Biography
Who is Bob Geldof?
Early life in Ireland
Bob Geldof was born in Dún Laoghaire in County Dublin, Ireland. He grew up alongside his sisters, Cleo and Lynn, as the son of Robert Geldof and Evelyn Weller. His father worked as a traveler while his mother served as a head cashier at a local cinema. Tragically, his mother passed away from a cerebral haemorrhage when he was only eight years old.
Rise with the Boomtown Rats
Bob Geldof returned to Ireland in 1975 and joined the rock group the Boomtown Rats as their lead singer. The band quickly became closely linked with the punk and new wave music movements of the era. In 1978, the group achieved their first number one single in the United Kingdom with the track Rat Trap, which made history as the first new wave chart-topper in the country.
Activism and charity work
Beyond his music career, Bob Geldof became globally well-known for his extensive political activism and humanitarian efforts, particularly concerning poverty relief in Africa. In 1984, after watching a news report about the famine in Ethiopia, he joined forces with Midge Ure to organize the charity supergroup Band Aid. Together, they co-wrote the best-selling festive single Do They Know It's Christmas? To raise emergency funds.
Solo music and writing
After leaving the Boomtown Rats in 1986, Bob Geldof launched his career as a solo musical artist and published his autobiography, titled Is That It?, which became a best-seller in the United Kingdom. His early solo records spawned well-known hit singles such as This Is The World Calling, which was co-written with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, and The Great Song of Indifference.
Birthday and age
Bob Geldof was born on October 5, 1951, which makes Bob 75 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Bob shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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