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Photo 15 of 39

We Are the World

Jackson's growing reputation as a humanitarian, after his hefty $5 million Victory Tour donations, grew in 1985 with the release of the all-star benefit record "We Are the World." The song, written by Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones, was recorded by a massive gathering of the music industry's biggest stars, who went by the collective name USA for Africa. The group—which included vocals by Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Darryl Hall, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Smokey Robinson—sold more than 20 million copies of the song, with the money earned going to famine-relief charities in Ethiopia.

• Filed Under:
• Billy Joel,
• Bob Dylan,
• Bruce Springsteen,
• Cyndi Lauper,
• Darryl Hall,
• Diana Ross,
• Hue Lewis,
• Lionel Richie,
• Michael Jackson,
• Quincy JonesRay Charles,
• Smokey Robinson,
• Stevie Wonder,
• Tina Turner,
• Willie Nelson,