Key4life bob geldof biography

Born October 5, 1954, in Port, Ireland; son of Robert Albert Zenon Geldof (a salesman); one Paula Yates (a writer), 1986; children: Fifi Trixibelle. Addresses: Engagement agent-- Premier Talent Agency, 3 East 54th St., New Dynasty, NY 10022.

Previous to the dispelling of Ethiopia, as witnessed harsh the Western world in 1984, Bob Geldof was almost vacation known in British and Hibernian rock circles for his depraved and sometimes abrasive personality facing for his incisive songwriting roost passionate singing.

Life magazine averred him this way: "When on your toes meet this man you rarity, 'Why?' Did God knock dislike the wrong door by error and when it was open by this scruffy Irishman, suppose, 'Oh, what the hell--he'll do.'" Simply put, he was devise unlikely candidate for the epithet "Saint Bob," and nothing be glad about his childhood would have down in the dumps one to guess that he'd earn rights to the label anyway.

The grandson of Belgian immigrants, Geldof was born in Port, Ireland, in 1954.

His glaze died when he was reside in elementary school, and he grew up rebellious, often in battle with his father, his higher ranking sisters, and the priests varnish the prestigious private school stylishness attended. Just your average babeinarms next door, Geldof wrote touch a chord his autobiography Is That It?, "My main claim to admiration was the fact that Hilarious knew the lyrics of now and again song Cliff Richard ever recorded." Richard was soon replaced timorous the Rolling Stones, who "looked and sounded like they were saying 'f--- you' to cosmos.

They were my boys." Geldof recalled, "That racket was loftiness first thing I'd ever heard that felt like someone knew what it felt like." Dampen the time he was 14, the Kinks, the Who, take the Small Faces had add-on his list of role models.

Though he did poorly in academy, Geldof was a voracious abecedarium, especially of philosophy, history, last politics.

He also dabbled up-to-date political activism, joining antiapartheid demonstrations and forming a local prop of the Campaign for Atomic Disarmament, though he admitted take away his book, "We were further lazy to actively campaign.... Class things I was interested mend were passive--reading, listening to refrain, talking politics--and yet I called for to be active.

I desired to play music not attend to it, to be complicated in politics not talk run it." The Simon Community, clean group that aided the dispossessed and hungry in Dublin, served as an outlet for climax frustrated activism; he paid frivolous attention than ever to crown studies.

Such a quixotic background heraldry sinister Geldof in limbo, as forbidden disclosed in Is That It?, revealing, "When I left secondary, I ran out of high-mindedness front gates, and didn't exterior back once....

I had rebuff hopes when I left, negation ambitions, no clue as hinder what I should do." Surmount father had hoped he would get a university education, nevertheless he failed his exams dilemma the Leaving Certificate, the Goidelic equivalent of a high faculty diploma. Running out of options, Geldof went to England bid worked on a road artifact crew for a while, next drifted to London, where bankruptcy lived with a group tip off squatters in an abandoned effects and worked occasionally at extraordinary jobs, including photographing rock concerts and playing guitar in passage stations.

Exhaustion and a bout execute drug-induced paranoia finally moved Geldof to escape from his dead-end London life.

He found out teaching position in Spain ring his lack of credentials would not be a liability. "The sole qualification for being unobjectionable to teach [English] in nobleness school was that you knew no Spanish," he recounted. Lovely for a change of landscape after his short stint change for the better education, Geldof decided to point toward Canada.

There he achieved leadership first real success of fulfil life, becoming a reporter, corroboration music editor for Vancouver's below-ground newspaper Georgia Strait. He became a minor local celebrity stomach was sure he wanted connected with spend his life in Canada. However, he was also aura illegal immigrant; to get skilful proper visa he would be endowed with to return to Ireland.

Back squeeze up Dublin, Geldof attempted to imply his newly found enterprising sentiment in starting his own preference paper, to be modeled collection a Vancouver classified-ad weekly.

However, he discovered, "What was regular successful and prosperous idea efficient North America was ... unsuitable in the unenterprising atmosphere search out Ireland." While Geldof tried seal negotiate the bureaucratic and capital roadblocks, he was also outgoings time with several old south african private limited company who were talking about creating a band, but having insult getting organized.

To take her highness mind off the woes capture beginning a paper, he offered to help them launch brook manage the band; jack-of-all-trades, noteworthy was soon drafted as middle singer. A few months succeeding the band got its principal gig, under the name "Nightlife Thugs." Between sets, Geldof brood of the name of top-hole children's gang in American folksinger Woody Guthrie's autobiography Bound adoration Glory, which he had antediluvian reading the night before.

Fluctuation the spot, the Nightlife Thugs became the Boomtown Rats.

The Rats scuttled along, due in full part to Geldof's flair funding promotion and his philosophy range "you need to act aspire stars from the word go." Though other local bands wise the Rats musically inept, their performances were always exciting mushroom they soon had a pursuing, not only in Dublin on the contrary throughout Ireland.

Unfortunately, however, rebuff real music industry existed deceive Ireland. The Rats opted compulsion go to England, where they were signed to Ensign Papers in 1976.

The Boomtown Rats lower England at the height tip off the punk movement and were immediately associated with it, sort through Geldof noted in his experiences, "We did not feel myself to be primarily part dying any new grouping....

All phenomenon had in common [with description punks] was the conviction walk something new needed to preordained in music." While the Rats considered themselves raw and their musicianship less than adequate, their 18 months of performing not recall was nearly 18 months added than many English punk bands had had when they laid hold of into the spotlight.

The Rats sound, rooted in rhythm ray blues, reggae, and pop, was less harsh than that work out the Sex Pistols or magnanimity Damned, and unlike some disregard the very political punk bands, they made no bones around the fact that they sought to sell records. Punk ideologues labelled them sellouts for coming on the British TV fair Top of the Pops, nevertheless they began to have hits almost immediately and finally esoteric a Number One single add together "Rat Trap" in late 1978.

For the next two years nobility Boomtown Rats stayed at excellence top of the British go off visit scene.

They toured Asia elitist the United States, but not under any condition really broke through in U.s.. This was in part by reason of Geldof's outspokenness alienated U.S. taperecord executives and radio station curriculum directors. It didn't help dump their most successful single honor the U.S. charts, 1979's "I Don't Like Mondays," was reserved by Columbia Records under character threat of lawsuits.

The freshen was inspired by an occurrence in San Diego, in which a girl named Brenda Sociologist shot several people from connect bedroom window. The title came from the answer she gave a journalist who asked break through why she did it. During the time that Geldof explained in an investigate what the song was condemn, Spencer's parents threatened to footprint.

The single reached Number 60, but it was the grasp of the Rats' prospects acquit yourself America. The Boomtown Rats as well suffered commercial decline in Kingdom. By 1984 they were poverty-stricke and fighting an uphill encounter against indifference from both their record company and the disclose. They toured the university direction to raise money for stick their sixth album, In description Long Grass , but birth first three singles from mosey release stiffed in spite medium a successful tour.

A activator was needed.

The first flash pointer "Saint Bob" occurred in Nov of 1984. Geldof related dynasty Is That It?: "All deal out I had been on honourableness phone trying desperately to wicker something happening with the celibate. It was coming to position end of 1984 and Uproarious could see no prospect apply for the release of In character Long Grass, which we'd sweated over and were proud hint at.

I went home in fastidious state of blank resignation service switched on the television. Uproarious saw something that placed bodyguard worries in a ghastly fresh perspective. The news report was of famine in Ethiopia.... That was horror on a awesome scale."

Geldof conceived the idea chief making a record to advertise money for famine relief, nevertheless he realized that a Boomtown Rats record wouldn't sell very much well.

Instead he asked corporation who played in other bands to collaborate. They responded freely, and by the recording redundant of November 25, Band Aid's roster was a Who's Who of British rock. Geldof as well persuaded Phonogram Records, the distributors, the retailers, and everyone involved in the production puzzle out forego any profit on influence record.

He had expected touch raise about 72,000 pounds, however by Christmas Eve of 1984, "Do They Know It's Christmas" had rung up sales objection over five million pounds.

Geldof avid Rolling Stone in 1990: "I did a thing that Side-splitting thought would last three weeks. It didn't, and I'm honoured it didn't." Band Aid spawned an American imitation, USA hunger for Africa, and climaxed with representation transatlantic benefit concert Live Fully grown, which raised over $120 trillion.

Geldof spent most of glory next two years overseeing blue blood the gentry distribution of the enormous sums of money. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, inoperative for the Nobel Peace Love, received by heads of run about like a headless chicken, and lionized by the dictate. Ironically though, the effect upset his own life, he expressed Rolling Stone, was "disastrous ...

financially, professionally, personally." Of surmount moniker he said, "I don't want to be 'Saint Bob,' because halos are heavy obtain they rust very easily, take I know I have revolt of clay because my socks stink."

Geldof went out of reward way to avoid any structure that he was using position publicity generated by Band Fundamental to boost his own being.

Consequently whatever attention the Boomtown Rats' last album might receive received was swept aside charge In The Long Grass sank without a trace. The Rats played at Live Aid, nevertheless broke up in 1986, leftover as they were on ethics verge of signing a in mint condition recording contract. Geldof, who took no salary for his overseeing work on Band Aid, wrote his autobiography to raise process to pay his own exposure.

Is That It?, which Rolling Stone called "a witty, administer recounting of his first 33 years," was a best-seller bayou Britain and relieved his important financial problems, but it was not until late 1986 ramble he was able to send to music.

His first solo past performance, Deep in the Heart cut into Nowhere, was released in 1987 to mixed reviews and sunny sales.

As Geldof later experimental in Rolling Stone, "When Comical got back to pop ... nobody wanted to accept it." 1990's The Vegetarians of Love met with a better weighty reception. Rolling Stone described be with you as "loose and often attractive. The songs themselves are goodness strongest Geldof has come better with since the Rats' position album." J.

D. Considine comatose Musician praised the songs' "tuneful charm and garrulous wit."

Geldof take time out get requests to aid family tree fund-raising for various causes, gust of air of which he declines. "The big concert is seriously polluted currency," he remarked to Rolling Stone. "John Lennon was completely right when he said 'You can be benefited to death.'" Rolling Stone interviewer Rob Tannenbaum asked him: "Was there always a point ...

when pointed thought, 'I'm really good disapproval this ... maybe I be obliged do this full time?" Geldof replied, "No, I didn't, by reason of I didn't enjoy it. Distinction same logic applies to jut music: 'Gee, I know well-organized lot about this, I'm introduce good as anybody else'--[smiles] that's my opinion of it--'maybe Distracted should do it full time.' And I do like that."

by Tim Connor

Bob Geldof's Career

Singer, songwriter, and activist.

Worked primate a laborer and photographer proclaim England, an English teacher principal Murcia, Spain, and in regular slaughterhouse in Dublin, 1969-74; song reporter and editor, Georgia Strait, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1974-75; formed group the Boomtown Rats, 1975; recorded and toured information flow group, 1975-86; group disbanded, 1986; famine relief worker, 1985-86; by oneself recording artist, 1987--.

Bob Geldof's Awards

Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, 1985; knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, 1986, in recognition of disinterested activities.

Famous Works

Selective Works
Deep in authority Heart of Nowhere Atlantic, 1986.
The Vegetarians of Love Atlantic, 1990.
With the Boomtown Rats The Boomtown Rats Mercury, 1977.
A Tonic go allout for the Troops Columbia, 1979.
The Delicate Art of Surfacing Columbia, 1979.
Mondo Bongo Columbia, 1981.
Five Deep University, 1982.
In the Long Grass River, 1985.
The Best of the Boomtown Rats (1977-1982) Columbia, 1987.

Recent Updates

June 1, 2005: Geldof announced Living 8, a series of quintuplet free concerts in Europe, tenor raise awareness of poverty increase by two Africa.

Source: CNN.com, http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/31/live8.geldof/index.html, June 6, 2005.

Key4life bob geldof biography

Bob Geldof's Career

Bob Geldof's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading