Latest news with #EthiopianFamine
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Brian May: 40th anniversary of Live Aid ‘bittersweet' without Freddie Mercury
Sir Brian May has said the 40th anniversary of Live Aid is 'bittersweet' without the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The British rock band, known for songs including We Will Rock You and Bohemian Rhapsody, were among a star-studded line-up of musicians who performed at the two-venue benefit concert on July 13 1985, which raised funds for the Ethiopian famine. Advertisement Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of a special gala performance of Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical, the 77-year-old Queen guitarist said: 'We don't have Freddie anymore, but in a sense, he's still with us, because every day we refer to him and think about him, you wonder what he would be thinking. Sir Brian May at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, on the 40th anniversary of Live Aid (Ian West/PA) 'This is special. Of course, it was very much Freddie's day. He shone, he just became interstellar at that moment. 'Yes, it is bittersweet, but mainly sweet because this is good vibes in a world which seems to be going off into a terrible place and becoming more and more selfish and more corrupt, more cruel. 'This is important to emphasise, this wonderful endeavour to feed the world. Advertisement 'You know, it's still there. Still needs doing.' The flamboyant and charismatic frontman of Queen, who was lauded for his impressive vocal range, died at the age of 45 in 1991 after suffering with bronchial pneumonia resulting from Aids. The band's Live Aid set at Wembley Stadium, which is remembered as one of their most memorable performances, was recreated in the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic of Mercury's life.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Veteran broadcaster Michael Buerk slams 'white saviour' criticism of Live Aid: 'If you're dying of starvation, you're not really that concerned about the colour of the person saving you'
Michael Buerk hit out at 'white saviour' criticism of the Live Aid concerts yesterday, branding the controversy 'obscene'. The veteran broadcaster – whose heart-rending reports on the Ethiopian famine in 1984 led to musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organising the event – rejected accusations that the West was being 'paternalistic'. It came as the global charity fundraiser marked its 40th anniversary yesterday. The BBC presenter told Radio 4's Broadcasting House current affairs programme: 'If you were one of the women picking through donkey dung trying to find undigested seeds or one of the children whose eyes were rotting through vitamin deficiency, if you were a guy... have you seen somebody dying from starvation? The body eats itself from inside. 'If you're one of those people... you're not really that concerned about whether your saviour is white or black and I think The Guardian thinks we're being paternalistic. 'It's rather obscene that people should go around talking about white saviours. Any saviour in that context is very welcome indeed.' The veteran broadcaster – whose heart-rending reports on the Ethiopian famine in 1984 led to musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organising the event – rejected accusations that the West was being 'paternalistic' The 79-year-old, who now presents Radio 4's Moral Maze, added he thought the wave of compassion generated by his reports, on the then BBC Ten O'Clock News, was no longer possible to achieve today. 'There were ten million audiences for the main evening news and fewer distractions. People weren't on their phones all the time. 'I think we live in a more selfish, more cynical and more stupid world.' Buerk admitted he had misgivings when he 'first heard what Geldof was up to'. 'I thought what are these prancing stars, for goodness' sake? But now I take the opposite view about Geldof and what happened then.' Live Aid, which was seen by about 1.5billion people in more than 150 countries, helped in raising around £150 million for famine relief. But since then some have questioned the symbolism of white people in the West coming to the rescue of a helpless and impoverished Africa. Mail photographer Murray Sanders' incredible unseen photographs of Live Aid are featured in a new book, Live Aid Relived. Order a copy at
