Why Was Dan Aykroyd In "We Are The World"? Did You Notice The Ghostbuster?

Daniel Figaro
Jan 29, 2024
Jan 29, 2024

Have you ever wondered: why was Dan Aykroyd in the “We Are the World” video? The answer may surprise you. Aykroyd’s appearance in the video was totally by accident. Aykroyd and his father were interviewing business managers in Los Angeles when they walked into the wrong office of a talent manager. The talent manager asked Aykroyd if he wanted to join the “We Are the World” project, and Aykroyd agreed to participate.

In this article, we will explore the reasons behind Aykroyd’s appearance in the video and provide additional information about the “We Are the World” song and its artists

Key takeaways:

Aykroyd joined "We Are the World" accidentally after walking into the wrong LA office. Despite the mishap, his Blues Brothers musical background likely influenced his participation in the project.
Aykroyd's involvement in the Blues Brothers, a popular musical sketch, played a role in his accidental invite to "We Are the World," highlighting his musical history.
While "We Are the World" featured stars like Stevie Wonder, Madonna was excluded due to a manager's preference for Cyndi Lauper. Prince declined, citing a feud with Michael Jackson.

Why Dan Aykroyd Was In “We Are the World”

Dan Aykroyd’s appearance in the “We Are the World” video was totally by accident. Aykroyd and his father were interviewing business managers in Los Angeles when they walked into the wrong office of a talent manager. The talent manager asked Aykroyd if he wanted to join the “We Are the World” project, and Aykroyd agreed to participate.

When asked about his appearance in the video came about, Dan replied in an interview with NH Magazine from 2009:

"Totally by accident. 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."

Despite the accidental nature of his appearance, Aykroyd’s musical background may have contributed to his inclusion in the video. Aykroyd is best known for his work on “Saturday Night Live” and his role in the movie “Ghostbusters.” However, he is also known for his involvement in the Blues Brothers. The Blues Brothers was a musical sketch that Aykroyd and John Belushi performed on “Saturday Night Live.” The sketch was so popular that it was eventually turned into a movie. Aykroyd played harmonica and sang in the Blues Brothers band, which was made up of professional musicians.

There is a rumored extended cut of the “We Are the World” video that features Aykroyd playing the ukulele solo. However, this has not been confirmed.

What Do People Think About Dan Aykroyd's Surprising Appearance?

And people were losing their mind over the discovery on Reddit:

“TIL that Dan Akroyd was included in the group singing for “USA For Africa - We Are The World”. His name is first on the credit list in the opening seconds of the video and he can he seen in the group shots.”
“He has a ukulele solo in the extended mix.”
“He is one of the Blues Brothers. It’s not like he doesn’t know music.”
[...] I wasn't watching closely until I saw Dan Akroyd. Very surprised to see him but then again his musical credits included the Blues Brothers with John Belushi.
He's been nominated for 4 Grammys, including Best New Artist.

Whos Was On "We Are The World" Music Video?

“We Are the World” is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World. The song was created to raise money for famine relief in Africa. The song features a number of popular artists from the 1980s, including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and Cyndi Lauper. However, some artists, such as Madonna and Prince, were not present

Two of the biggest popstars at that time, Madonna and Prince were not present in the “We Are the World” video for different reasons. Madonna was not invited to participate in the project. Lionel Richie’s then-manager preferred Cyndi Lauper over Madonna (because "she couldn't sing," so he thought). Cyndi Lauper was riding high on the success of her 1983 debut album “She’s So Unusual,” featuring the smash hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Prince, on the other hand, was actually courted by Sheila E., his singer-drummer protegee. Sheila E. was invited by Lionel Richie to the all-star session in hopes that she would convince Prince to participate. Prince was rumored to be in a feud with Michael Jackson for pop supremacy after his 1984 “Purple Rain” blockbuster. Prince was chilling at the Mexican restaurant Carlos 'n Charlie’s after taking home three trophies and performing “Purple Rain” at the American Music Awards when Sheila E. called him. Prince would only come if he could record a guitar solo in a room all by himself. Lionel Richie tried to persuade Prince to join the recording session, but Prince refused to be around “all those muthaf*****.”