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Bob Geldof

 
Bob Geldof

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Bob Geldof



 
 
Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof KBE, known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951), is an Irish
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 singer, songwriter, actor and political activist who became famous as a member of the rock band
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
 The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats

The Boomtown Rats were an Republic of Ireland rock music musical ensemble, that scored a series of United Kingdom hit record between 1977 and 1980, and were led by singing Bob Geldof, who organized the Ethiopian famine relief efforts, Band Aid and Live Aid....
. His achievements include organising Live Aid
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
 and Live 8
Live 8

Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and 31st G8 summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid....
. Geldof's most notable compositions include "Rat Trap
Rat trap

A rat trap is a Animal trapping designed to catch rats; however, it may also catch other similar sized animals.Spring traps designed for rats are powerful enough to break a rat's neck or spine....
" and "I Don't Like Mondays". He also starred as Pink in Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
's 1982 film The Wall
Pink Floyd The Wall (film)

Pink Floyd The Wall is a 1982 in film musical film by British film director Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters....
.


of was born in Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire

D?n Laoghaire is a suburban seaside town and county town of County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Republic of Ireland.The town is situated some 12 kilometres south of Dublin city centre, and is a major port of entry from Great Britain....
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
, to Catholic parents.






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Quotations


Africa must be allowed to trade itself out of poverty.

Don't let them tell us it doesn't work.

On group pressure

E-mails get in the way of serious consideration of what you want to do.

Fuck the address, just give the phone, here's the number..

The quote many people remember incorrectly as "give us your fuckin' money"

I actually didn't want him on the stage, 'cause his haircut at the time was so appalling.

On Bono's appearance at Live Aid.

I think pop music is unimportant in the scheme of things, but to me it's critically central.






Encyclopedia


Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof KBE, known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951), is an Irish
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 singer, songwriter, actor and political activist who became famous as a member of the rock band
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
 The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats

The Boomtown Rats were an Republic of Ireland rock music musical ensemble, that scored a series of United Kingdom hit record between 1977 and 1980, and were led by singing Bob Geldof, who organized the Ethiopian famine relief efforts, Band Aid and Live Aid....
. His achievements include organising Live Aid
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
 and Live 8
Live 8

Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and 31st G8 summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid....
. Geldof's most notable compositions include "Rat Trap
Rat trap

A rat trap is a Animal trapping designed to catch rats; however, it may also catch other similar sized animals.Spring traps designed for rats are powerful enough to break a rat's neck or spine....
" and "I Don't Like Mondays". He also starred as Pink in Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
's 1982 film The Wall
Pink Floyd The Wall (film)

Pink Floyd The Wall is a 1982 in film musical film by British film director Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters....
.


Early career

Geldof was born in Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire

D?n Laoghaire is a suburban seaside town and county town of County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Republic of Ireland.The town is situated some 12 kilometres south of Dublin city centre, and is a major port of entry from Great Britain....
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
, to Catholic parents. His father, Robert, (also known as Bob) was the son of a Belgian
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 immigrant. At the age of 41 Geldof's mother Evelyn complained of a headache and died shortly thereafter, having suffered a haemorrhage. He has two older sisters, Lynn and Cleo.

Geldof attended Blackrock College
Blackrock College

Blackrock College is a private Catholicism Voluntary secondary school fee-paying secondary school for boys, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland....
, near Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
, an exclusive private school whose Catholic ethos he disliked. He was also bullied for his lack of rugby prowess and over the fact that his middle name is Zenon. After work as a slaughter man, road navvy and pea canner, he started as a music journalist
Journalist

A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that aren't biased....
 in Vancouver, Canada, for the weekly publication Georgia Straight. Upon returning to Ireland in 1975, he became the lead singer of the band The Boomtown Rats, a rock group closely linked with the punk
Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
 movement.

In 1978, The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats

The Boomtown Rats were an Republic of Ireland rock music musical ensemble, that scored a series of United Kingdom hit record between 1977 and 1980, and were led by singing Bob Geldof, who organized the Ethiopian famine relief efforts, Band Aid and Live Aid....
 had their first No. 1 single in the UK with "Rat Trap", which was the first New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 chart-topper in that country. In 1979, the group shot to international fame with their second UK No. 1, "I Don't Like Mondays". This was equally successful, as well as controversial; Geldof wrote it in the aftermath of Brenda Ann Spencer
Brenda Ann Spencer

Brenda Ann Spencer is a convicted United States murderer who carried out a shooting spree at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California on January 29, 1979....
's attempted massacre
School massacre

School shooting is a term used to refer to gun violence in educational institutions, especially the mass murder or spree killing of people connected with an institution....
 at an elementary school across the street from her house in San Diego, California
San Diego, California

San Diego is the second largest city in California and the List of United States cities by population, located along the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast of the United States of the Western United States....
, at the beginning of 1979.

Geldof quickly became known as a colorful spokesman for rock music. The Boomtown Rats' first appearance on Ireland's The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show

The Late Late Show is the world's longest-running Talk show and officially the flagship television programme of Republic of Ireland broadcasting company Radio Telef?s ?ireann....
 led to complaints from viewers.

In 1980, The Boomtown Rats released the album Mondo Bongo
Mondo Bongo

Mondo Bongo was the Boomtown Rats fourth album and included the hit singles: "Banana Republic", which had reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom charts in November 1980 and "The Elephant's Graveyard " which made No....
. Its single "Up All Night" in 1981 was a hit in the U.S. and its video played on MTV
MTV

MTV is an United States cable television network based in Media of New York City. Launched on August 1, 1981, the original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJ ....
 with heavy rotation.

Personal life

Bob Geldof
Geldof's long-term partner and later wife was Paula Yates
Paula Yates

Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two iconic television Television programs, The Tube and The Big Breakfast....
. Yates was a rock journalist, presenter of the cutting-edge music show The Tube
The Tube (TV series)

The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five series, from 5 November 1982 until 1987....
, and most notorious for her in-bed interviews on the show The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast

The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002....
. Geldof met Paula when she became an obsessed fan of the Boomtown Rats during the band's early days. They got together as a couple in 1976 when Yates travelled by aeroplane to Paris, to surprise him when the band was playing there.

Before they married, the couple had a daughter, Fifi Trixibelle Geldof, born March 31, 1983 (and while Geldof was still allegedly conducting an affair with the young Claire King
Claire King

Claire King is a popular England actress, best known for playing the roles of Kim Tate in the ITV Soap Opera Emmerdale from 1988 to 1999 and Karen Betts in Bad Girls from 2000 to 2004....
). After 10 years together, Bob and Paula married in June 1986 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, Nevada, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment....
 with Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon

Simon John Charles Le Bon is the lead singer and lyricist of the new wave band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia ....
 (of Duran Duran
Duran Duran

Duran Duran are an English music group from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most commercially successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States....
) acting as Geldof's best man. The couple later had two more daughters, Peaches Honeyblossom Michelle Charlotte Angel Vanessa Geldof
Peaches Geldof

Peaches Honeyblossom Michelle Charlotte Angel Vanessa Geldof is a British socialite and occasional Presenter....
 (known as Peaches Geldof) on March 16, 1989, and Little Pixie Geldof (known as Pixie Geldof) on September 17, 1990. Pixie is said to be named after a celebrity daughter character from the cartoon Celeb in the satirical magazine Private Eye
Private eye

A private eye is a nickname for a private investigator. It may also refer to:*Private Eye, a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop...
, itself a lampoon of the unusual names the Geldofs gave to their children. In 1994, Yates left Geldof for Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence

Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS....
 (INXS
INXS

INXS is an Australian Rock music and New Wave music band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on Keyboard instrument, Jon Farriss on Drum kit, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/saxophone....
), whom she met when she interviewed him on "The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast

The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002....
". Geldof and Yates divorced in May 1996 and Yates moved in with Hutchence. Yates and Hutchence had a daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, born July 22, 1996. After Hutchence was found hanged in a hotel room on November 22 1997, Geldof went to court and obtained full custody of his three daughters and has since become an outspoken advocate of fathers' rights
Fathers' rights

The Fathers' rights movement is a movement whose members are primarily interested in issues related to family law, including child custody and child support that affect fathers and their children....
. After Paula Yates's death from a drug and alcohol overdose in 2000, Geldof became the legal guardian of Tiger Lily, believing it best that she be raised with her three half-sisters. In 2007, Geldof formally adopted her, changing her name to Heavenly Hiranni Tiger Lily Hutchence Geldof. Geldof divides his time between his home in Battersea
Battersea

Battersea is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is an inner-city district located 2.9 miles south west of Charing Cross. It has a population of 75,651 people ....
, South London and the Priory Rehabilitation Clinic in the Davington
Davington

Davington is a suburb of Faversham in Kent, England. It is well-known for being the home of Bob Geldof who lives in the area....
 area of Faversham
Faversham

Faversham is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury. The parish of Faversham includes an ancient sea port and market town, some 48 miles east of London, off the London to Dover A2 road , 18 miles east north-east of Maidstone and 9 miles west of Canterbury....
 in Kent with his French actress girlfriend Jeanne Marine, Pixie and Tiger.

Charity work

Geldof's first major charity involvement took place in September 1981, when he performed as a solo artist for Amnesty International
Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London, England in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and...
's benefit show The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

The show took place in London in September 1981. It was a successor to the 1979 show The Secret Policeman's Ball .The show was directed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese and produced by Martin Lewis & Peter Walker ....
, at the invitation of Amnesty show producer Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis

Martin Neil Lewis is a United States-based England humorist, writer, radio/TV host, producer and Marketing strategy. He is known for his participation in a variety of projects in the arts and entertainment worlds including his work as the co-creator and co-producer of the The Secret Policeman's Balls benefit shows for Amnesty Internatio...
; he performed a solo version of "I Don't Like Mondays". Other rock artists had 'planted a seed' and appeared to have affected Geldof in a similar manner.

Band Aid

In 1984, Geldof reacted to a news report about starving children in Ethiopia by mobilising the pop world to do something about the images he had seen. He and Midge Ure
Midge Ure

Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
 of Ultravox
Ultravox

Ultravox are a British New Wave music band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s....
 wrote 'Do They Know It's Christmas?
Do They Know It's Christmas?

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 specifically to raise money for relief of 1984?1985 famine in Ethiopia....
' in order to raise funds. The song was recorded by various artists under the name of Band Aid
Band Aid (band)

For the bandage company, see Band-Aid.Band Aid was a Great Britain and Ireland Charitable organization supergroup , founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the record "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year....
.

In its first week of release the single became the UK's fastest seller of all time, entering the chart at number one and going on to sell over three million copies, making it the biggest-selling single in UK history up to that point, a title it held for almost 13 years. The single was also a major US hit, even though Christmas was long gone by the time it could be released in the States. 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' returned to the UK chart a year later, reaching number three, and eventually it raised over £8 million.

Following this massive success preparations were started for the biggest rock concerts the world had ever seen, the following summer.

Live Aid

As Geldof began to learn more about the situation, he discovered that one of the main reasons why African nations were in such dire peril was because of repayments on loans that their countries had taken from Western banks. For every pound donated in aid, ten times as much would have to leave the country in loan repayments. It became obvious that one song was not enough.

On 13 July 1985, Geldof and Ure organized Live Aid, a huge event staged simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium

John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated along Broad Street at a location that is now home to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex....
 in Philadelphia. Thanks to an unprecedented decision by the BBC to clear its schedules for 16 hours of rock music, the event was also broadcast live in the UK on television and radio.

It was one of the most monumental stage shows in history, with Phil Collins flying on Concorde
Concorde

The A?rospatiale-BAC Concorde aircraft is a supersonic passenger airliner or supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of A?rospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation....
 so that he could play at both Wembley and Philadelphia on the same day.

During the broadcast of Live Aid, Geldof shocked viewers into giving cash by not only twice mouthing profanities but also by slamming his fist on the table and practically ordering them not to go out to the pub and to stay in and watch the show. The harrowing video of dying, skeletal children that had been made to the tune of "Drive" by The Cars
The Cars

The Cars were an American Rock music band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. Members of the band were singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson ....
, contributed to the concert's success.

In total, Live Aid raised over £
Pound sign

.The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling?the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for currencies of the same name in some other countries and territories; there are other countries whose currency is called "the pound", but that do not use the ? symbol....
150 million for famine relief. Geldof was subsequently knighted, at age 34, for his efforts. His autobiography, written soon after with Paul Vallely
Paul Vallely

Paul Vallely Order of St Michael and St George is a leading British writer on Africa and development issues. He first coined, in his seminal 1990 book Bad Samaritans: First World Ethics and Third World Debt, the expression that campaigners needed to move "from charity to justice" ? a slogan that was taken up by Jubilee 2000 and Live 8....
, was entitled Is That It?.

Much of the money raised by Live Aid went to NGOs in Ethiopia, some of which were under the influence or control of the Derg
Derg

The Derg or Dergue was a communism military military dictatorship that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia....
 military junta. Some journalists have suggested that the Derg was able to use Live Aid and Oxfam money to fund its enforced resettlement and "villagification" programmes, under which at least 3 million people are said to have been displaced and between 50,000 and 100,000 killed.

The Commission for Africa

In January 2004, on a visit to friends in Ethiopia, Geldof came to believe that more people were at risk of starvation there than had died in the famine of 1984/85 which had prompted Live Aid. He rang the British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair

Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007....
 from Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and the African Union and its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity. It is also the largest city in Ethiopia....
. According to the Live 8 programme notes by Geldof's biographer and friend, Paul Vallely
Paul Vallely

Paul Vallely Order of St Michael and St George is a leading British writer on Africa and development issues. He first coined, in his seminal 1990 book Bad Samaritans: First World Ethics and Third World Debt, the expression that campaigners needed to move "from charity to justice" ? a slogan that was taken up by Jubilee 2000 and Live 8....
, the Prime Minister responded: "Calm down Bob. . . And come and see me as soon as you get back."

The result was the Commission for Africa
Commission for Africa

The Commission for Africa, also known as the Blair Commission for Africa, was an initiative established by the British government to examine and provide impetus for international development in Africa....
. Blair invited Geldof and 16 other Commissioners, the majority from Africa and many of them politicians in power, to undertake a year-long study of Africa's problems. They came up with two conclusions: that Africa needed to change, to improve its governance and combat corruption, and that the rich world needed to support that change in new ways. That meant doubling aid, delivering debt cancellation, and reforming trade rules. The Commission drew up a detailed plan of how that could be done. It reported in March 2005. In the months that followed it became clear that world leaders were not taking its recommendations seriously. To force the issue Geldof decided to create a new international lobby for Africa with eight simultaneous concerts around the world to put pressure on the G8. He called it Live 8. The Commission's recommendations later became the blueprint for the G8 Gleneagles African debt and aid package.

Africa Progress Panel

Geldof is a member of the Africa Progress Panel
Africa Progress Panel

Deriving its origins from a key recommendation of Tony Blair?s Commission for Africa, the Africa Progress Panel was launched in April 2007 as an independent authority on Africa to focus world leaders? attention on delivering their commitments to the continent....
 (APP), an independent authority on Africa deriving its origin from a key recommendation of the Commission for Africa. The Panel launched in April 2007 with the aim of focusing world leaders’ attention on delivering their commitments to the continent. The Panel launched a major report in London on Monday 16 June 2008 entitled Africa's Development: Promises and Prospects.

The Live 8 concerts


On the 31 March 2005, Geldof and Ure announced the Live 8
Live 8

Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and 31st G8 summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid....
 project, to raise awareness of issues that burden Africa, such as government debt, trade barriers, and AIDS issues. Geldof organised six concerts on 2 July 2005: in London, with Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
, Elton John
Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s....
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney Member of the Order of the British Empire is a multiple Grammy Award-winning England singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record producer, film producer, Painting, and Animal rights....
, U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
, Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty

Peter Doherty is an England musician, artist and poet. He is currently a singer and songwriter in the band Babyshambles, but first came to fame with punk band The Libertines, alongside Carl Bar?t....
, Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams is a Grammy Award-nominated and ten time BRIT Awards-winning England singer-songwriter. His career started as a member of the pop band Take That in 1990, which he left in 1995 to begin his solo career....
, Sting, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance....
, Coldplay
Coldplay

Coldplay are a United Kingdom alternative rock Musical ensemble formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion....
, The Who
The Who

The Who are an England Rock music band formed in 1964. The primary lineup was guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon....
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.

R.E.M. is an American Rock music band formed in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry ....
, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox is a British musician, vocalist and Academy Award-winning songwriter. She is both a solo artist and the lead singer of the musical duo Eurythmics, hailed as "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by members of the rock industry on the VH1 show 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll in 1999....
, Dido
Dido (singer)

Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong professionally known as Dido is an Dido #Awards England Singer-songwriter....
, UB40
UB40

UB40 are a United Kingdom reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008, the band placed more than 50 singles on the UK charts, and achieved considerable international success as well....
, Snoop Dog, Ms Dynamite, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is an United States singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S....
, Joss Stone
Joss Stone

Joss Stone is an English born British soul music and contemporary R&B singer-songwriter and actor. Stone emerged to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist....
, Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters

The Scissor Sisters is a Grammy Award-nominated United States of America band that formed in 2001. Their style draws from disco, glam rock, pop and the nightclub of New York City....
, Keane, Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol are an Ireland alternative rock band which formed in Dundee, Scotland. They are based in Glasgow and are signed to Polydor Records....
, Stereophonics
Stereophonics

Stereophonics are a Wales rock band consisting of Kelly Jones, Richard Jones , Javier Weyler and Adam Zindani. Since their d?but album Word Gets Around which peaked at #6 in the album charts they have had five consecutive albums reach #1 in the UK....
, Razorlight
Razorlight

Razorlight are an England-Sweden indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in their home countries, having topped the charts with the 2006 single America and its parent Razorlight , their second....
, Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver is a Grammy Award-winning hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash , Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk rock band Wasted Youth....
, The Killers
The Killers (band)

The Killers are an American alternative rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2002. The group consists of Brandon Flowers , Dave Keuning , Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr....
, Travis
Travis (band)

Travis are a Scotland alternative rock band from Glasgow, comprising Francis Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose . Travis have twice been awarded British album of the year at the annual BRIT Awards, and are often credited with having paved the way for bands such as Coldplay, Keane and Snow Patrol....
; in Paris, with Muse
Muse (band)

Muse are an English rock music band that was formed in Teignmouth, Devon, England in 1994. Since their inception, the band has comprised Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard ....
, Calogero
Calogero

Calogero is a France singer....
, Kyo
Kyo (band)

Kyo is a France Rock music band....
, Shakira
Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll known simply as Shakira, is a Colombian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer and philanthropist who emerged as a Prodigy in the music scene of Latin America in the mid-1990s....
, Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli

Dr. Andrea Bocelli, Order of Merit of the Republic, Doctor of Laws is an Italians Operatic pop tenor and a classical music singer who has also performed in operas....
, Craig David
Craig David

Craig Ashley David is an England Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums: Born To Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me and a Greatest Hits album....
, Placebo
Placebo (band)

Placebo are an alternative rock musical ensemble formed in London in 1994, consisting of Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Forrest. To date, they have released five studio albums, six Extended plays and twenty-seven singles....
, Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour

Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer and percussionist. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop popular music in Senegal, known in the Wolof language as mbalax, a blend of the country's traditional griot percussion and praise-singing with the...
; in Rome, with Duran Duran
Duran Duran

Duran Duran are an English music group from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most commercially successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States....
 and Faith Hill
Faith Hill

Faith Hill is an United States country music singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw....
; in Berlin, with Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson

Brian Douglas Wilson is a Grammy Award-winning United States musician best known as a member of the American rock and roll band, the Beach Boys....
, Green Day
Green Day

Green Day is an American Rock music trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tr? Cool for the majority of its existence....
, Audioslave
Audioslave

Audioslave was an American hard rock Supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of ex-Soundgarden frontman and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk ....
, and Crosby Stills & Nash; in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...
, with Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, won twenty-two Grammy Awards , plus one for Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, won an Academy Award for Best Song, an...
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an United States hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s....
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter , better known as his stage name, Jay-Z, is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is the former Chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records....
, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child was an contemporary R&B and pop music girl group comprising lead singer Beyonc? Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams ....
, Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band is an United States rock music band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, Virginia in 1991. Founding members include singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bass guitar Stefan Lessard, violinist Boyd Tinsley, and drum kit Carter Beauford....
, Will Smith
Will Smith

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. is an United Statesn actor, film producer and rapping. He has enjoyed success in music, television and film....
, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American contemporary R&B and soul music singer-songwriter, pianist, cello and actor....
, Ludacris
Ludacris

Christopher Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, Grammy Award-winning American rapping. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings....
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park

Linkin Park is an American Rock music band from Agoura Hills, California, California. Since its formation in 1996, the band has sold more than 50 million albums and won two Grammy Awards....
, Josh Groban
Josh Groban

Joshua Winslow Groban is a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter. He has concentrated his career so far mostly in concert singing and recordings, although he has stated that he wishes to pursue musical theater in the future....
, Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band who formed in 1997. Hailing from Leeds, the group consists of vocalist Ricky Wilson , guitarist Andrew White , bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick Baines, and drummer Nick Hodgson....
, Maroon 5
Maroon 5

Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band. Formed with only two members at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts and expanded in Los Angeles, Maroon 5 has sold over 10 million albums in the United States and nearly 15 million world wide....
, Keith Urban
Keith Urban

Keith Lionel Urban is an Australian Grammy Award- and ARIA Award-winning country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States....
, Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan

Sarah Ann McLachlan, Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia is a Canada musician, singer and songwriter.She is known for the emotional sound of her ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range....
, Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)

Robert Kelly Thomas is an American rock recording artist, and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty and formerly of the band Tabitha's Secret....
; and in Barrie
Barrie

Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, a city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , a Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , a provincial electoral district...
 with Neil Young
Neil Young

Neil Percival Young Order of Manitoba is a Canada singer-songwriter, musician and film director.Young's work is characterized by deeply personal lyrics, distinctive guitar work, and signature falsetto tenor singing voice....
, The Barenaked Ladies, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams, Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia is a Canada Rock music singer-songwriter and photographer. Rolling Stone magazine describes Adams as having an ?unerring gift for radio-friendly pop hooks" and in 1992, Adams won the Grammy Awards of 1992, for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" fo...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English Rock music band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of Heavy metal music and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorize themselves as any one genre....
, Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr., Order of Canada, Order of Ontario is a Canada singer and songwriter who achieved international success in folk, country, and popular music....
 and the Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip is a Canada Rock music Musical ensemble from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay ....
. Pink Floyd's performance in London was its first since 1981 to include original bassist, Roger Waters
Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an England rock music musician. He is best known as the bass guitar player and one of the main songwriters in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985....
.

The concerts were free, and were scheduled just days before world leaders gathered in Gleneagles
Gleneagles

Gleneagles may refer to the following:*Gleneagles, Scotland**The July 2005 G8 Summit held at Gleneagles, Scotland*Gleneagles Agreement*Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder...
, for the G8
G8

The Group of Eight is a forum for governments of eight nations of the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; in addition, the European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair....
 economic summit, on 6 July.Ure organised the 'final push' Live 8 concert at Edinburgh. Organizing such a massive charity event was such a time consuming affair that Geldof never had time for his dinner. 'The boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis,' Geldof said in a statement.

This is where the concerts took place and who performed:

When: Saturday 2 July, 2005.

Where:

UK – Hyde Park, London

France – Palais de Versailles, Paris

Germany – Siegessäule, Berlin

Italy – Circus Maximus, Rome

USA –Museum of Art, Philadelphia

Canada –Park Place, Barrie

Japan –Makuhari Messe, Tokyo

South Africa –Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg

The Russian Federation - Red Square, Moscow

UK - The Eden Project

Criticism of Live 8

Although part of the campaign "Make Poverty History
Make Poverty History

The Make Poverty History campaign is a Great Britain and Ireland coalition of charities, religion groups, trade unions, campaigning groups and celebrity who mobilise around the UK's prominence in world politics, as of 2005, to increase awareness and pressure governments into taking actions towards relieving absolute poverty....
" (MPH), Live 8 was then accused of hijacking MPH by planning its concerts on the same day as the giant MPH march in Edinburgh
Edinburgh

Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
, which was said to be the biggest social justice march in Scottish history.

Geldof was also criticised for the lack of African acts performing at Live 8, however, Geldof responded that only the biggest-selling artists would attract the huge audience required to capture the attention of the world in the run-up to the G8 meeting. Geldof added that there was insufficient public interest in African music among the concert's target markets in Europe and the United States. Including African artists at the expense of recognised artists would have been tokenist
Tokenism

Tokenism refers to a policy or practice of limited inclusion of members of a minority group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices, intentional or not....
, he said, and would have undermined the effect of the concert.

In the lead-up to the G8 summit, Geldof who had been a member of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa on which the Gleneagles recommendations were largely based, labelled critics of the summit 'a disgrace'. Some leading African campaigners have asked Geldof to stand down from the global anti-poverty movement, and the New Internationalist
New Internationalist

New Internationalist is a magazine from New Internationalist Publications, a co-operative-run publisher based in Oxford, England. It has editorial and sales offices in Toronto, Canada; Adelaide, Australia; Christchurch, New Zealand; and New York, USA....
 (between January and February 2006) said 'It would be long overdue if he did.'

There were also accusations that Live 8 gave unqualified support to the personal and political agendas of Tony Blair
Tony Blair

Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007....
 and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown

James Gordon Brown UK Member of Parliament is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Brown assumed office in June 2007, after the resignation of Tony Blair and three days after becoming leader of the governing Labour Party....
, particularly in the lead up to an election. Though many felt that it was the British politicians who had accepted Geldof's agenda, rather than the other way round, this led to accusations that Geldof had compromised his cause. In contrast with the media support given to Live Aid, Live 8 was subject to criticism by some sections of the media.

The promises made for Africa at the Gleneagles summit, were widely praised: 'the greatest summit for Africa ever' (Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan

Kofi Atta Annan, Order of St Michael and St George is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh United Nations Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2007....
), 'an important, if incomplete, boost to the development prospects of the poorest countries' economist (Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs

Jeffrey David Sachs is an United States economist and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is also the Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and a Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia's Columbia Mailman School of Public Health....
) or 'a major breakthrough on debt' (Kevin Wakins, until recently head of research at Oxfam). But many aid agencies pronounced their disappointment with the outcome, feeling that the strict conditions imposed on African countries for accepting debt relief left them little better off than before. Some critics have claimed that Live 8 had been more about rehabilitating the careers of ageing rock stars, including Geldof himself, than it was about the poor people of Africa. However, Geldof has made no attempt to revive his music career, somewhat disproving this accusation. However, the New Internationalist points out that since becoming prominent in the salvation of Africa, "Geldof has re-released the entire back catalogue of the Boomtown Rats."

Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
's Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher

Noel Thomas David Gallagher is the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and occasional vocalist of English rock band Oasis . Raised with younger brother Liam Gallagher in Burnage, Manchester, Gallagher began to get guitar lessons from Dayle Robertson at the age of thirteen during a period of probation....
 became one of the more vocal sceptics about the impact of Live 8, citing his belief that rock stars are not as influencing over world leaders as popular culture may believe. His explanation was "Correct me if I'm wrong, but are they hoping that one of these guys from the G8 is on a quick 15-minute break at Gleneagles and sees Annie Lennox singing "Sweet Dreams" and thinks, 'Fuck me, she might have a point there, you know?' And Keane doing "Somewhere Only We Know" and some Japanese businessman going, 'Aw, look at him… we should really fucking drop that debt, you know.' It's not going to happen, is it?"

Career after the Boomtown Rats

Geldof left the Boomtown Rats in 1986, to launch a solo career and release his autobiography, Is That It?, which was a best-seller.

His first solo records sold reasonably well and spawned the hit singles "Love or Something" (co-written with Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart

David Allan Stewart, often known as Dave Stewart is an England born British musician and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics....
 of Eurythmics
Eurythmics

Eurythmics are a United Kingdom musical duet, formed in 1980 by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart.The pair have achieved significant global, commercial and critical success, selling 75 million records worldwide, winning numerous awards, and have undertaken several successful world tours....
) and "The Great Song of Indifference". He also occasionally performed with other artists, such as David Gilmour
David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour Order of the British Empire , is an England musician, best known as the guitarist, lead singer, and one of the main songwriters in the band Pink Floyd....
 of Pink Floyd and Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Republic of Ireland in 1969. The band were led throughout their recording career by Bass guitar, songwriter and singer Phil Lynott, and are best known for their songs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak " and "The Boys Are Back in Town", all major international hits still played regula...
. A performance of "Comfortably Numb
Comfortably Numb

"Comfortably Numb" is a song by the England progressive rock band Pink Floyd, which was released on the 1979 in music double album The Wall....
" with David Gilmour is documented in the 2002 DVD David Gilmour in Concert
David Gilmour in Concert

David Gilmour in Concert is a DVD of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London in June 2001, as part of the Robert Wyatt-curated Meltdown festival....
.

Geldof has also worked as a DJ for XFM
Xfm

Xfm is a brand of commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie , and owned by Global Radio in the United Kingdom. Xfm was created in 1997 in London, but has since expanded to several stations....
 radio. In 1998, he erroneously announced
List of premature obituaries

A premature obituary is an obituary published whose subject is not actually deceased. Such situations have various causes, such as hoaxes or mix-ups over names, and usually produce great embarrassment or sometimes more dramatic consequences....
 Ian Dury
Ian Dury

Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, songwriter, and bandleader who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk rock and New Wave music era of rock music....
's death from cancer, possibly due to hoax information from a listener who was disgruntled at the station's change of ownership. The event caused music paper NME
NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 to call Geldof 'the world's worst DJ'.

Along with U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
's Bono
Bono

Paul David Hewson , also known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Ireland rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2....
, he has devoted much time since 2000 to campaigning for debt relief
Debt relief

Debt relief is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations....
 for developing countries. His commitments in this field, including the organisation of the Live 8 concerts, kept Geldof from producing any more musical output since 2001's "Sex, Age & Death" album. ? After Live 8, Geldof returned to his career as a musician by releasing a box set containing all of his solo albums entitled "Great Songs of Indifference - The Anthology 1986 - 2001" in late 2005. Following that release, Geldof also toured, albeit with mixed success. In July 2006 Geldof arrived at the Milan's Civic Arena, a venue capable of holding 12,000 people, to play a scheduled concert to find that the organisers had not put the tickets on general sale and that only 45 people had shown up.. Geldof refused to go on stage once he found out how small the attendance was. Subsequently, the remaining two Italian concerts on the island of Sicily and in Rome were also cancelled due to lack of interest, the latter having sold only around 300 tickets. To offer some compensation for fans, Geldof played a free "Storytellers" concert for MTV
MTV

MTV is an United States cable television network based in Media of New York City. Launched on August 1, 1981, the original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJ ....
 Italy in October 2006.

In August 2006, two thoroughly advertised concerts in Denmark at NRGi Arena (Århus) and Farum Arena, with seating for 4,740 and 3,000 people respectively, were cancelled as well after only 2 tickets had been sold. Local media cited general lack of interest as well as high ticket prices of €65 as the reason for the poor sales.

Fame and infamy

After Live Aid, Geldof became one of the world's most recognisable people. He also became particularly known for his use of strong language in conversation, regardless of his target audience. It was widely claimed that he exhorted viewers to 'give us your fuckin' money' in the course of an afternoon session at the BBC's Wembley studio during Live Aid. However, this is slightly inaccurate; he actually said 'fuck the addresses, let's get the numbers!'.

The BBC subsequently apologised for Geldof's outburst but his phonetical interpretation of the expletive went down in history; Spitting Image
Spitting Image

Spitting Image was a United Kingdom satire puppet show which ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Independent Television....
 made many references to it.

In mid July 2006, he infuriated many New Zealanders by criticizing the New Zealand governments's foreign aid contribution 'shameful' and 'pathetic'. Winston Peters
Winston Peters

Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978....
, the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major minister portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was New Zealand National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs....
 responded that Geldof failed to recognise the 'quality' of New Zealand aid as well as other New Zealand contributions.

During mid November 2008, a local for profit organisation Diversity@Work invited Geldof to Melbourne, to speak about the tragedy of Third World poverty and the failure of governments to combat the crisis. However it was subsequently revealed that he was paid $100,000 AUD for his one-off speech which included a luxury hotel room and first-class airfares. Criticism has been raised at the contradiction of demanding such fees to speak on world poverty and human misery.

Awards and honours

Geldof has received many awards for his fund-raising work, including an honorary knighthood
British honours system

The United Kingdom honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. The system consists of three types of award: honours, decorations and medals:...
 (as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
) from Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
, in 1986 . Geldof is entitled to use the post-nominal letters "KBE", but as he is not a citizen of a Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm

A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 Sovereignty states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as their monarch....
, he is precluded from using the title "Sir". Regardless, the nickname 'Sir Bob' has stuck, and media reports will frequently (but erroneously) refer to him as 'Sir Bob Geldof' as if that were his correct title.

In 1986 Geldof was made a Freeman of the Borough of Swale, in north Kent
Kent

Kent is a Counties of England in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the River Thames estuary....
, England. Geldof had for some years been resident in the borough, at Davington Priory, Faversham
Faversham

Faversham is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury. The parish of Faversham includes an ancient sea port and market town, some 48 miles east of London, off the London to Dover A2 road , 18 miles east north-east of Maidstone and 9 miles west of Canterbury....
, and was still living there in 2006. He received his award during a special meeting of the Swale Borough Council from the Mayor, Cllr Richard Moreton and Mayoress Rose Moreton.

Geldof works closely with DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), an organization founded by U2's Bono to advocate for Africa.

In 2005 he received the prestigious Beacon Fellowship
Beacon Fellowship

Beacon Fellowship is the only Fellowship within the United Kingdom whose scheme is geared toward supporting and encouraging an improved culture of philanthropy and Charity ....
 Prize for his leadership role in alleviating poverty, famine and genocide, especially in the Third World, and his advocacy for the rights of fathers. In this year he was also awarded the Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society and was a winner of the North-South Prize
North-South Prize

The North-South Prize is awarded annually by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe to two public figures who are recognised for their deep commitment, outstanding achievements and hope they have generated in the field of protection of human rights, the defence of pluralist democracy and North-South partnership and solidarity....
.

In a list compiled by the magazine New Statesman
New Statesman

The New Statesman is a United Kingdom left-wing politics magazine published weekly in London. The current editor is Jason Cowley, whose appointment was announced on 16 May 2008....
, in 2006, he was voted third in the list of 'Heroes of our time'.

In 2005, Bob Geldof received the Free Your Mind Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

In 2005, Bob Geldof received a Man of Peace Award
Man of Peace

The title Man of Peace was created in 1999 by the annual World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome. The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals who have offered "an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace"....
.

In 2006 he was awarded the Freedom of Dublin City
Freedom of Dublin City

The Freedom of the City of Dublin is an award bestowed by the people of Dublin on a person nominated by the the Lord Mayor of Dublin. It is usually awarded for contributions made to the life of the city, as an honour given to certain visiting dignitaries....
.

In 2006, Bob Geldof was the recipient of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award by Holocaust Museum Houston
Holocaust Museum Houston

The Holocaust Museum Houston, is located in Houston, Texas and was opened in 1996. The museum is located in the Museum District .The museum is the fourth largest Holocaust memorial museum in the United States....
.

In 2007, Bob Geldof was made an Honorary Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland....
.In the same year Richard Curtis presented Bob Geldof the "Cinema for Peace Pioneer Award" honouring him for his achievements.

In 2006 and 2008, Bob Geldof is a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. According to Nobel's will , the Peace Prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for :wikt:fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the h...
.

In 2008 he received the Nichols-Chancellor's Medal from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private university research university in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for ship transport and rail transport magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial United States dollar1 million endowment despite having never been to the Southern...
 for his humanitarian efforts, as well as an honorary degree in music from the University of East London
University of East London

The University of East London is a united Kingdom New Universities based on two campuses in East London, England. Founded in 1970 as North East London Polytechnic, UEL was formed from a merger of higher education colleges, including West Ham Technical Institute, in Stratford, London, and South East Essex Technical College in Barking....
, serving on both occasions as the keynote speaker for the 2008 graduating class.

He received an honorary degree
Honorary degree

An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements . The degree itself is typically a doctorate or, less commonly, a master's degree, and may be awarded to someone who has no prior connection with the institution in question....
 of Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts is a Postgraduate education academic degree master degree awarded by University in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in English language, Fine Arts, History, Humanities, Philosophy, Social Sciences or Theology and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a combination of the two....
 from the University of Kent
University of Kent

The University of Kent is a plate glass university Campus university university in Kent, England....
 in 1985. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary degree in Civil Law from Newcastle University. The University held a special honorary degree ceremony to honour key figures in the campaign against world poverty.

Controversial political views


Bob Geldof adopted an anti-euro
Euro

The euro is the official currency of 16 out of 27 European Union member state of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain....
 stance by appearing in an advertisement against the single currency, in 2002. Geldof also criticised the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
 (EU), in 2004, for what he called its 'pathetic' response to Ethiopia
Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast....
's food crisis, although one MEP
Member of the European Parliament

A Member of the European Parliament is the English name for a person who has been elected to the European Parliament, of of the the European Union's two legislative bodies....
 has claimed he is "misinformed".

During a visit to Ethiopia, Geldof also praised President George W. Bush
George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
's proposal to fight AIDS
AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the HIV ....
 in Africa. This proposal has been criticised from aid groups due to its heavy emphasis on Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
 morality
Morality

Morality has three principal meanings.In its first, descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct which is held to be authoritative in matters of right and wrong....
 and sexual abstinence
Celibacy

Celibacy is a state of being intentionally unmarried and abstaining from sexual intercourse. A vow of celibacy taken by monks and nuns signifies the promise to refrain from all sexual activity for the purpose of spiritual advancement....
.

Geldof has recently spoken out about environmental issues, taking some positions that may be considered unusual, compared to many other prominent artists and performers, such as advocating for the increased use of nuclear power
Nuclear power

Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nucleus via controlled nuclear reactions. The only method in use today is through nuclear fission, though other methods might one day include nuclear fusion and radioactive decay ....
, saying that "In the UK, we'll soon have to scramble for more nuclear power. On this issue, I don't care what anyone says: we're going to go with it, big-time. We may mess around with wind and waves and other renewable energy sources, trying to make them sustainable, but they're not. They're Mickey Mouse."

Geldof has also called for the industrial development of developing nations such as China and India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 to be taken into account when negotiating greenhouse gas emissions targets, and has suggested that the developed world has a role to play in assisting these nations to roll out non-fossil energy systems.

Some on the political left
Left-wing politics

In politics, left-wing, leftist, and the Left are terms applied to Social progressivism and Egalitarianism positions. Originally, during the French Revolution, left-wing referred to seating arrangements in parliament; those who sat on the left opposed the monarchy and supported Political radicalism reform....
 have charged Geldof with hypocrisy, due to his lack of support for causes such as the UK miners' strike (1984-1985) and the anti-war movement. In 2006, Geldof told a business conference that "Back in the 1970s there was no chance for a boy with an idea. Everything was stitched up by the unions."

From January 2002, until sometime in 2005, Geldof listened very closely to Father's Rights campaigners, and it was reported that he had sacks of mail arriving at his door on a daily basis from fathers who were denied justice from the British family courts. He was noted as saying, "I am heartbroken. I just cannot believe what happens to people, what is done to them in the name of the law. "You only have to open your eyes to see what I call the 'Sad Dads on Sundays Syndrome'". He has also called for The Children Act to be repealed and his latest statement to Father's Rights campaigners was "'It's not in my nature to shut up'".

In December 2005, Geldof agreed to give advice on global poverty to the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
. He stated, however, that he was uninterested in party politics, and would continue to 'shake hands with the devil on my left and the devil on my right,' in order to achieve results.

In April 2008 Geldof hit the news again when a survey showed that nearly a quarter of British people confused passages from the Bible with speeches made by the famous activist.

Gelfdof has long been a strong advocate for the "taboo" fathers' rights movement. "I've got more letters than I had for Live Aid - and I've hardly talked about this - I have 70 plastic bin liners full of letters. From men, from women, from children, from grandparents - people forget about the grandparents who never see the kids again. I can't tell you how many more that is than Live Aid, and you know what a phenomenon that was. I am heart broken. I read them sobbing. I just can't believe what happens to people - what is done to them in the name of the law… "(http://www.spig.clara.net/geldof.htm)

Wealth

Ten Alps, a PR, broadcast and television company, was founded by Alex Connock, Bob Geldof and Des Shaw. Connock bought Planet 24 Radio for £1, on the day that Carlton Television acquired Geldof's previous company Planet 24 for a reported £15 million. Ten Alps posted profits of £600,000 in 2005, on a turnover of £37,000,000.

Brook Lapping, a part of the Ten Alps Empire, were the first to produce a 'documentary' on Flight 93, 'The flight that fought back' as well as producing '9/11: The Twin Towers' which was screened on BBC to 6.4 million viewers. Both are considered works of dramatic fiction.

Ten Alps digital, part of Ten Alps, launched Kent TV
Kent TV

KentTV.com is an internet-based broadband television channel providing content relating to the county of Kent in the United Kingdom. It was launched in September 2007 by Kent County Council and is run Independently by Bob Geldof's media company Ten Alps....
 in September 2007. Kent TV
Kent TV

KentTV.com is an internet-based broadband television channel providing content relating to the county of Kent in the United Kingdom. It was launched in September 2007 by Kent County Council and is run Independently by Bob Geldof's media company Ten Alps....
 is the first council funded internet-based television channel in the country and is run independently by Ten Alps Digital. Bob Geldof has appeared a number of times on the channel, most recently in December 2008, defending the channel from local criticism.

Geldof's wealth was estimated by Broadcast magazine, in 2001, to be £30 million, a position of 18th in a list of UK broadcasters. How much of his earnings he donates to charity is not known. He is currently embroiled in a legal wrangle with his former bandmates in the Boomtown Rats, who accuse him of withholding substantial profits from the band's recordings from them.

In 2007, his two UK properties were owned by companies based in the British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands, the remaining islands constituting the United States Virgin Islands....
 as a tax avoidance measure.

Africa Progress Panel

Geldof is a member of the Africa Progress Panel
Africa Progress Panel

Deriving its origins from a key recommendation of Tony Blair?s Commission for Africa, the Africa Progress Panel was launched in April 2007 as an independent authority on Africa to focus world leaders? attention on delivering their commitments to the continent....
 (APP), an independent authority on Africa launched in April 2007 to focus world leaders’ attention on delivering their commitments to the continent. The Panel launched a major report in London on Monday 16 June 2008 entitled Africa's Development: Promises and Prospects.

Actor

Geldof Wall
Geldof played the central character Pink in the film of Pink Floyd's The Wall
Pink Floyd The Wall (film)

Pink Floyd The Wall is a 1982 in film musical film by British film director Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters....
, and made a cameo appearance as himself in the Spice Girls
Spice Girls

The Spice Girls are an English pop girl group formed in 1994. They consist of Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell....
' pop music satire Spiceworld
Spiceworld (film)

Spice World is a feature film starring England pop music girl group the Spice Girls directed by Bob Spiers and written by Kim Fuller and Jamie Curtis....
. He appeared in Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger

Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an England rock musician best known as the lead vocalist of the The Rolling Stones. As well as a songwriter, he is an actor, and record producer and film producer....
's 2001 documentary, Being Mick
Being Mick

Being Mick is a 2001 television movie which chronicles the life of Mick Jagger for one year. Much of the film was filmed by Mick using a handheld camera....
, also as himself.

He also starred in the 2007 short film 'I am Bob' in which he loses a look-a-like contest (even after singing the Boomtown Rats' hit I Don't Like Mondays.)

Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
D
Media Control Charts

The official Music Charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband der phonographischen Wirtschaft ....
1986 "This is the World Calling/Talk Me Up" #82 #23 - #25 #28 Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere
1987 "Love Like a Rocket/Pulled Apart By Horses/This Is The World Calling/Truly, True Blue" - - - #61 - Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere
1987 "I Cry Too/Let's Go" - - - - - Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere
1990 "The Great Song of Indifference/Hotel 75/In The Pouring Rain" - - - #15 #20 Vegetarians of Love
1990 "Love or Something/Out Of Order/Friends For Life/One Of The Girls/The Great Song Of Indifference (Barmitzvah Wedding & Party Mix)" - #24 - #86 #55 Vegetarians of Love
1990 "A Gospel Song/Vegetarians Of Love/The Warmest Fire" - - - - - Vegetarians of Love
1992 "Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee)/Huge Birdless Silence/The Great Song Of Indifference/Swear For You" - - - - #53 Happy Club
1992 "My Hippy Angel/Maybe Heaven/Love Or Something" - - - - - Happy Club
1993 "The Happy Club/The Great Song Of Indifference/This Is The World Calling/Roads of Germany (after BD)" - - - - - Happy Club
1994 "Crazy/Mary Of The 4th Form (Live)/Looking After Number 1 (Live)/Joey's On The Street(Live)//Room 19 (Live)/The Beat Of The Night (Live)/Rat Trap (Live)" - - - #65 #72 Loud Mouth - The Very Best Of Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats
2003 "Pale White Girls" - - - - - Sex Age & Death


Discography

(With The Boomtown Rats)
  • The Boomtown Rats
    The Boomtown Rats (album)

    The Boomtown Rats was The Boomtown Rats' first album and included the Rat's first hit single, "Lookin' After No. 1", as well as the subsequent single, "Mary of the 4th Form"....
     (ENVY1/ENCAS1) : September 1977
  • A Tonic for the Troops
    A Tonic for the Troops

    A Tonic for the Troops was The Boomtown Rats' second album and included the hit singles "She's So Modern", "Like Clockwork" and "Rat Trap"....
     Entry (ENVY3/ENCAS3): 8 July 1978
  • The Fine Art of Surfacing
    The Fine Art of Surfacing

    The Fine Art of Surfacing was The Boomtown Rats' third album and contained the hit-single releases, "I Don't Like Mondays", "Diamond Smiles" and "Someone's Looking At You." "I Don't Like Mondays" b/w "It's All the Rage" was released in June 1979, and hit #1 in late July in the UK in the same year ....
     (1979)
  • Mondo Bongo
    Mondo Bongo

    Mondo Bongo was the Boomtown Rats fourth album and included the hit singles: "Banana Republic", which had reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom charts in November 1980 and "The Elephant's Graveyard " which made No....
     (1981)
  • V Deep
    V Deep (album)

    V Deep was The Boomtown Rats' fifth album and the first to be released after guitarist Gerry Cott left the group. It included classic Rats' hits "House On Fire" and "Up All Night"...
     (1982)
  • In the Long Grass
    In the Long Grass

    In the Long Grass is the last studio album by The Boomtown Rats, released in 1984 in the U.K. and 1985 in the U.S....
     : 25 May 1985
Solo
  • Deep in the Heart of Nowhere November 1986 MERCURY 830 607-2/ATLANTIC 7567-81687-1
  • Vegetarians of Love (13 August 1990) MERCURY 846 250-2/ATLANTIC 7 82041-2
  • The Happy Club (20 April 1993) Vertigo 512 896-1/Polydor 314 519 132-2
  • Sex, Age & Death (1 May 2002) EAGLE EAGCD187/KOCH KOK-CD-8415


External links