b. Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof, 5 October 1951, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Eire. Geldof initially entered the music scene as a journalist on Canada's premier underground rock journal Georgia Straight. Further experience with the New Musical Express and Melody Maker sharpened his prose and upon returning to Dublin, he formed the band Nightlife Thugs, which subsequently evolved into the Boomtown Rats, one of the first acts to emerge during the punk/new wave explosion of 1976/77.
After a series of hits, including two UK number 1 singles, the band fell from favour, but Geldof was about to emerge unexpectedly as one of the most well known pop personalities of his era. He had always had an acerbic wit and provided excellent interviews with an energy and enthusiasm that matched any of his articulate rivals. After starring in the film of Pink Floyd's The Wall, he turned his attention to the dreadful famine that was plaguing Ethiopia in 1984. Shocked by the horrific pictures that he saw on television, Geldof organized the celebrated Band Aid aggregation for the charity record which he co-wrote with Midge Ure, "Do They Know It's Christmas?' The single sold in excess of three million copies and thanks to Geldof's foresight in gaining financial control of every aspect of the record's production, manufacture and distribution, famine relief received over 96 pence of the £1.35 retail price. The record inspired 1985"s mammoth Live Aid extravaganza in which Geldof herded together rock's elite to play before a worldwide television audience of over 1,000,000,000.
Geldof continued to help with the administration of Band Aid, which effectively put his singing career on hold for a couple of years. After receiving a knighthood in June 1986 and publishing his autobiography, he recorded the solo album, Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere, which spawned the minor hit "This Is The World Calling'. Unfortunately, Geldof's celebrity status seemed to have worked against him in the fashion-conscious pop world, a fact that he freely admitted. His second album, 1990"s The Vegetarians Of Love, was recorded in a mere five days and proved a hit with critics and fans alike. Complete with folk and Cajun flavourings and an irreverent stab at apathy in the hit single "The Great Song Of Indifference", the album brought some hope that Geldof might be able to continue his recording career, despite the perennial publicity that associates his name almost exclusively with Live Aid.
A further album was poorly received, and the singer's attention began to be diverted by other interests. By now he had established himself as a highly astute businessman with his co-ownership of the television production house Planet 24, which began life as Planet Pictures back in the mid-80s. The company broke into the big time by launching the pioneering early morning television series The Big Breakfast in 1992. Geldof was once again in the headlines in late 1994, although this time not by his choosing. His marriage to television presenter/writer Paula Yates had seemingly broken up following her affair with Michael Hutchence of INXS. Throughout the whole tawdry media exposure Geldof remained calm and kept his dignity.
In the late 90s, Geldof moved into new media, founding the online travel agency site deckchair.com and the mobile portal WapWorld. He also held a major share in the online music retailer clickmusic.com, prior to its financial problems. Geldof returned to the music scene in September 2001 with his first new recording in over eight years. A raw and brutally frank album dealing in unflinching detail with the recent emotional upheavals of Geldof's personal life, Sex, Age & Death was in marked contrast to his previous studio set, the relatively upbeat The Happy Club.
It is, however, for both Live Aid and the 2005 "follow-up" Live 8 that Sir Bob Geldof is rightly applauded. He has carried off both events with a winning formula of enthusiasm and bullish passion. Articulate and highly motivated, nobody has done more for world causes from within the world of popular music than he has. Whatever his limitations as a musician Geldolf is unquestionably one of the all-time "great" figures, in an industry often tainted as shallow and irresponsible.
