Starkie's father was an RAAF wing commander and World War II veteran.
By the early 1970s, Starkie and Flett had formed Lipp and the Double Dekker Brothers, which variously included Avril Bell, Fred Cass, Jane Clifton on vocals, Paul Madigan, Arty Trippie, Ian Wallace and Bruce Woodcock.
[9][10] Starkie left Skyhooks in August 1973 and was replaced on guitar by his younger brother, Bob.
[7][9] Starkie, Camelieri and Flett formed Roger Rocket and the Millionaires, which became the house band for a strip club, featuring Mary "Doody" Scott Pilkington.
[7] After his former band mate, Steve Hill, announced being diagnosed with liver cancer, the original line-up of Skyhooks reformed for a benefit gig in September 2005 at the Annandale Hotel, Sydney.
"[2][12] On 13 September 2020, Starkie was renovating his mother-in-law's home in Shepparton when he fell from a ladder and was seriously injured.
He was given tributes by music promoter Michael Gudinski, who had signed Skyhooks to his Mushroom Records label, as well as fellow band member Red Symons.