It’s been 40 years since some of the biggest popstars of the 1980s gathered in London to record Do They Know it’s Christmas as part of the widely popular group, Band Aid.
The efforts of the supergroup Band Aid to raise money for people suffering in the horrific Ethiopian famine did help, with many millions of dollars raised over the years. Sadly, some of those there that day have since been plagued by tragedy in their own lives.
Sir Bob Geldof
The lead singer of the Boomtown Rats came up with the idea for Band Aid after seeing devastating TV coverage of the famine and co-wrote Do They Know it’s Christmas with Midge Ure of Ultravox. In many ways, life has been good for the Irishman, who made millions thanks to TV production companies he founded.
But Bob, 73, has also endured devastating heartbreak. His wife, TV presenter Paula Yates, left him for INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. After Michael died by suicide in 1997 and Paula overdosed on heroin three years later, Bob adopted their daughter Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, 28. His beloved daughter Peaches died, aged 25, from a heroin overdose, just like her mother. Bob has said his grief is “bottomless”.
Phil Collins
The Genesis drummer played the drums on Do They Know it’s Christmas. While his career went from strength to strength as a solo artist, Phil, 73, has battled alcoholism and suffered major health problems. In 2007, he dislocated vertebrae in his neck while drumming on tour, and surgery to fix the problem instead led him to losing the feeling in his fingers. He could only hold drumsticks if they were taped to his hands. After falling in a hotel bathroom and hitting his head in 2017, he was left with mobility issues. The same year, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
George Michael
The Wham! singer had a hugely successful solo career, but for many years hid the fact he was gay. He was unable to grieve publicly when his partner Anselmo Feleppa died of Aids complications in 1993.
His sexuality was revealed when he was arrested in 1998 for engaging in lewd behaviour in a public toilet. He struggled with substance abuse for many years and was arrested for driving under the influence of cannabis after he crashed his car into a shop.
After a bout of pneumonia, he ended up in a coma, then later sustained a head injury in another car accident. Known for his philanthropy, George died on Christmas Day 2016 from heart failure and a fatty liver. He was 53.
Paul Young
The Every Time You Go Away singer’s career tailed off in the ’90s and he was dropped from his recording contract. In 2006, he split up from his wife Stacey after she had an affair with businessman Ilan Slazenger. At the time, Paul lost much of his fortune in a disastrous property deal.
Stacey and Ilan had a son, Jude. But in 2009, she and Paul reconciled, and Paul helped to raise Jude, 12. Stacey died of brain cancer in 2018, aged 52. Earlier this year, Paul married Lorna Young, 53, but Jude and Paul’s three children with Stacey weren’t at the wedding.
Not in tune
A new version of Do They Know it’s Christmas was re-released for the 40th anniversary, but is causing controversy.
The song has been remixed, adding vocals from versions recorded by famous popstars in 2004 and 2014. But not everyone who can be heard on the 2024 song is happy about it.
Ed Sheeran, who recorded vocals for Band Aid 30 in 2014, says he wasn’t asked permission for his voice to be used and if he had, he’d have said no. His issue is with the original lyrics that are seen as condescending towards Africa and its people. The version he recorded focused on the Ebola crisis and included updated lyrics.
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