit from The Who. Picture this: a disagreement over playing “The Song Is Over” (oh, the irony) from 1971 somehow snowballed into a bizarre “fired” versus “retired” semantic dance.
Pete Townshend took to social media, painting it as a mutual parting of ways. Starkey? Not so much. “I love the who and would never had quit,” he stated plainly, probably while wondering how rock and roll drama manages to follow him around like a particularly persistent groupie.
The situation got even more tangled when Roger Daltrey apparently told Starkey he hadn’t been “fired” but “retired” – a distinction that left both parties scratching their heads. “I had a great phone chat with Roger at the end of last week which truly confused both of us!!!” Starkey shared, adding an almost sitcom-worthy layer to the whole affair.
Meanwhile, back in the Oasis camp, those reunion tour preparations are rolling along. Starting July 4th at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, they’ve got 41 shows lined up through November. Word has it the Gallagher brothers are rehearsing separately – perhaps some habits die harder than others.
Even rock royalty dad Ringo’s gotten involved, reportedly “not too happy” about The Who situation. But then again, who would be? (Pun absolutely intended, and we’re not even sorry about it.)
For Starkey, it’s a reminder that even with rock’s most impressive DNA and decades of experience, the music industry can still throw you a curveball. Or in this case, two of them. Still, in an industry where comeback stories are practically their own genre, who knows what the next beat might bring?
Leave a Reply