Sugarland photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Twenty-five years after Kenny Rogers’ then-manager Ken Kragen helped coordinate the landmark USA For Africa single “We Are The World,” the song was re-recorded Monday in Los Angeles with a cast of characters that apparently dwarfed the original, which featured nearly 50 artists of the time.

With Quincy Jones back to produce and Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson, at the center of the event, more than 100 artists were expected to take part, according to CNN, though none of the artists who played on the first version were asked back this time. That means no Bob Dylan, no Bruce Springsteen, no Tina Turner and no Paul Simon. Country music’s Willie Nelson was on that first version, too.

Even without Willie, and without Kenny, country has a role again in the 2010 version.  Zac Brown, Sugarland, Julianne Hough and Miley Cyrus are among the artists who joined the crew in Los Angeles, according to an official release. They sang alongside Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, the Jonas Brothers, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Jason Mraz, Jeff Bridges, Josh Groban, Pink, Usher and Carlos Santana.

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Keith Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

Nearly three weeks after a Jan. 12 earthquake destroyed large swatches of Haiti, the response from country music’s community is heartening. Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Pam Tillis, Big Kenny, Restless Heart and Toby Keith are just some of the artists who found ways to get involved.

They’ve donated their time, their voices and their money, and in one particular instance, one unintended result was a confirmation that the recording industry has crossed a barrier as it continues to evolve in the digital age. Taylor and Keith were both featured on the multi-network special Help For Haiti Now, which was immediately released as a digital-only album. It quickly sold more than 170,000 copies and came in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre albums chart. It marks the first time in history that the top album in the country could not be purchased in a physical format.

Here’s a summary of the ways country stars have reached out to help:

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#5 on GAC’s Top Stories of 2009 |  View all »

Country fans who listen only to the mainstream commercial outlets in their neck of the woods are missing out on some really great music, and that message was driven home in a big way in 2009. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand album, produced by T Bone Burnett, took home five trophies during the Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Please Read The Letter.”

The first single, “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On),” was a favorite GAC video in 2008 with its underplayed vocals and throbbing pulse. It was a unique release, but it called attention to the hip, left-of-country’s-center genre known as Americana music. Once referred to as alt-country, it’s become a sort of catch-all for roots-driven music that’s not easily categorized, blending folk-rock, country-rock, traditional country, western swing and blues music forms into a loose genre that values authenticity — warts and all — over slick perfection.

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