Zak Starkey didn’t grow up like other kids.
“When ‘The Last Waltz’ came out (in 1978), I realized that for the last 18 months I had been jamming with these guys,” said Starkey, son of Ringo Starr and former drummer for the Who. “I had no idea who they were. They were my dad’s mates and they would all come in the afternoon and they would put me on the drums. It would always be Stephen Stills, not Robbie Robertson, and Garth (Hudson) would be there. Richard Manuel would be there and Billy Preston and Dr. John. Yeah man, I didn’t know who they were.”
Starkey, 60, has kept he beat for some of the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll history and has experienced the music world from a very unique perspective. His eyes have not been blinded by the stardust. His new multi-media show, “Zak Starkey…Who?: An Evening of Drums and Conversation,” with an assist from Marky Ramone, is Friday, Feb. 20 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. It promises music, memories and more.
Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey attends Ringo Starr’s birthday celebration at Capitol Records in Hollywood, California, on July 7, 2017.
Keith Moon was a family friend.
“He came and took some of our clothes so he could measure us for wet suits to surf,” Starkey said. “When he came to pick us up on a Friday night he took us straight to a nightclub …. Our clothes were in the back of the car and he didn’t mention anything and we went and stayed with him and didn’t do any surfing.”
Support local music this weekend in Monmouth, Ocean counties (Feb. 20)
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Check out The Characters at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at Hemingway’s Cafe in Seaside Heights.
Starkey would later drum for the Who for nearly 30 years before leaving the band, at lead singer Roger Daltrey’s request, before their farewell tour last year.
“It’s the drumming version of Brexit,” Starkey said. “They wanted a change so they voted for someone else.”
Starkey first gained notice in the music world when he appeared on Little Steven’s 1985 anti-apartheid anthem “Sun City.” The track featured many music greats, including Bruce Springsteen, George Clinton, Joey Ramone, Pete Townshend, Pat Benatar, Bob Dylan, DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and dad Ringo.
“I was raised in a multi-cultural society and it was obvious that Nelson Mandela shouldn’t be in prison and white folks shouldn’t be doing that to people,” said Starkey of South Africa in the ’80s.
The track was one of music’s earlier rap and rock crossovers.
“Every label in London said you cant mix rap and rock,” Starkey said. “It was like a rule. Rock ‘n’ roll shouldn’t have rules in it.”
Starkey’s resume includes tenures with Oasis, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Mick Jones of the Clash and more. His dad is the “coolest” and the music maker he admires most is Preston, once called the Fifth Beatle.
“They were doing the same thing for so long then they got this guy who massively inspired them,” said Starkey of Preston’s impact on the Beatles.
Go: Zak Starkey…Who?: An Evening of Drums and Conversation, 7 p.m. Friday. Feb. 20, Gramercy Theatre, 127 E 23rd St., New York City. Starting at $49. www.thegramercytheatre.com.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at cjordan@app.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Zak Starkey from Beatles to Who in new one-man New York City show