Wicked Alum Kerry Ellis and Queen’s Brian May Release ‘Born Free’ Single to Aid International Wildlife Charity

Broadway.com Audience Award winner Kerry Ellis and Queen guitarist Brian May have released their rendition of the Oscar-winning 1966 song “Born Free” as a single to raise money for the Born Free Foundation. The global organization works to protect threatened species, and the artists opted to record the single after a recent visit to South Africa to observe the foundation's work first-hand.

"Seeing Born Free's invaluable welfare and conservation work to help Africa's lions really moved us to re-record a song which means so much, to so many people,” Ellis said in a statement. “We hope we have done it proud and that the funds raised by the downloads will help the charity continue to protect fragile populations of lions in the wild."

Ellis and May recently announced plans to team up for an acoustic Born Free tour, which kicks off on November 5. The two musicians will perform their favorite songs by candlelight in order to raise awareness for the Born Free Foundation.

Ellis appeared as Elphaba in Wicked on both Broadway and the West End. May is an original founder of the iconic rock band Queen, and his contributions as a guitarist and songwriter have helped the band sell over 100 million albums worldwide.

Check out the video below to hear Ellis and May’s interpretation of “Born Free” and learn more about the Born Free Foundation.