Entertainment Music Kenny Loggins on Why Huey Lewis Was a Great Replacement for Prince on 'We Are the World' "The hair stands up on the back of my neck just thinking about it," said Lewis about the special night By Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez is a Digital News Writer at PEOPLE. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor in Journalism. Before joining the team, she worked as an Editor at FanSided and provided work in the celebrity and lifestyle space for brands that include Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, EW, and more. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 15, 2024 09:00PM EDT Kenny Loggins and Huey Lewis will never forget the night of Jan. 28, 1985. It was the night that the two musicians were part of a star student lineup led by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, who recorded the collaborative charity single "We Are the World." While appearing on the most recent installment of Huey's '80s Radio with Huey Lewis on Apple Music, Loggins, 76, credited Netflix's The Greatest Night in Pop documentary, released in January, behind giving the track a "resurgence." "I learned a lot about that night that I didn't know while I was there," added Loggins. "We Are the World" participants. Courtesy Everett After adding that it was "the professional night of my life," Lewis, 73, said he didn't know it was Loggins who suggested he sing the lines that were meant to be sung by Prince (who declined to participate). "I learned for the first time that you are the guy that recommended me for Prince’s line. It’s in the documentary, but I never knew until then," he said. Loggins recalled it being a "funny" situation. "It’s funny. Yeah. Michael [Jackson] came up to me and said, 'Well, Prince isn’t going to be here. Who should sing the solo line?' I said, 'The best singer in here is Huey Lewis,'" said Loggins. Kenny Loggins performing in California in February 2018. Scott Dudelson/Getty Lionel Richie Expresses Regret over Not Including Madonna in 'We Are the World' Lineup Apart from taking over Prince's solo, another core memory Lewis has from the history-making night is going over the song for the first time. "When we first designated who was going to sing the lead lines, we all went around the piano, and Stevie [Wonder] played the song. We went through it all the way once for the first time," he said. "And that first rendition, when we actually heard what it was all going to sound like, was amazing." Lewis said he was "nervous" and just "happy to be there." Huey Lewis performing in San Diego in September 2016. Daniel Knighton/Getty Sheila E.'s Friendship with Cyndi Lauper Began When They Recorded 'We Are the World': 'She's Just Amazing' (Exclusive) "I watched each voice register on Stevie Wonder's face and it was amazing," said Lewis. "And when we got halfway around, he went, 'Oh my God. So many stars. So many stars.' The hair stands up on the back of my neck just thinking about it." At the documentary's red carpet event in January, Sheila E. told PEOPLE that Prince "liked" the track, but his decision not to participate "was really about the camaraderie of everyone coming together for that reason." Prince in Beverly Hills in January 2005. Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "It's not like he missed out or anything like that. That was his decision, and that's fine. It's not like he hated it or loved it or anything like that. It was just too much," she said.