Zak Starkey, the Grammy-winning drummer and son of Beatles legend Ringo Starr, was forced to pull out of a London gig with his indie supergroup, Mantra of the Cosmos, after being sidelined by a serious blood clot in his right leg.
The announcement was made hours before the show was set to begin. The 59-year-old was advised to take blood thinners for two weeks and rest to prevent additional clots, a spokesperson confirmed to People.
The health scare comes just days after Mantra of the Cosmos — featuring Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder, percussionist Mark ‘Bez’ Berry, and guitarist Andy Bell — performed on Jan. 19 at Liverpool's Cavern Club. The venue is significant in that it marks where The Beatles began their iconic journey
While on stage, Bez spoke of his excitement to perform alongside Starkey.
"First of all, can I say how special it was to play the Cavern with Zak Starkey,” he said, the Sun reports. "He’s never been to the Cavern before and it felt special. ... It was better than anything I ever imagined in my life. I couldn’t believe how good it was.”
He added: "To play there ... I had to show off right at the end: 'His f---ing dad’s Ringo Starr! Know what I mean?” he added. "We felt like the Beatles – well, I did for a little moment."
Starkey and Mantra of the Cosmos, who formed in 2023, quickly made waves with the release of their debut single, “Gorilla Guerilla.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Ringo Starr released his new country album, "Look Up." Produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett, the album is Starr’s first country album in more than 50 years and his first full-length album since 2019.
"Well, I was the country guy" in the Beatles, Starr told Variety last year while discussing the album.
"I think it’s a great mixed bag," he added, "and the people we have on it — Molly Tuttle, mainly, and Billy Strings — are young old-style country, in a way, you know what I mean?"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.