THE WHO - THE WHO SCRAP TOUR AND ALBUM

British rock legends THE WHO have ditched plans to tour this year (05) after drummer ZAK STARKEY pulled out to work with OASIS.

Starkey, son of former BEATLES drummer RINGO STARR, has pledged to work with the WONDERWALL stars until January 2006 - meaning ROGER DALTREY and PETE TOWNSHEND are unable to perform as The Who.

Starkey - the latest replacement drummer for tragic rock icon KEITH MOON - has been helping Oasis out since the British stars sacked ALAN WHITE last year (04).

Townshend, 59, says, "Shows we hoped to do in the summer seemed to fizzle and we lost our drummer to Oasis until January 2006.

"All the alternatives proposed, and which I have desperately considered, do not fit in with my current commitments. Sadly this forces a postponement of the planned Who activity for some indeterminate time."

The Who have also issued a second blow for fans - they're delaying the release of their eagerly awaited album, which was to be their first in 20 years.

Townshend says, "I had lots of plans but no hard schedule and unfortunately this is what has created this predicament.

"I work very slowly in the studio and either no one believed I was actually recording, or they got tired of waiting. Roger has done sketch vocals on several tracks and the results are very exciting, but I can't tour any more without a new record. I must hold my breath and live in hope."