Ken Kragen, the artist manager and TV producer who organized "We Are the World" and Hands Across America, died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. He was 85.

The manager of Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, The Bee Gees and others, he produced the ground-breaking Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Rogers’ five Gambler films. His legacy, though, is his charitable works.

Harry Belafonte enlisted Kragen to organize a benefit single for African famine relief on the heels of Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” in the U.K. in late 1984. Kragen brought in his client Richie to write a song, Stevie Wonder signed up to perform and Quincy Jones was enlisted to produce. Jones in turn called on Michael Jackson to co-write with Richie. The first night of recording was done at Rogers’ studio. The all-star ensemble that would be dubbed USA for Africa was assembled on 1/28 at A&M Studios following the American Music Awards ceremony. Released on 3/7/85, "We Are the World" would sell 800k copies in three days, making it the fastest-selling single in history. Estimated global sales reached 20m and it won three Grammy Awards.

Kragen followed “We Are the World” with Hands Across America in 1986 to raise money for local charities fighting hunger and homelessness. It raised about $34m. He received the United Nations Peace Medal for creating Hands Across America and "We Are the World."

Author of the business-advice book Life Is a Contact Sport, Kragen most recently taught at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. He was formerly president of both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.

I’m very sorry to hear of the passing of my first personal manager, Ken Kragen. Ken made a lot of things happen for me in the early part of my career and I give him full credit for that. My deepest condolences go out to his wife and family. RIP https://t.co/33XFM6we51
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) December 15, 2021