Irish born singer-songwriter, author and businessmen who, after finding fame as lead singer with the Boomtown Rats in the late 70s and early 80s, created the biggest charity concert the world has ever seen.
Rock musician, songwriter, and political activist, Sir Bob Geldof is the rare combination of musical talent and a successful businessman. His passionate delivery of messages of social and economic justice, spread through music concerts and global gatherings, have touched tens of millions around the world.
As a founding member of the Boomtown Rats, his hits included 'Rat Track' and 'I Don't Like Mondays'. He played Pink in Pink Floyd's 1982 film 'Pink Floyd the Wall'.
In the mid 1980s a story on Ethiopian famine moved him to co-write 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'. He convinced top UK musicians, including Phil Collins, Duran Duran, Bono, George Michael and Culture Club, to contribute their talents to record the song as a fund-raiser. The resulting 1984 Christmas song by Band Aid, and accompanying music video, became global best-sellers and the main anti-poverty rock anthem.
Geldof again turned to his fellow musicians in 1985, enlisting their help for the inaugural "Live Aid" concert. Playing simultaneously to audiences in London and Philadelphia, the concerts were seen by 1.5 billion people and raised over $100 million for famine relief.
In 1986, Geldof married Paula Yates in Las Vegas after ten years together. They had three daughters - Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches and Pixie. The couple divorced in 1996.
He has continued with his fund-raising ever since 'Live Aid', even being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Geldof was also awarded a honourary knighthood for his charity work by the Queen in 1986. Although he is not officially a Sir due to his Irish nationality, the name 'Sir Bob' has stuck.
In January 2004, Bob Geldof travelled to Ethiopia and found that more people were at risk of starvation than in 1985, with the result being Commission for Africa. Tony Blair, who was PM at the time, was prompted by Geldof to discuss the problems in Africa with 16 commissioners, many of whom were from Africa and in positions of power.
But Bob Geldof still felt that not enough had been done to combat the problems and announced the 'Live 8' project on 31 March 2005. Along with Midge Ure, Geldof organised six concerts on 2 June 2005, featuring musicians of the time, to raise awareness of Africa's plight.
Bob Geldof is a member of the Africa Progress Panel, launched in April 2007 with the aim of focusing world leader's attentions on the continent, and of ONE campaign, which was founded by Bono. He is very active for this charity, which promotes debt-relief, third-world trade and Aids relief.