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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer

"We Are the World" recorded 35 years ago this week

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“We Are The World” was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, and it was designed to raise money and awareness around a famine in Ethiopia.

During the recording session, 35 years ago today, 46 of the biggest stars in music trooped into the studio and sang tracks through the night. The song became an immediate hit. It won a Grammy and raised more than $63 million in humanitarian aid for Africa and the United States.