Zak Starkey, who’s been making headlines lately, is now championing a powerful cause — the release of a long-awaited charity track featuring an unbelievable lineup.
The drummer recently resurfaced an unreleased cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution,” featuring vocals and performances from Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Elton John, and Starkey’s father, Ringo Starr.
First shared online back in February with a heartfelt video telling the story of a young cancer patient, the track has started circulating again in light of Starkey’s recent behind-the-scenes drama with The Who. The song aims to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, but despite the star power involved, it’s still waiting for an official release.
Taking to Instagram, Starkey made a passionate appeal to his collaborators:
“Ringo/Elton/Axl/Duff/Slash. C’mon amazing people – let’s get this record out and [help] these teenagers who, as musicians, we rely on so much,” he wrote.
“If we wait much longer, some of these brave young people may not have enough time to hear it.”
He also teased that what fans have heard so far is just the beginning:
“This is the first half — then it gets wild!!! Every cent generated by this record will go directly to teenage cancer charities — if it’s released, that is. It all depends on the green light from the participants.”
How the Project Came Together
Starkey revealed that the all-star recording dates back to 2017 when Guns N’ Roses and The Who both played Rock in Rio.
“My dad recorded drums in L.A. (while I stumbled through the bass), then in Rio, Duff laid down a new bassline,” he recalled. “After the tour, we hit NYC to cut guitars with Slash. We sent the track, with Sshh [Starkey’s wife Sshh Liguz] on guide vocals, to Elton, who dropped an incredible piano part. Later, Sshh met with Axl, and he offered to sing on it — and absolutely crushed it.”
Currently, Starkey believes Axl is working on the final mix.
But the track is just a glimpse of a much bigger project.
He hinted that the full charity album features “more than one Beatle, a Smith, a Pretender, an Ashcroft, an Iggy, and many more.”
Still, he didn’t hide his frustration with the industry delays:
“We want to release this without greedy major labels demanding 75%,” Starkey said. “(I won’t say which label, but fuck me, this is for sick kids).”
For now, Starkey — and fans — are hoping the right people sign off soon so the world can hear the finished song and help make a difference.
