The Greatest Night in Pop: 39 years on we remember the 'We Are the World' musicians and singers no longer with us
Los Angeles, California: It's January 28, 1985. The American Music Awards have just ended, and the who's who of the music industry is heading into waiting limos to take them either home or to a slew of after-parties being held in Los Angeles. Ok, so maybe not the who's who, because that stellar group -- who for one night would collectively be known as USA for Africa -- were heading somewhere else...the A&M Recording Studios to create one of the most iconic ensemble songs ever recorded.
Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, 'We Are the World' would go on to sell over 20 million copies and enter the Top 10 best-selling physical singles of all time. We didn't download back then, we actually went out and bought.
Bao Nguyen's new documentary on Netflix 'The Greatest Night in Pop' charts the recording of the hit song, the secrecy surrounding it, and unseen footage of the world's biggest stars coming together for a charitable cause the likes of which has not happened since. And no, Gal Gadot's ill-fated, widely-mocked, Covid-inspired, 'Imagine'-by-remote attempt does not count.
Thirty-nine years later, we pay tribute to the singers and musicians who performed on 'We Are the World', but are no longer with us.
Kenny Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020)
Health issues arising from bladder cancer forced country and pop music icon Kenny Rogers to retire in 2017. He died of natural causes at the age of 81 at his home in Sandy Springs, Atlanta, Georgia.
James Ingram (February 16, 1952 – January 29, 2019)
James Ingram is best-known for his hits 'Baby Come To Me', 'I Don't Have the Heart' and 'Somewhere Out There' which he recorded with Linda Ronstadt. Ingram died in LA from complications due to brain cancer. He was 66.
Tina Turner (November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023)
A legend, an icon, the torch-bearer for superstardom, Turner's iconic career spanned over 60 years. Turner suffered from numerous health ailments throughout her life. She was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and had a kidney transplant (the kidney was donated by her husband Erwin Bach) in 2017. Turned died on May 24, 2023, at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland. She was 83.
Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
The quintessential and controversial 'King of Pop'. No matter where you stand on his personal life there is simply no denying the generational talent that was Michael Jackson. No one has come close since, and it's unlikely anyone will (with apologies to Beyonce and Taylor Swift fans). Jackson's long struggle with various health issues is well-documented. On June 25, 2009, aged just 50, Jackson died from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose. The medication was administered to him by his personal physician Conrad Murray. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison (he only served two) and had his medical license revoked.
Ray Charles (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004)
Arguably one of the greatest American singer-songwriters of all time, Ray Charles would influence generations of soul, pop, rock and country singers. Charles went blind as a child, most likely due to complications arisng from glaucoma. He died in 2003 in his home in Beverly Hills from complications resulting from liver failure. He was 73.
Harry Belafonte (March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023)
Singer, songwriter, activist, humanitarian, philanthropist...Belafonte was all of these and so much more. Best known for the upbeat singalong hit 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)' and the island hit 'Jamaican Farewell', Belafonte's career would span over five decades. Belafonte died from congestive heart failure at his home in New York City. He was 96.
Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002)
The archetypal country music 'outlaw' and one of the Highwaymen (along with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson) Jennings massively influenced the modern trajectory of country music. Jennings battled drug addiction and a six-pack-a-day smoking habit for most of his career; that coupled with Type-2 diabetes severely affected his health and caused his foot to be amputated in 2001. In 2002, Jennings died in his sleep from complications arising from diabetes at his home in Chandler, Arizona. He was 64.
Anita Pointer (January 23, 1948 – December 31, 2022)
Anita was the founding member of the hit group The Pointer Sisters (also featuring sisters June and Bonnie, and later Ruth). She was the lead singer on such hits as 'Slow Hand' and 'I'm So Excited'. Her only child Jada died of cancer in 2003 at the age of 37. Anita died from cancer at her home in Beverly Hills in 2022. She was 74.
June Pointer (November 30, 1953 – April 11, 2006)
The youngest of the Pointer Sisters, June left the group in 1975 after suffering from mental and physical exhaustion. She returned to the group after sister Bonnie departed to pursue a solo career. June would also launch a solo career in tandem with the Pointer Sisters, to middling success. In 2006 doctors treating June for a stroke discivered metastatic cancer. She died in April of that year. She was 52.
Louis Johnson (April 13, 1955 – May 21, 2015)
Johnson may be best known as the bassist on Michael Jackson's epic album 'Thriller', but that is just the pinnacle of his massive catalog of musial collaborations that range from Donna Summer to Paul McCartney and Phil Collins. In 2015 Johnson died from liver faiure. He was 60.
The Greatest Night in Pop drops on Netflix on Monday, January 29