The Who's Roger Daltrey clarified Zak Starkey's firing in an interview with 'The Times.' The rock star also called the drummer's comments "character assassination."

According to a report from The Who's Royal Albert Hall shows, the recently-knighted Daltrey had stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. Per Starkey's recollection, the group played the rarely-performed "The Song is Over," and a lack of rehearsal meant that Daltrey "came in a bar early."

In a new interview, The Who singer and co-founder Roger Daltrey said that the band’s longtime drummer, Zak Starkey, was fired after a “complete misunderstanding” led Starkey to make comments Daltrey said amounted to “character assassination.”