Bob Geldof

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Bob Geldof
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So who is Bob?

• Geldof was born Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof in
  Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, in the Republic of
  Ireland, to parents of Catholic nationalist ethos
  he disliked. After work as a slaughterman, road
  navvy and pea canner, he started as a music
  journalist in Vancouver, British Columbia,
  Canada, for the weekly publication Georgia
  Straight.

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

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Live 8

• On 31 March 2005, Geldof announced the Live 8
  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 Elton John, U2,
  Coldplay, The Who, Madonna, and Paul McCartney
  in Paris, with Andrea Bocelli, Muse and Youssou
  N'Dour in Rome, with Duran Duran and Faith Hill
  in Berlin, with Brian Wilson, Green Day,
  Audioslave, and Crosby Stills Nash The rock
  band Pink Floyd also performed together in
  London, in its classic lineup, for the first time
  since 1981.

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• The concerts were free, and were scheduled just
  days before world leaders gathered in Scotland
  for the G8 economic summit, on 6 July. 'The boys
  and girls with guitars will finally get to turn
  the world on its axis,' Geldof said in a
  statement.