Today, we learn why Dan Aykroyd was part of the all-star chorus of “We Are the World”
In Pop Culture Questions Answered, I answer whatever questions you folks might have about movies, TV, music or whatever (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brian@pop culture references.com).
It’s funny, I had all of these “We Are the World” related pieces sitting around for over a year, but now that this Greatest Night in Pop documentary is out, people are so into “We Are the World,” that I feel that I really ought to just publish them all, and then people ask NEW questions about it, as well, and that’s even MORE articles.
In any event, reader Don S. wrote in to ask a question that many people have been wondering over the years, including folks back in 1985, which is why was Dan Aykroyd, obviously part of the famous Blue Brothers, but not really a notable enough musician in and of himself, included in the all-star chorus on “We Are the World” when, you know, guys like John Denver were not.
As it turns out, like many of the other odd things about “We Are the World,” including “Why was Madonna excluded?” and “Why did Kim Carnes get the nod over any number of other famous female singers?,” the answer boiled down to Ken Kragen, the talent manager who put the whole thing together. It was Kragen who made sure that his top clients all got into the event (like Kenny Rogers and Carnes), it was Kragen who got one of his clients, Lionel Richie, to put the whole thing together, it was Kragen who decided that Madonna wasn’t going to be invited, it was Kragen who ultimately decided to not allow English and Australian singers to participate in the event, and it was Kragen who got Dan Aykroyd into the event.
As Aykroyd recalled to New Hampshire magazine in 2009:
My father and I were interviewing business managers in LA and we walked into this office of a talent manager, and realized we were in the wrong place. I was looking for a money manager, not a talent manager. I had managed myself at that time and always have. But he said, so long as you are here, would you like to come and join this “We are the World” thing.
I thought how do I fit in here? Well, we did sell a few million records with the Blues Brothers and in my other persona I am a musician, so I showed up and was a part of it but it was totally by accident.”
Kragen, of course, was the talent manager in question.
So, yeah, the answer to so many “We Are the World” questions is simply, “Because Ken Kragen felt like it.”
Thanks to Don for the suggestion! If anyone else has a pop culture question, just drop me a line at brian@poprefs.com!
