LOS ANGELES — Twenty-five years after star-studded anthem We Are the World raised millions of dollars to aid famine relief in Africa, celebrities of a different generation were set to gather Monday night to re-record the charity tune to benefit Haiti.
Among those scheduled to perform on the revamped track the night after the Grammy Awards were Akon, Jason Mraz, Bono, Wyclef Jean, Carlos Santana, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Toni Braxton and Lady Gaga.
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 Haiti.
The session was all the talk at Sunday night’s Grammy festivities. Music producer RedOne said being asked to participate was “the biggest honour 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 in March 1985.