Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey (born
September 13,
1965 in
London,
England) is the semi-permanent
drummer in the current lineup of
Oasis, as well as
The Who. Before that he had also worked with prominent acts such as
Johnny Marr,
Icicle Works,
the Waterboys,
ASAP, and
the Lightning Seeds. Zak is the first-born son of
Beatles drummer
Ringo Starr (who was born Richard Starkey) and his first wife,
Maureen Cox.
Starkey received his first small starter drum kit from his father, although legend mistakenly reports that it came from his idol,
Keith Moon of the Who. Moon did, however, give Zak his first professional kit - one he previously used in Who recordings. Nearly 20 years after Moon's death, Starkey was invited to become the drummer in the touring version of the Who.
At the age of eight, he became interested in music. At ten, he started teaching himself how to play drums after receiving only one lesson from his famous father, who reportedly did not want him following in his footsteps. Although Ringo praises his son's undeniable skills and talents, he said about his son's musical dedication and endeavour that he "always regarded Zak as a lawyer or as a doctor", not a drummer like himself.
By the age of 12, Starkey was already performing in pubs with a band. In his teens, Starkey was a member of the garage act the Next. He eventually landed work with a re-formed
Spencer Davis Group. In
1985, shortly after getting married, Starkey released a musical version of
Wind in the Willows with
Eddie Hardin. On
September 7,
1985, his daughter was born making his father,
Ringo Starr, the first grandfather of all Beatles' members. He suffered the tragic loss of his mother in 1994 when she died of
leukemia, despite a bone marrow transplant in which Zak was the donor.
Zak had established himself as a sought-after session musician and as a gifted and proven drummer, playing drums for artists such as
Icicle Works,
the Waterboys,
ASAP, and
the Lightning Seeds. In
1996, Starkey left his band
Face, to fulfill a childhood dream of joining
The Who. He has received very good reviews in this role - especially from
Townshend,
Daltrey, and
Entwistle - for being a strong drumming presence but without explicitly imitating Moon.
In addition, he continued to work with other acts, including touring with the Lightning Seeds. In
2000 Starkey was a founding member of
Johnny Marr & the Healers, debuting with
Boomslang three years later.
Joining Oasis (2004-)
In
2004, Starkey joined the famous
Britpop band
Oasis, filling a void left by longtime drummer
Alan White's departure. In May 2005,
Noel Gallagher revealed to the BBC that Starkey had recorded in recent recording sessions for their new album,
Don't Believe The Truth. Starkey performed on all but one of the tracks on "Don't Believe The Truth" and subsequent b-sides. In an official promotional video for the album, Zak commented on the band and the sessions, saying, "It was amazing. They're all singers, They're all guitar players, they're all songwriters, they're all producers... and they're all fucking drummers."
Starkey participated in every show on Oasis 2005/2006 world tour and also appeared in the promo videos for the singles. However, as he isn't an official member of the band yet, Starkey very rarely appeared with the rest of the band in promotional activities such as interviews and photo-shoots.
At the end of the Oasis world tour in 24 March, 2006, Gallagher was asked questions about Oasis' future and whether Zak Starkey would fit into those plans. In an interview with the Toronto Sun in March 2006, Noel Gallagher was quoted as saying, "He's definitely, definitely, definitely going to record on the next (Oasis) record and definitely going to be out on the road, if he wants to.", adding that those decisions hadn't been made at the time because, "We always said that we'd sit down and talk about that at the end of the tour. There's no point in getting in business discussions while you're soundchecking. It just doesn't work.". Gallagher cheekily added that he wouldn't mind Starkey joining Oasis permanently, saying, "If he came to me tomorrow and said, 'I want to leave The Who and join you lot permanently,' I'd say, 'Brilliant. Get me your dad's autograph and you're in.'"
A week later, in an interview with Mexican radio station Reactor 105.7 on March 31, Gallagher clarified the situation, as probably he had had discussion with Starkey between the interviews. Noel denied that Zak had been offered a full-time role with Oasis, but his words hinted that Zak is solidified as a semi-permanent official drummer and member of the band, while alternating his career between Oasis and The Who. Noel said that Starkey's part-time membership with The Who and Oasis, "suits him and it suits me", adding that he wouldn't force Starkey to choose between the two bands, saying, "I would never want to put him on the spot." Noel said that he felt Starkey had strong emotional ties with The Who and that he didn't think Zak would ever leave them completely.
The Who (2006-)
Starkey is expected to drum on some tracks for the Who's new album, which is expected to be released in
October.23,2006, and will join the Who during their 2006-2007 tour.
External links
*
Kathy's Zak Site - frequently updated fansite of Zak with lot of info about his session and touring work*
Oasis Fanatic - An online community of Oasis fans*
The Who Discussion Forum*
Cigarettes and alcohol - The best French Oasis forum*
Stop Crying Your Heart Out
