Editing Bob Geldof (section)

==Charity work==
Geldof's first major charity involvement took place in September 1981 when he performed as a solo artist for [[Amnesty International]]'s benefit show ''[[The Secret Policeman's Other Ball]]'', held at [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Drury Lane theatre]] in London's [[West End theatre|West End]]. At the invitation of Amnesty show producer [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]], Geldof performed a solo{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} version of "I Don't Like Mondays". Other rock artists had 'planted a seed' and appeared to have affected Geldof in a similar manner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2006/1020/1160606784745.html |title=Fri, Oct&nbsp;20, 2006 – REVOLVER |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=10 October 2006 |access-date=10 August 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Monty Python]] alumnus [[John Cleese]] conceived (and directed) the show, and on its impact on Geldof, [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] states "he took the 'Ball' and ran with it."<ref>{{cite news |title=How the Secret Policeman's Ball Got Rolling... |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/secret-policemans-ball_b_1318876 |access-date=2 December 2021 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref>

===Band Aid===
{{Main|Band Aid (band)}}

[[File:AcropoleHotelKhartoumBobGeldofLetter RomanDeckert25042018.jpg|thumb|right|190px|Letter of thanks from Geldof to the [[Acropole Hotel]] in Khartoum, Sudan, for supporting Band Aid during the 1980s drought in Darfur and Ethiopia]]
In 1984, Geldof responded to a BBC News report from [[Michael Buerk]] about the [[1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia|famine in Ethiopia]] by mobilising the pop world to do something about the images he had seen.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/mj2jf0US8zI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100423115035/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj2jf0US8zI Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj2jf0US8zI |title=BBC on Ethiopian famine 1984 |date=4 October 2008 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=10 August 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> With [[Midge Ure]] of [[Ultravox]] he wrote "[[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]" in order to raise funds. The song was recorded in a single day at [[Sarm West Studios]] in [[Notting Hill]], London on 25 November 1984 by various artists performing under the name of [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111219224029/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1643506/looking-back-at-live-aid-25-years-later.jhtml "Looking Back At Live Aid, 25 Years Later"]. MTV. Retrieved 22 October 2016</ref>

In its first week of release, the single became the UK's fastest-seller of all time, entering the [[UK Singles Chart]] at number one and staying there for five weeks, becoming the [[List of UK Singles Chart Christmas number ones|Christmas number one]] of 1984.<ref name="Release">{{cite magazine |title=Flashback: Band Aid Raises Millions With 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/do-they-know-its-christmas-band-aid-1984-geldof-761428/ |access-date=27 August 2021 |magazine=Rolling Stone|quote= The single, released in the United Kingdom on December 3rd, 1984, was crafted to "touch people's heartstrings and to loosen the purse strings".}}</ref> It went 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.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ami |last=Sedghi |title=UK's million-selling singles: the full list |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London, England |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/04/uk-million-selling-singles-full-list |date=4 November 2012 |access-date=4 November 2012}}</ref> The single was also a major US hit, peaking at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and selling an estimated 2.5&nbsp;million copies in the US by January 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Paul |last=Green |title=Ethiopia-Aid Single, Video Take Off |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Billboard Publications |location=New York City, US |date=5 January 1985 |page=3 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Holden |title=The Pop Life; Artists Join in Effort for Famine Relief |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York City, US |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/27/arts/the-pop-life-artists-join-in-effort-for-famine-relief.html |date=27 February 1985 |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> The single would eventually sell 11.7&nbsp;million copies worldwide.<ref name="guinness">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCmp92JXMjsC&q=best-selling+single|title=Guinness Book of World Records, 1989, page 155-156|access-date=2 February 2012|publisher=[[Jim Pattison Group]]|first=Donald|last=McFarlen|isbn=9780806902760|date=December 1988}}</ref>

New versions of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" were recorded in 1989 and 2004. In November 2014, Geldof announced that he would be forming a further incarnation of Band Aid, to be known as [[Band Aid (band)#Band Aid 30|Band Aid 30]], to record an updated version of the [[Charity record|charity single]], with the proceeds going to treat victims of the [[Ebola virus disease|Ebola virus]] in West Africa.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Bob Geldof to record Band Aid 30 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29980841 |website= [[BBC News]]| date= 9 November 2014|access-date=10 November 2014 }}</ref>

===Live Aid===
{{Main|Live Aid}}
{{Quote box|width=26%|align=right|quote="The greatest legacy of Live Aid for me personally, is the example of how Bob Geldof's leadership demonstrated the power of the individual. How the voice and action of just one person could start a movement that could make a difference."|source=—Live Aid production manager Andy Zweck.<ref name="Greatest">{{cite news |title=Aaaaaay-o! Aaaaaay-o! Why Live Aid was the greatest show of all |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/live-aid-anniversary-queen-freddie-mercury-performances-bob-geldof-a9612071.html |access-date=13 July 2020 |work=The Independent}}</ref>}}
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 the obligation to make 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.

Geldof and Ure organised Live Aid, a huge event staged simultaneously on 13 July 1985 at the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] in London and [[John F. Kennedy Stadium]] in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Aaaaaay-o! Aaaaaay-o! Why Live Aid was the greatest show of all |last=Beaumont |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Beaumont (journalist) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/live-aid-anniversary-queen-freddie-mercury-performances-bob-geldof-a9612071.html |access-date=13 July 2020 |work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/01/liveaid.memories/index.html Live Aid 1985: A day of magic]. CNN. Retrieved 22 May 2021</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=West |first1=Aaron J. |title=Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps |date=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=92}}</ref>

It was one of the most monumental stage shows in history, with [[Phil Collins]] flying on [[Concorde]] so that he could play at both Wembley and Philadelphia on the same day.<ref name="artists"/>

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 ordering them not to go out to the pub but to stay in and watch the show.<ref name="artists">{{cite news |title=Live aid in their own words |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/oct/17/popandrock5 |access-date=6 June 2020 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>[[File:Bob Geldof-Conspiracy of Hope-by Steven Toole.jpg|thumb|upright|Geldof performing at the [[A Conspiracy of Hope|Conspiracy of Hope]] concert on 15 June 1986 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.]]  Nearly seven hours into the concert in London, Geldof gave an infamous interview in which he used the word ''fuck''.  The BBC presenter [[David Hepworth]], conducting the interview, had attempted to provide a list of addresses to which potential donations should be sent; Geldof interrupted him in mid-flow and shouted: "Fuck the address, let's get the [phone] numbers!" It has passed into folklore<ref>{{cite web | title=1985 Live Aid – BBC web-site |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1985/music1.shtml |access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref> that he yelled at the audience, "Give us your fucking money!" although Geldof has stated that this phrase was never uttered.<ref>Geldof, Bob. ''Live Aid'' DVD.</ref> Due to his Irish accent, the profanity was stated to be misheard as "fock" and "focking" respectively. After the outburst, donations increased to £300 per second.<ref name="Greatest" />

The harrowing video of dying, skeletal children—introduced by [[David Bowie]] following the end of his set—that had been made by [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] photo-journalists setting their films to the tune of "[[Drive (The Cars song)|Drive]]" by [[The Cars]], contributed to the concert's success.<ref name="artists" />

In total, Live Aid raised over [[Pound sign|£]]150&nbsp;million for famine relief. Geldof subsequently received an honorary knighthood, at age 34, for his efforts. His autobiography, written soon after with [[Paul Vallely]], was entitled ''Is That It?''.<ref name="GeldofBio" /> The book achieved further fame for being featured on the [[General Certificate of Secondary Education]] examination syllabus in a following year.

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]] 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&nbsp;million people are said to have been displaced and between 50,000 and 100,000 killed.<ref>David Rieff  [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/live8/story/0,16066,1513359,00.html "Cruel to be kind?"],  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008043157/http://arts.guardian.co.uk/live8/story/0%2C16066%2C1513359%2C00.html |date= 8 October 2008 }} ''[[The Guardian]]'', 24 June 2005</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=SPIN |url=http://www.spin.com/featured/live-aid-the-terrible-truth-ethiopia-bob-geldof-feature/ |title=Live Aid: The Terrible Truth |publisher=SPIN |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref> However, in November 2010 the BBC formally apologised to Geldof for misleading implications in its stories on the subject of Band Aid, saying it had 'no evidence' that Band Aid money specifically went to buy weapons.<ref>{{cite web | last=Midgley |first=Neil |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8035539/BBC-apologises-to-Bob-Geldof-for-Band-Aid-slur.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8035539/BBC-apologises-to-Bob-Geldof-for-Band-Aid-slur.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=BBC apologises to Bob Geldof for Band Aid slur |work=The Telegraph|date=4 November 2010 |access-date=10 April 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Commission for Africa===
In January 2004, on a visit to friends in Africa, 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 telephoned the British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] from [[Addis Ababa]]. According to the Live 8 programme notes by Geldof's biographer and friend, [[Paul Vallely]], the Prime Minister responded: "Calm down Bob. ... And come and see me as soon as you get back."<ref>Live 8 programme notes by Paul Vallely</ref>

The result was the [[Commission for 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. 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]] (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. Every year, the Panel releases a report, the Africa Progress Report, that outlines an issue of immediate importance to the continent and suggests a set of associated policies. In 2012, the Africa Progress Report highlighted issues of Jobs, Justice and Equity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://africaprogresspanel.org/en/publications/annual-reports/annual-report-2012/ |title=Africa Progress Report 2012 |publisher=Africa Progress Panel |access-date=27 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130109214313/http://www.africaprogresspanel.org/en/publications/annual-reports/annual-report-2012/ |archive-date= 9 January 2013 }}</ref> The 2013 report outlined issues relating to oil, gas and mining in Africa.

===DATA and One Campaign===
Bob Geldof worked closely with [[DATA]] (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), an organisation founded by U2's Bono in 2002 to promote debt relief, third-world trade and AIDS relief in Africa. It merged with One Campaign in 2008, where Geldof also is very active. In June 2009, on behalf of One Campaign, he co-edited a special edition of the Italian newspaper ''[[La Stampa]]'' with a view on [[35th G8 summit]].<ref name="stampa01">{{cite web|title=Direttore per un giorno |language=it |url=http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/esteri/200907articoli/45157girata.asp |date=4 July 2009 |work=La Stampa |location=Italy |access-date=4 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707003006/http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/esteri/200907articoli/45157girata.asp |archive-date=7 July 2009 }}</ref>

===Live 8 concerts===
[[File:geldofsigning.jpg|right|thumb|Geldof at a ''Live 8: DVD'' signing in 2007]]
On 31 March 2005, Geldof and Ure announced the [[Live 8]] project, to raise awareness of issues that burden Africa, including government debt, trade barriers, hunger, and AIDS issues. Geldof organised ten concerts on 2 July 2005 in large cities throughout the industrialised world. They featured musicians from different genres and locations around the world.  The cities where Live 8 concerts were played were in industrialised countries, and drew huge crowds. The locations were [[Hyde Park, London|London]], [[Palace of Versailles|Paris]], [[Berlin Victory Column|Berlin]], [[Circus Maximus|Rome]], [[Philadelphia Museum of Art|Philadelphia]], [[Molson Park|Barrie]], [[Makuhari Messe|Chiba]], [[Mary Fitzgerald Square|Johannesburg]], [[Red Square|Moscow]], [[Eden Project|Cornwall]] and [[Murrayfield Stadium|Edinburgh]].

The concerts were free, and were scheduled just days before world leaders gathered in [[Gleneagles Hotel|Gleneagles]], for the [[G8]] economic summit, on 6 July.<ref name="IrishmanAbroad">{{cite podcast |author-link=Jarlath Regan |author=Jarlath Regan|edition=200 |work=[[An Irishman Abroad]] |title=Bob Geldof |publisher=[[SoundCloud]] |date=13 July 2017 |url=https://soundcloud.com/an-irishman-abroad/sir-bob-geldof-episode-200 |access-date=24 August 2017}}</ref> Ure organised the 'final push' Live 8 concert at Edinburgh. 'The boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis,' Geldof said in a statement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.live8live.com/media/index.shtml |title=LIVE 8 – Media Centre |website=Live8live.com |date=29 July 2006 |access-date=10 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206031414/http://www.live8live.com/media/index.shtml |archive-date= 6 February 2010}}</ref> [[Pink Floyd]]'s performance in London was their first since 1981 to include original vocalist/bassist, [[Roger Waters]].

===Night for Ukraine benefit===
Geldof performed his rendition of [[Nick Lowe]]'s "[[(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding]]" at Night for Ukraine, a fundraising benefit held at the [[Roundhouse (venue)|Roundhouse]] in north [[London]] on the evening of March 9, 2022, with the funds raised being donated to the [[Disasters Emergency Committee]] appeal, to provide aid to people fleeing [[Ukraine]] following the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion]]. The event was organized by [[Fabien Riggall]] in collaboration with the Ukrainian pop duo [[Bloom Twins]].<ref>{{ cite news
| url = https://www.itv.com/news/london/2022-03-10/bob-geldof-shows-solidarity-with-ukraine-at-london-fundraising-event
| title = Bob Geldof shows solidarity with Ukraine in fundraising event at London's Roundhouse
| date = 10 March 2022
| access-date = 7 September 2022
| website = [[itv.com]]
}}</ref>