On this day in music history…
In 1985, an all-star group of recording artists assembled under the direction of Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie at A&M Studios in Hollywood. The purpose of the session was to record “We Are the World,” which would be released to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Richie, Jackson, 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 were all featured as soloists, and even more artists were involved in the chorus and the instrumentals. After working all night in the studio, the session was completed. “We Are the World” was released just over a month later, and it went to number 1 in over 20 countries.
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