Lionel Richie Expressed Regret Over Not Including Madonna On ‘We Are The World,’ But Still Stands By Cyndi Lauper’s Selection

Each year, music’s biggest names come together to compete for high recognition at the Grammy Awards. But occasionally, entertainers can put aside their competitive spirits for the right cause. In January 1985, that moment came when Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, and Michael Omartian set out to record “What Are The Word.”

via: Vulture

Despite all of the revelations and insight provided by the documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, about the making of “We Are the World,” there are still plenty of questions that remain. So Lionel Richie stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week to address some of them head on — beginning with the most pressing question of all: why was Dan Aykroyd there? “We needed a vibe,” Richie told Kimmel, citing his Ghostbusters and SNL credentials. Maybe Aykroyd’s presence would have made more sense if accompanied by Eddie Murphy, who Richie confirmed was also invited, but didn’t show.

And speaking of who got invited, Kimmel also asked Richie about a dilemma in the documentary, on whether to include Madonna or Cyndi Lauper — the latter of whom got the spot — and why it had to be one or the other. “Because we had only half a line to sing. A half a line,” Richie explained. “So we had to have voices that people knew right away….you have to have an identifiable voice, and for whatever reason it was just Cyndi had that,” he said, referencing her famous, gritty riff in the song. But Kimmel wasn’t satisfied, and when told that not having both of them featured was a mistake, Richie conceded, “I’m gonna say this now on national and international television, you’re right.”

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