We Are The World

"We are the World" was a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. A group of 45 recording artists, known collectively as USA for Africa performed the song. The 1985 hit was a charity single for the victims of the devastating drought in Africa.http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-archive-we-are-the-world-mar24,0,3073561.story

In 2010, a second recording of the song was recorded and released to help provide charitable donations to aid in relief for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake

In December of 1984, 45 musicians from Europe recorded the song Do They Know It's Christmas and donated 100% of the proceeds from the effort by Band Aid to combat against a growing famine in the African nation of Ethiopia.

Wanting to do their part, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie got together with noted record producer Quincy Jones to write a song that would be released initially in the United States to also raise funding to help those starving in African nations. On the night of the 1985 Grammy Awards, the three recruited some of the biggest musicians in the industry to join them in forgoing the usual post-award show parties and instead spend all-night recording the song We Are the World.

The list of artists that appeared on the song singing solos, in addition to Jackson and Richie, included: Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan, and Ray Charles.

In addition to that list of performers, others than contributed with choral vocals featured: Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, Smokey Robinson, and the writer of 'Do They Know It's Christmas' Bob Geldof.

Following the massive earthquake the devastated the island nation of haiti in January of 2010, Jones and Richie undertook the process of developing a revised version of the song with new singers, and with all proceeds going to provide relief to those in need in Haiti.

The list of soloists in the remake version includes: Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett, Mary J. Blige, Barbra Streisand, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, Wyclef Jean, Pink, Usher, Celine Dion, Fergie, Toni Braxton, Nick Jonas, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, and Janet Jackson performing a digitally enhanced duet with her late brother Michael Jackson's portion for the 1985 original.

The video for the song debuted on the night of the 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony on NBC television.