The Who, Jeff Beck, Debbie Harry Lead Cancer Charity Concert

The Who lead the line-up for a one-off Killing Cancer charity concert to take place in London early in the new year.

They will be joined on the bill by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck, Blondie's Debbie Harry and the Verve's Richard Ashcroft at the Hammersmith Apollo on Jan. 13. More high-profile artists are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The concert, co-produced by the Who and Robert Plant's manager Bill Curbishley and legendary rock promoter Harvey Goldsmith, will directly raise funds for new PDT trials for pancreatic and throat cancer as well as raising awareness for the charity.

"Robert [Plant] and I had lived through the final months and days of close friends battling with cancer," said Curbishley in a video announcing the show, "but also fighting to overcome the effects of their treatments."

He added, "Only later we discovered that PDT could perhaps have saved their lives and certainly given them some dignity in their final weeks."

Harvey Goldsmith also spoke about the personal significance for him working on the fundraiser. He said, "I lost my mother to cancer in the past 12 months. I saw how she struggled but finally lost the fight to beat her cancer. People often say that the treatment is worse than the cancer.

"In the PDT trial this concert is funding, we have hope and expectation that we can dramatically improve the survival odds for patients."

Pre-sale tickets go on sale exclusively from HMV's Oxford Street branch on Tuesday, Nov. 16. and general ticket sales start on Nov. 19 at 9am.