Do They Know It’s Christmas?

…Geldof wrote the track “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” with his writing partner Midge Ure, front man of the band Ultravox. Geldof then recruited some of the biggest names in the British pop scene—Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Boy George, and others—to…

…wrote the lyrics for “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Ure crafted the melody of the song, and Geldof recruited some of the biggest names in the British new wave scene to contribute vocals. The single, recorded in November 1984 and marketed under the name Band Aid, sold over three…

…famine relief in Ethiopia, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (1984). In the summer of 1985, he performed a stirring duet with Elton John, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” at the Live Aid benefit concert for famine relief. Also that year, Michael won the prestigious Ivor Novello…