Sheila E. Claims ‘We Are the World’ Producers Only Invited Her In Hopes of Getting Prince

In the wake of the new documentary about the epic “We Are the World,” Sheila E. claims her involvement in the 1985 event was just a way to get at Prince.

Singer and drummer Sheila E., 66, went on “Rolling Stone Music Now” to discuss her role in the song following the release of The Greatest Night in Pop, a Netflix documentary looking at the song that brought together Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Diana Ross and a ton of hitmakers. Sheila, who played on the song’s chorus, said that producers Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones encouraged her to talk Prince about joining the track.

“Lionel and Quincy kept saying, ‘Why don’t you call Prince,'” she said on the podcast. “Everyone took turns trying to get me to call him back and have him come down…. I just thought, ‘Wow, they were all my friends. That’s cold-blooded.’”

Richie, who is also one of the documentary's producers, didn’t dispute Sheila E.’s account of the story, according to The Greatest Night in Pop director Bao Nguyen.

Super Bowl Halftime Performers Through the Years: Beyonce, Madonna, Katy Perry, Janet Jackson and More

Because the producers couldn’t get Sheila E. to talk Prince into it, The Greatest Night in Pop notes that they gave his designated solo spot to Huey Lewis. The documentary also dispelled the TikTok conspiracy theory that Jackson was unhappy with Lewis’ performance. According to the doc, the King of Pop’s expression was due to his shyness and everyone’s stress over the last-minute substitution.

Prince died in 2016 at age 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose. Four years later, Sheila E., Usher and FKA Twigs paid tribute to him at the 2020 Grammys, performing a medley of hits including “Little Red Corvette” and “When Doves Cry.” The performance previewed Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, which included Alicia Keys, John Legend, Chris Martin, Beck and others, celebrating Prince’s legacy.

Most Shocking Celebrity Deaths of All Time

“We Are the World” was a 1985 charity single by the supergroup USA for Africa, released after the success of the U.K.-based group Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” The single sold over 20 million copies, helping USA for Africa raise more than $75 million to help fight poverty on the continent, according to USA Today. The song also won three Grammy Awards in 1986, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

“We Are the World” helped set a precedent for charity single supergroups. Hear 'N Aid, a group of heavy metal singers, released “Stars” in 1985 to benefit Ethiopia. Country music, including Tanya Tucker, Chet Atkins, George Jones and Boots Randolph, contributed with Heart of Nashville’s “One Big Family” that same year.

In 2020, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande’s “Stuck with U” benefited the First Responders Children’s Foundation, while Live Lounge Allstars, a supergroup featuring Rita Ora, Yungblud, Chris Martin, Hailee Steinfeld, 5 Seconds of Summer and more, covered Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These” to benefit the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund as well as other charities.