"We Are the World" Redo Planned for Haiti Relief

Usher, Natalie Cole and John Legend among those who will sing on updated version of 1985 classic

By Natalie Finn Jan 21, 2010 4:50 AMTags
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Man, just when we figured out who all the voices were in the first version...

Kidding. The Hollywood Reporter's story that Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are planning a 25th-anniversary rerecording of "We Are the World" to benefit earthquake victims in Haiti is awesome news.

Word is, the 21st-century version of the 1985 all-star classic, featuring Richie, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel and so many more, was set to be performed on Jan. 28 as part of an anniversary celebration. But when a 7.0 earthquake destroyed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, the project turned into a fundraising opportunity.

Usher, John Legend and Natalie Cole are among those who have been invited so far, but we imagine that list will greatly expand in the coming days.

The celebration, which will spawn a single and music video, has been rescheduled for Feb. 1, the day after the Grammys, at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater.

Legend is among the confirmed performers for Friday's multiplatform Hope for Haiti: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, which will air live on E! and be streaming at E! Online.

Proceeds from the original "We Are the World" went to USA for Africa, with one of the earliest live performances of the song taking place at Live Aid, where nearly 100 artists gathered onstage to sing what ultimately became a quadruple-platinum hit.

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Find out what you can do to help relief efforts in Haiti right here.