Twenty-five years after the original, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones have re-collaborated on a new version of “We Are the World†to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
(Watch a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the new “We Are the World†below.)
More than 80 stars gathered on Monday night (the night after the Grammy Awards) at Henson Studios, the same studio used for the 1985 recording of “We Are the World.† The original song was produced by Jones and co-written by Richie and the late Michael Jackson for USA for Africa. Richie said he wanted to approach the project from a modern perspective and new artists from today’s era were featured in the new version.Â
The new version of “We Are the World” and the accompanying video will be available for purchase through a consortium of online and retail partners, with all proceeds going directly to the earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti through the We Are The World Foundation, a newly created not-for-profit organization made up of board members Jones, Richie, Wyclef Jean, Paul Haggis, Randy Phillips and Ambassador Louis Moreno of the Inter-American Development Bank, according to a press release.
The following is a list of some of the stars who lent their voices to the new “We Are the World:â€
Pink, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Nick Jonas, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Celine Dion, Akon, Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughn, Barbra Streisand, Jordin Sparks, Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson, Jamie Foxx, Tyrese, Katharine McPhee, Sean Garrett, Will.I.Am, Carlos Santana, Melanie Fiona, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, Jason Mraz, Miley Cyrus, Busta Rhymes, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicole Richie, Usher, Julianne Hough, Raphael Saadiq, Zac Brown, India.Arie, “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, Musiq Soulchild, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Fonzworth Bentley, Kid Cudi, Iyaz, Bizzy Bone, Nipsey Hussle, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Mya and Gladys Knight.
For more information on how other music artists have raised money for Haiti, read the following:
Mary J. Blige, Andrea Bocelli’s Grammy/Haiti Relief ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ On iTunes