Between studio albums, Lionel Richie found time for a unique project in 1985. The year before, the British charity supergroup Band Aid released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to call attention to the famine in Ethiopia and raise relief funds. The Chicago Tribune reported that the record raised $9 million in aid. It also caught the attention of singer and activist Harry Belefonte. He spoke with music manager Ken Kragen about putting together a comparable effort among American artists.
Kragen approached Richie, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones about coming up with a charity song, with the initial thought being that Richie and Wonder would collaborate on the writing. But when Wonder couldn't be reached, Jackson volunteered his services. He and Richie came up with "We Are The World."
The song was recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa, comprised of 45 different artists. Besides Richie, Jackson, Wonder, Rogers, Jones, and Belefonte, contributions came from Brue Springsteen, Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper, and Tina Turner, among others. Richie and Jones took steps to head off any clash of egos, but the Tribune reported that the recording session was a happy affair. According to Britannica, "We Are The World" won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1985, and the record raised $50 million in famine relief.
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