Lionel Richie admits he regrets not including any of the artists who sang “We Are the World”.

In 1985, Lionel Richie And Michael Jackson They were in charge of writing We are the worldThe song was an attempt to raise funds to fight the famine Ethiopia. For this ambitious project, Ritchie was in charge of inviting some of the most popular musicians of the time. Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. Although the song was a huge hit and has become an anthem of peace and unity today, Richie admitted in a recent interview that he regrets the topic: Didn't invite Madonna.

By 1985, the Material Girl was already a pop culture icon, so her inclusion in a song trying to go viral was practically obvious. However, during a conversation with host Jimmy Kimmel, Richie revealed that Madonna was the reason for his departure. Instantly recognized voices were neededObviously, something they don't see in the translator Like a virgin.

Thus, Madonna was replaced by another very important personality of the 80s: Cyndi Lauper. However, the singer's participation Girls want to have fun That too was in doubt for a while.

“We need to have voices that people can instantly identify with. So, for some reason, we didn't know if Cindy was going to come. Because after the show I said to Cindy, “Are you coming? And she added: 'I spoke to my boyfriend and he says he doesn't think it's a win. I said, 'don't miss this session' and she turned up and did amazing. The thing is, you have to have a recognizable voice. For any reason, Cindy had it… that was it.” shared Lionel Richie.

Lionel doesn't explain why they don't use both voices. However, Kimmel shared his opinion on the matter, noting that it was a mistake not to include Madonna, which the songstress loved. You tell me, tell me And Sticks to you He limited himself to answering the following: “I'm going to say this now on national and international television: You're right.”

Ritchie's statements appear a month after the premiere Bob's best night everDirected by Netflix Documentary Bao Nguyen And released in January, it offers an intimate look at the piece's creation overnight.

Despite being a historical record, it is worth noting that not everything was perfect and that it was precisely Cyndi Lauper's participation that unleashed many frictions. Quincy JonesProducer We are the worldHe admitted that working with the artist was difficult because he didn't like the song, and sent his manager to talk Jones into doing something.

Cindy later admitted that the shoot was complicated as her bracelets and necklaces were intermittently available, which significantly delayed the project. As icing on the cake, Lauper had to sing a duet of the song Kim Carnes And the two artists' different singing failed to produce a harmony of voices, which required hours of rehearsal. Behind the scenes of creation We are the world You can see the frustration of both artists.