Famous Lost Words

It’s a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Live Aid! Live Aid was grand in scope and ambition. It was largely the brainchild of an unlikely hero, Bob Geldof, the Irish singer who fronted The Boomtown Rats, and who had helped assemble the all-star cast of Band Aid. Watched by 1.5 billion people, Live Aid eventually raised $127 US million for famine relief in Africa. But beyond that, Live Aid was also a cultural touchstone that showed the power of pop music and the determination of millions of people to make a difference in the world.   Hours before the event took place, Christopher Ward had a chat with organizer Bob Geldof, who, in his intense way, told of the importance of Live Aid.  He disputes the cultural significance in favour of the pragmatic view of delivering much needed aid to African famine relief.  It’s an extraordinary interview with a man who is firing on all cylinders, almost to the breaking point.    And of course, we also talk about the music, including: