Bob Geldof of “The Boomtown Rats” and Midge Ure co-wrote the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” The song was released in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The song became—and is still considered—one of the best-selling singles of all time.
It was on this day, July 13th, in 1985 that Geldof and Ure’s Live Aid Concert raised over $250 million for charity. The concert was held worldwide in order to raise awareness and funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.
Called the “global jukebox,” the concert was held simultaneously at the Wembley Stadium in London and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. The initiative also inspired similar concerts in other countries like Australia and Germany. The two sponsored concerts in the UK and US attracted 172,000 live attendees. Another estimated 1.9 billion viewers watched the live television broadcast in over 150 nations.