Song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
Originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa, featuring solo vocals by Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles. Additionally, the chorus featured Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper, Jackie Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters and Smokey Robinson.
The single, released in March 1985, followed Band Aid‘s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ project in the UK. The idea was to raise more funds to feed and relieve starving people in Africa, specifically Ethiopia, where around one million people died during the country’s 1983–1985 famine.
The single reached number 1 in the singles charts all over the world and raised $10.8 million within four months. Since its release, ‘We Are the World’ has raised over $63 million for humanitarian causes. Ninety percent of the money was pledged to African relief, both long and short term.
Kim performed the song on two separate occasions: after performing at the Humanitarian Awards gala in May 1987 all the attending artists joined in a chorus at the end of the gala to sing the song. And in 2006, Norwegian television show Gylne Tider (Golden Times) shot a ‘We Are the World’ music/promo video during production of the third season of the series. Kim lipsynchs the line sung by Diana Ross.