Zak Starkey Leaks His Massive T.Rex Cover With Rock Legends

The past week has been a rollercoaster for Zak Starkey, the longtime drummer for The Who. On April 15, news broke that the band had parted ways with their drummer of nearly 30 years. But just four days later, Pete Townshend announced that Starkey is officially back in the lineup. And now, an unreleased track featuring Zak, his famous dad Ringo Starr, and a bunch of rock icons is getting fresh attention.

A Hidden Gem With Rock Royalty

Back in February, Starkey shared a surprise on Instagram—a cover of T. Rex’s 1972 hit “Children of the Revolution.” The recording featured a dream lineup: Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, plus Elton John and Ringo Starr.

This powerful version was created for a yet-to-be-released charity album to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. Alongside the song, Zak also dropped a music video that tells the story of a young cancer patient. Starkey wrote:

“Ringo/Elton/Axl/Duff/Slash. C’mon amazing people – let’s get this record out and helping these teenagers who as musicians WE RELY ON SO MUCH.
“If we wait much longer some of these brave young people may not have enough time to hear it.”

He added that the song’s release depends on getting approval from all artists involved:

“Everything generated by this record… goes to teenage cancer – if it gets released – which depends totally on the amazing participants giving us the green light …”

Backstage Origins

The track came about after The Who and Guns N’ Roses both played Rock in Rio in 2017. Starkey explained the delay in releasing the song, pointing fingers at record label demands:

“We will auction the record for teen cancer without greedy bean counting majors wanting 75% (I won’t say which label but f— me this is for sick kids).”

The Who Reunion

Then came the unexpected twist—Zak is back with The Who. On April 19, Townshend posted an update:

“There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.”

He continued:

“It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.”

Looks like the beat goes on for Zak Starkey—and he’s got plenty more to say behind the drums and in the studio.