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"Idol" judges Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the
song with the late Michael Jackson, Katy Perry and country
singer Luke Bryan will perform it on Sunday alongside former
stars and winners of the television talent show, broadcaster ABC
said on Friday.
ABC said it will be the first television performance in 35 years
of the song, which originally was written to raise money for
African famine relief and featured musicians including Jackson,
Diana Ross, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bob
Dylan and many others.
Sunday's singers will include "Idol" alumni Fantasia, Jordin
Sparks, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Lauren Alaina, Ruben
Studdard and Scotty McCreery, as well as the top 11 finalists
from the current season of the show.
The singing contest, which will crown this year's winner during
the broadcast, has been produced remotely since mid-March when
the coronavirus shutdown movie and television sets throughout
the United States.
Richie said he had been "asked a thousand and one times" whether
he was going to write another song that captures the coronavirus
era.
"My answer is, exactly the lyrics I would have written for the
new song are in the old song," he told television talk show host
Jimmy Kimmel this week.
"The lyrics work perfectly," he added, referring to lines such
as "We're saving our own lives."
Asked why he wanted the song sung by the "American Idol" family,
Richie told Billboard on Friday, "We've done the all-star cast
and it was historic. These kids inspire me with their talent and
they reflect the diversity of the world."
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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