Soon after the British group Band Aid released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in December 1984, musician and activist Harry Belafonte decided to create an American benefit single for African famine relief. With fundraiser Ken Kragen, he enlisted several musicians. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie completed the writing of "We Are the World" the night before the first recording session, on January 21, 1985. The event brought together some of the era's best-known musicians, collectively called U.S.A. For Africa. This is the official music video showcasing their performance.