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."

The singer offered a slightly different version of the events that led to the band's longtime drummer being fired (then re-hired and fired again) earlier this year