Zak Starkey, the son of The Beatles' legendary drummer Ringo Starr, has revealed that he resented his father's iconic band while growing up.
In a recent interview on the New York rock radio station Q104.3, Starkey made the surprising revelation about his father's band. He admitted that growing up, he purposely avoided listening to the Fab Four's music.
"I'll be honest. When I was a kid, The Beatles were in my way, if you see what I mean," Starkey explained. "I was in groups from a young really young age, and I was getting press attention, but they were only paying me attention and they weren't paying the rest of the band attention. And I got bit resentful of this, and that sort of got me into a place where I sort of shunned The Beatles for a long time."
He continued, "A few people have said that's why I have an identity of my own, you know. But at the end of the day, when I did listen to The Beatles, when I was about 25, it was like, 'Wow, these guys are amazing! … I should have been listening to this forever.'"
Starkey served as the touring drummer of The Who for nearly 30 years, until he and the British rock legends parted ways earlier in 2025.
Starkey also revealed that he doesn't "hold a grudge" over being fired from The Who and confirmed he remains friends with Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.
The Who wrapped up their live career in October when their lengthy North American farewell tour concluded. For their final jaunt, Scott Devours was behind the drum kit instead of Starkey.
Starkey is now focusing on other projects, including a one-man show he'll be performing on February 20, 2026, in New York City.
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