Roger Daltrey on The Who Drummers & Zak Starkey Return

Roger Daltrey has talked about the challenges The Who have faced with their drummers since Keith Moon passed away in 1978.

Roger Daltrey © Raph PH

In an interview with Life Minute TV, Daltrey talked about how losing Keith Moon affected the band’s creativity.

"I can't pretend it has. We were firing on all cylinders. We could throw anything out there and make something of it. That kind of disappeared when Keith died."

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After Moon died, former Faces drummer Kenney Jones joined The Who and played with them for about ten years. Simon Phillips then took over for the band’s 1989 US tour. Zak Starkey joined in 1996 and stayed until he was let go last year. For The Who’s 2025 American Farewell Tour, American drummer Scott Devours played with the band.

Daltrey continued: "We tried Kenny Jones, who is a great drummer, but a straight drummer just does not work with The Who"

Daltrey was keen to address his admiration for Zak Starkey

“But Zak Starkey, he's not Keith Moon, but he comes very close."

Last week, during a solo show at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas, Daltrey told the audience that the band had been rehearsing and that Starkey had rejoined them.

"We love Zak… Sometimes the road doesn't love Zak. It gets on top of him, so it becomes difficult, but we love him."

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Ellis Douglas
Editor, BritRock Heaven