Zak Starkey

That Zak Starkey became a drummer was no surprise; after all, his father is <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">Beatles</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:6DbJi8AcN5ANdtvJcwBSw8">Ringo Starr</a>. Starkey -- his papa's true surname -- was born on September 13, 1965, in London, England. At the age of eight, Starkey's interest in music began to display itself, as he was mesmerized by <a href="spotify:artist:3EhbVgyfGd7HkpsagwL9GS">Alice Cooper</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:3EhbVgyfGd7HkpsagwL9GS">Cooper</a>'s stage performances, filled with snakes and comical horror imagery, had him hooked. He even wanted to create his own group modeled after <a href="spotify:artist:3EhbVgyfGd7HkpsagwL9GS">Cooper</a>. At ten, Starkey started teaching himself how to play drums after receiving only one lesson from his famous father. (His dad reportedly didn't want him following in his footsteps.) He received his first drum kit from his idol, <a href="spotify:artist:7i9m03TFsX9pDuP4CFDw3o">Keith Moon</a> of <a href="spotify:artist:67ea9eGLXYMsO2eYQRui3w">the Who</a>. Starkey often strapped on headphones and drummed to the beat of his favorite records, often albums by <a href="spotify:artist:67ea9eGLXYMsO2eYQRui3w">the Who</a>. By 12, Starkey was already performing in pubs with a band. In his teens, Starkey was a member of the garage act <a href="spotify:artist:2MGT7CYlixSPxAnnkhLpaA">the Next</a>, pounding his drums in the wildly energetic style of <a href="spotify:artist:7i9m03TFsX9pDuP4CFDw3o">Moon</a>. Instead of going to school, Starkey pursued his own rock & roll dream and got drunk. After quitting school entirely, he was kicked out of the house. He eventually landed work at the Hard Rock Café and also with a re-formed <a href="spotify:artist:3i9hP422d2KMjaupTzBNVS">Spencer Davis Group</a>. In 1985, shortly after getting married, Starkey released Wind in the Willows with <a href="spotify:artist:0FDsoHcRHjVqo4c0W5Lqzy">Eddie Hardin</a>. On September 7, 1985, his daughter was born. Starkey then became a sought-after session musician, playing drums for artists like <a href="spotify:artist:39afGThIZjTTMH5enuLXYI">the Icicle Works</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5TnuP42pw475UrjjeabtwZ">the Waterboys</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:67YNiSqhrx1P8oPvIIvbP5">the Lightning Seeds</a>. In 1996, Starkey left his band, Face, to fulfill his childhood dream of joining <a href="spotify:artist:67ea9eGLXYMsO2eYQRui3w">the Who</a>. Nevertheless, he continued to work with other acts, including touring with <a href="spotify:artist:67YNiSqhrx1P8oPvIIvbP5">the Lightning Seeds</a>. Starkey then joined Johnny Marr & the Healers in 2000, debuting with Boomslang three years later. ~ Michael Sutton, Rovi