Bob Geldof

Bob Geldof (b. Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof, 5 October 1951, Co. Dublin) is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and political activist.

He first became famous as lead singer and frontman of the post-punk group Boomtown Rats who had 11 Top 30 singles (including two no.1s) and four top 20 albums in the UK. Geldof also played the lead role of Pink in the move adaptation of Pink Floyd's The Wall album, in 1982.

In late 1984 he started the Band Aid fund-raising project with Midge Ure, after seeing a BBC News report on famine in Ethiopia. The million selling record would also lead to the Live Aid concert event on 13 July 1985. Geldof also recorded and released four solo albums between 1986 and 2010.

In June 1986 he married long standing girlfriend Paula Yates, with whom he had three children. The couple divorced in May 1996 and Yates died from a drug and alcohol overdose in 2000. Geldof married again to French actress Jeanne Marine, his partner of 18 years, on 28 April 2015.

Geldof is well known for his outspoken nature and often controversial views on international politics and economics. He has however received many awards for his fund-raising work, including being invested by Queen Elizabeth II as an honorary knight (of the Order of the British Empire) in 1986.