Bob Geldof

Geldof formed the Boomtown Rats in 1975, a band that enjoyed moderate success in the U.K.. In the fall of 1984, he put together a charity single, "Do They Know It's Christmas" which featured many British pop stars performing under the name Band Aid; it became the best-selling single in U.K. history. He was instrumental in planning a massive charity concert, Live Aid, held July 13, 1985, raising millions for the African poor. Geldof was nominated for a Nobel Prize and knighted, and his autobiography Is That All? became a U.K. best-seller. In 1986, the Rats split and Geldof launched a solo career, again with greater success in England than in the U.S. ~ William Ruhlmann