USA for Africa’s “We Are the World” was released 30 years ago, on March 7th, 1985. The 46 vocalists who showed up may have formed the ultimate musical supergroup of all time, and the mission was serious, but the vibe was loose. … When Billy Joel spotted Ray Charles entering the studio, he said, “That’s like the Statue of Liberty walking in.” Quincy Jones introduced them: “Ray, this is the guy who wrote ‘New York State of Mind.'” (The song was an homage to Charles.) Joel was visibly shaking, but the pianists hit it off: the following year, they released the duet “Baby Grand,” and in 1999, Charles inducted Joel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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We Are The World

Baby Grand