Phil Collins once pulled off an intercontinental Live Aid stunt. It wasn't without drama
The singer and drummer participated in the benefit concerts organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to draw attention to a famine in Ethiopia and raise money for relief efforts.
Collins didn't perform on just one stage, but two – on two different continents.
The Genesis front man initially took to the stage in London at Wembley Stadium, where he performed Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) and In the Air Tonight. He also played played drums for Branford Marsalis and Sting.
That would have been enough for most artists, but not Collins.
Instead, he hopped on a helicopter to Heathrow Airport in London, boarded The Concorde to New York City, then took another helicopter to Philadelphia, where he joined superstar Eric Clapton for his set and performed three songs with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
(The Concorde was a supersonic airliner that allowed passengers to cross the Atlantic in under three and a half hours. It made its first test flight in 1969 and was officially retired in 2003.)
Backstage after the London performance, Collins gave an interview in which he said he thought the first performance had 'gone very well, considering' and expressed his pride in participating.
'I'm very proud to be asked to do it because everybody's involved and it's just great to be a part of something like this,' he said. 'It's just too obvious to say it's for a good cause.'
Trouble across the pond
There was, however, some drama in regards to the second show, and how the multiple performances came about.
Collins explained that both Plant and Sting had separately asked him to participate in Live Aid, with a UK-based promoter suggesting he take The Concorde in order to play both shows.
But Collins explained to Classic Rock in 2021 that second show with Led Zeppelin was less than smooth, in part because he neglected to rehearse with the band beforehand, and also due to the bandmates' strained relationships.
'By the time I got there, me and Robert and Jimmy playing together had become The Second Coming Of Led Zeppelin – (bassist and keyboardist) John Paul Jones was there too. Jimmy says: 'We need to rehearse.' And I said: 'Can't we just go on stage and have a play?'' Collins recalled. 'So I didn't rehearse when I got there, but I listened to Stairway To Heaven on Concorde.'
He said the end result was messy, partially due to the fact that co-drummer Tony Thompson 'had rehearsed for a week, and I'm about to steal his thunder – the famous drummer's arrived! – and he kind of did what he wanted to do. Robert wasn't match-fit. And if I could have walked off, I would have done, cause I wasn't needed and I felt like a spare part.'
'Anyway, we came off, and we got interviewed by MTV. And Robert is a diamond, but when those guys get together a black cloud appears,' Collins continued. 'Then Page says: 'One drummer was halfway across the Atlantic and didn't know the stuff.' And I got pissed off. Maybe I didn't know it as well as he'd like me to have done, but… I became the flagship, and it looked like I was showing off.'
It ended up becoming a Led Zepplin reunion that Collins wrote about not wanting to be a part of in his 2016 autobiography, Not Dead Yet.
'I didn't come here to play with Led Zeppelin, I came here to play with a friend of mine who has morphed back into being the singer of Led Zeppelin – a very different animal to the one that invited me,' Collins wrote. 'Now I'm caught up in the ceaselessly toxic, dysfunctional web of Led Zeppelin interpersonal relationships.'
A surprise encounter
While his second performance perhaps did not go quite as Collins had hoped, Live Aid raised more than US$100 million for famine relief. His transatlantic flight also included a very famous fellow passenger.
'When I got on Concorde, Cher was on it,' Collins recalled in the CNN original series Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World.
Cher asked Collins what he was up to.
'There's a live gig in London today and in Philadelphia,' Collins said he told Cher. 'She said, 'Oh, could you get me on it?''
Hours later, Cher joined a star-studded group of artists on stage to close out Live Aid with a performance of We Are the World.
Mission accomplished.
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
11 minutes ago
- CTV News
As Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour draws to a close, Blue Ivy emerges as a star
Beyoncé, center left, and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, perform during halftime of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) 'Who they came to see?' Beyoncé asks as she performs her 2023 single 'My House' during the Cowboy Carter tour. For many, the answer has been Blue Ivy. Blue Ivy Carter, the Grammy-winning artist's 13-year-old daughter, is more present than ever on stage, and fans are impressed by the growth from her first performance years ago to now. Isabella Kerr, 15, has admired Beyoncé for years, but said she attended the Cowboy Carter tour specifically to experience Blue Ivy's moves in person. 'People are saying, 'Oh, she's a mini Beyoncé,' but no, I think she's the first Blue. Everything about her when she's on stage is electrifying,' said Kerr. The Cowboy Carter tour concludes Saturday in Las Vegas. The tour's 30 previous shows have had fans buzzing that Blue Ivy is well on her way to being a next generation powerhouse. Blue Ivy's stage presence grows on Cowboy Carter tour Blue first graced the stage at 11 years old during her mother's 2023 Renaissance tour, appearing during the legacy-celebrating anthems 'My Power' and 'Black Parade.' Supporters anticipated her performance at each stop. She performed again during 'Beyoncé Bowl,' the NFL Christmas Day Halftime Show that was just nominated for four Emmy Awards. She danced alongside the icon as she performed songs from the 'Cowboy Carter' album for the first time. 'Even the difference between the Renaissance Tour and now, you can tell she's really grown in her confidence,' said fan and artist Olivia Ellis. 'You can tell she has a different vibe about her.' On the Cowboy Carter tour, she can almost be mistaken for one of Beyoncé's professional dancers. She is on stage for nearly every song and has a solo recreating her mother's choreography from her 2006 'Déjà-vu' music video, a nod to the undeniable similarities between the two. An inherited professionalism Online videos of Blue display professionalism comparable to her mother's during the Cowboy Carter tour. During a rainy New Jersey stop, she brought out towels to dry her area of the stage before nailing her 'America Has a Problem' choreography. In another unexpected moment during a Chicago show, her earring got caught on Beyoncé's hair. Blue remained calm, removed the jewelry and motioned to the singer that it was safe in her hand as they both seamlessly continued. 'It's the family business,' said Kinitra D. Brooks, an academic and author of 'The Lemonade Reader,' a collection that explores the nuances of Beyoncé's 2016 visual album, 'Lemonade.' 'She is literally studying under the best person doing it out there today. Why wouldn't she take advantage of that opportunity?' Blue Ivy's fans dub themselves as the 'Ivy League' In 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,' fans were given a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process the first time Blue was allowed to perform. Beyoncé expressed how nervous she was about her child being in front of thousands of people made her, revealing she initially said no. 'I did not think it was an appropriate place for an 11-year-old on a stadium stage,' she said in the documentary. 'I made a deal with her, and I said, 'If you practice and you show your commitment, I'll let you do one show.'' Blue Ivy fulfilled her end of the deal, and a fan base was formed: the 'Ivy League.' Kerr says Blue's accomplishments inspire her to work harder to achieve her own dreams. 'She worked to be on stage, and look at her now. If I work to what I want to be, I can be killing it like her.' At last month's Cowboy Carter Paris stop, members of the Beyhive and Ivy League finally got what they had been asking for — Blue Ivy merchandise. Shirts with the teen's face and the phrase 'Déjà Blue' plastered on the front were available for purchase. Prior to that, fans were creating their own custom pieces that highlighted Blue and Beyoncé's connection. At the MetLife Stadium show, Ellis wore a custom corset top she painted, showcasing Blue Ivy and her 8-year-old sister, Rumi Carter, on stage with Beyoncé during 'Protector,' a track from the 'Cowboy Carter' album that Rumi is featured on. 'I thought that would just be a really fun moment to highlight on a corset,' she said. 'It's just really cool to see her as a mom because we've all grown up with Beyoncé, and now it's like her show is kind of like a family affair.' Mother-daughter duos resonate with Beyoncé and Blue Ivy's bond Blue Ivy's confidence and professionalism are not only a testament to her hard work, but Beyoncé's motherhood. Mother-daughter duos around the globe filled stadium seats, excited to watch Beyoncé and her daughter display their strong bond for the world to see. In many cases, the mothers have been Beyoncé fans for years and are excited for their daughters to grow up with Blue Ivy, a high-flyer for their generation. Tanazha Baylis took her now 11-year-old daughter, Aria Brown, to the Renaissance tour, where she did not miss a beat dancing along to Blue Ivy's 'My Power' choreography. Brown was so determined to attend the Cowboy Carter Tour that she started selling popular toys, such as slime and Squishmallows, and saving her money. 'She literally was like, 'Mom, I don't know what you're going to do, but I have to go to this concert,'' said Baylis. 'I just had to make it happen after that.' Brown became a Beyoncé fan after participating in a dance recital with a theme centered around the superstar's career throughout the years. Baylis, who says she has always been a big fan, is happy to share these experiences with her daughter. 'It just showed her a cool mom and daughter, and it's just something that she can do as well. Beyoncé is a little older but, with seeing Blue there, it made it tangible for her.' Although there is no solid answer for what the future holds for Blue Ivy, it is widely recognized that the possibilities are limitless. 'We couldn't imagine that Beyoncé would do all of these things that she could do. All we saw were people trying to put limitations on her,' said Brooks. 'I think one of the things that Beyoncé wants us to do and what she wants for Blue is for us to not put those limitations on Blue.' Sarah Jones-smith, The Associated Press
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
‘We're all about community and family': Third annual Island Fest hits downtown London
The sights and sounds of the Caribbean can be found in downtown London this weekend. The third annual Island Fest is underway at Covent Garden Market Rotary Square and Talbot Street. The event features vendors, food, and performers from as far away as Trinidad. There's also a Kiddie Corner. Cherie Leslie, marketing and social media director, says it gives people a chance to soak up Caribbean Culture in the heart of the city. 'In the Caribbean, we're all about community and family, so it's nice to bring the community and family to London here as well,' said Leslie. 'Many moons ago, we used to have these kind of festivals, then they kind of disappeared. So, we decided it was time to bring them back, and here we are, and every year they ask for when's it going to come back, and what we're expecting, so it's great to know that people actually want to see this and come out to support.' Island Fest is a free event, which runs through the weekend.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Alec Baldwin talks his love for ‘Peanuts' and the ‘immeasurable' effects of his trial
Alec Baldwin arrives for a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) SAN DIEGO — Alec Baldwin says the year since his trial suddenly ended with a dismissal has been far better than the few years that preceded it, and the affect that time has had on him has been 'immeasurable.' 'Something as powerful as that happens in your life, you don't know how much it changes you,' he said. 'I can't even tell you how different I am from three-and-a-half years ago. And what I want and what I don't want, and how I want to live my life and not live my life.' The 67-year-old actor spoke to The Associated Press at San Diego's Comic-Con International, where he was part of a panel on 75 years of Charles Schulz's 'Peanuts,' whose simplicity, existential philosophy and moral outlook have been very much on his mind. Baldwin spoke while a suited Snoopy character stood nearby after posing for photos with him. In a foreword Baldwin wrote for 'The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978,' he said while reading Schulz's newspaper comic strip every day as a child, he realized Charlie Brown, more than anyone, wanted the things he wanted. Chief among those wants are 'the desire to have friends and the desire to hold your friends close to you.' That hasn't changed in the years since. 'Come on, what man my age doesn't relate to Charlie Brown? If Charlie Brown was 67 years old, he'd be me, but he wouldn't have been stupid enough to have seven (small) children,' he said with a laugh. But he aspires to the qualities of a different character. 'Lucy. I want to be Lucy. Lucy is in charge. She's got it all figured out,' he said. 'She pauses for a moment of self-awareness, but not too long.' Baldwin said he admired Schulz's simple line drawings combined with the real circumstances of the characters, embodied by real children's voices when the animated holiday specials emerged in his childhood. 'It's so complicated and simple at the same time, which is what I think makes it beautiful,' he said. And he admired Schulz's willingness to embrace melancholy, and deeper darknesses, in stories about inner struggle that needed no villains. 'A dog sitting on top of a dog house would have the same impact on you as, like, Nietzsche, he said,' looking across the room at Snoopy. 'They should have named the dog Nietzsche.' Baldwin's career has had several distinct phases. Early on he played tough husbands and boyfriends in supporting roles including 'Married to the Mob' and 'Working Girl.' He moved on to heroic leading man in 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Shadow.' Downshifting to memorable character parts, he showed his gift for manly speeches in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'The Departed,' and his comedy prowess in seven seasons of '30 Rock' and as a constant host and guest on 'Saturday Night Live.' In July 2024 his trial in New Mexico on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western 'Rust' fell apart halfway through. A judge dismissed the case on allegations authorities withheld evidence. 'I can't believe that happened on that day the way it happened,' he said. 'And it couldn't have been better for us in certain terms because of the malice and so forth and everything that's embodied in that whole situation.' The next phase is uncertain. He says he's 'just trying to move forward with my wife and my family.' He and wife Hilaria and their seven small kids recently appeared on the TLC reality series 'The Baldwins.' He says he has successfully sold his young ones on 'Peanuts,' especially the Halloween and Christmas specials, as he did with his now nearly 30-year-old daughter Ireland when she was young. He notices their personalities zig-zagging between the traits of Schulz's characters. 'They're Charlie Brown, now they're Snoopy, now they're Schroeder, now they're Linus, now they're Pig-Pen,' he said. 'They're Pig-Pen most of the time, I must say.' And their house is full of themed toys. He keeps a small Snoopy figure among the things in his office, a reminder to try to maintain 'love, kindness, patience.' 'Peanuts are still kind of like, in that zone,' he said. 'Let's just try to be good people.' Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
