Filed at 9:17 p.m. ET
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- More than 75 mega-stars gathered Monday to
re-record the 1985 charity anthem ''We are the World'' in the same
Hollywood recording studio where the original was cut 25 years ago.
Pink, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, the Jonas Brothers, Kanye West,
Toni Bennett, Jennifer Hudson, Akon and other musical luminaries stood
shoulder to shoulder on risers at Henson Recording studios, singing
their hearts out and hoping to help Haiti.
Quincy Jones,
who produced the 1985 anthem, announced last week that he planned to
redo the song to benefit recovery from the deadly Jan. 12 earthquake in
Port-au-Prince.
The session was all the talk at Sunday night's Grammy festivities. Music producer RedOne said being asked to participate was ''the biggest honor a musician can ever do.''
''Having Quincy, our father of music ... and Lionel Richie asking me to contribute and help, I said of course, because this is not about me,'' he said. ''It's about Haiti.''
Written by Michael Jackson and Richie, the original ''We Are the
World'' thundered up the charts when it was released on the radio and
in record stores in March 1985.
An unprecedented number of top pop musicians gathered at A&M the
night of Jan. 28, 1985, following the American Music Awards, to record
the tune. The song featured 45 American superstars, including Jackson,
Richie, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Cyndi Lauper.
The record raised more than $30 million for USA for Africa, a
nonprofit organization founded by the singers to fund hunger relief in
African nations.