Prince famously didn’t appear in the star-studded 1985 charity single We Are the World. It featured some of Hollywood’s A-listers like Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Bruce Springsteen.
The single ended up being the most successful charity single in history, raising $80 million since its release. However, Pince, who was also at the peak of his fame, was notably absent from the elite group of musicians. For years, people couldn’t stop wondering why he turned down the opportunity.
The late singer’s long-time engineer, Susan Rogers, was present alongside Prince when he received a call from Quincy Jones, the track’s producer. Although he only heard one side of the conversation while waiting in the control room, he heard him declining the offer.
“It was a long conversation. Prince said, ‘Can I play guitar on it?’ And they said no,” Rogers said, implying it was the reason he turned down the opportunity. The recording was strategically held at the beginning of the year as it was a few weeks ahead of the American Music Awards.
Since all the artists were in Los Angeles for the event, it was the perfect opportunity to bring them under one roof and align their calendars for the recording. Prince was not only an attendee but also went home a winner, bagging three AMAs.
He also delivered an iconic version of his song Purple Rain that is still hailed as one of the most legendary sets performed at an award show. His epic performance made people question the reports that alleged that he was too sick to attend the We Are the World session.
However, the story was later proved to be a rumor concocted by his co-manager, Bob Cavallo, to cover for the singer bailing on a charity gig.
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