English Audio Request

Edited transcript:
Not long ago Bob Geldof was just a rock musician. His group, The Boomtown Rats, was not doing well, but then he assembled forty rock stars to record a song to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time” immediately became the fastest – selling single in British pop history and raised 8 million pounds. Two very successful Live Aid concerts were organized soon after this and raised another 50 million pounds. In fact, by the end of 1985 people everywhere were pressing money into Geldof’s hands and he was hailed as a saint by some newspapers. In 1986 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
During 1985, this 6ft-3in-tall, thin singer did much to make famine in Africa a cause which no government, or civilized man or woman, could ignore. The Live Aid concerts have in turn been followed by similar events, including Fashion Aid in London and Sport Aid in many towns all over the world.

Geldof has persistently refused to take a salary from the organization he has created. He admits that he is “flat broke”, but says simply: “I’ve told everyone that every penny goes to Africa, so it’s matter of trust.” His message has remained the same everywhere: “We’ve kept millions alive, now we must give them a life – and that needs money.”