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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'80s Rock Icon Bono Cringes at Career-Defining Live Aid Moment: 'I Can't Look Back'
'80s Rock Icon Bono Cringes at Career-Defining Live Aid Moment: 'I Can't Look Back' originally appeared on Parade. U2 frontman Bono, born Paul Hewson, is proving that even rockers can have bad hair days. Twenty-five years after performing at Live Aid, Bono still finds it hard to look back on footage from the historic day—and he blames it on his hair. In the new documentary Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World, which debuts on CNN on July 13 and premiered on the BBC on July 6, the iconic rocker and philanthropist reveals that reflecting on the legendary concert means confronting his regrettable the documentary, Bono said, 'I can't look back at this moment with two eyes because it was such a bad hair day … honestly, one of the most famous moments of your life and your activism, you've got a mullet.' Live Aid, which took place 40 years ago today on July 13, 1985, was broadcast to 150 nations, with over 2 billion viewers watching worldwide. The show—featuring Freddie Mercury's iconic performance of 'Radio Ga Ga' with Queen and a spicy duet from Tina Turner and Mick Jagger—was held simultaneously at London's Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium.U2's Live Aid performance helped propel the band to international stardom. The group's image as Irish rebels was only amplified by Bono's '80s mullet, which was seen at the time as a symbol of rebellion. Now, at 65, the rocker begs to differ. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 '80s Rock Icon Bono Cringes at Career-Defining Live Aid Moment: 'I Can't Look Back' first appeared on Parade on Jul 13, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Live Aid turns 40: Full 1985 concert now streaming online
Four decades after the globe-spanning benefit concert reshaped humanitarian fundraising, fans can now revisit Live Aid in its entirety. The complete 1985 broadcast — featuring unforgettable performances by Queen, U2, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Madonna — is now streaming for free on YouTube and the Internet Archive. The effort was preceded by the star-studded charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?,' recorded under the name Band Aid and featuring Bono, George Michael, Duran Duran, Sting, and many others. The initiative even inspired the stage musical 'Just for One Day,' currently playing in London's West End. Live Aid took shape in a matter of weeks after Geldof saw a harrowing BBC news report about the famine. On July 13, 1985, nearly 2 billion viewers around the world tuned in as the concerts unfolded simultaneously at Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium, a staggering logistical feat driven by a singular urgency. 'Naivety is a wonderful thing,' Ure told the Chronicle earlier this year. 'It emboldens you. Nothing's impossible when you're in your 20s. It enables you to think beyond the realms of possibility. I think if we tried to do it today, it would fall flat on its face.' In Philadelphia, legendary Bay Area concert promoter Bill Graham oversaw the U.S. production — arguably the crowning achievement of his career. 'The most awesome change I always see in life is what happens to you when you make it, who you become,' Graham said in a 1985 interview with the Chronicle. To mark the 40th anniversary, CNN is streaming a four-part docuseries, 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took Over the World.' The series blends rare archival footage with new interviews from key figures including Bono, Sting and Geldof. A BBC companion series, 'Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World,' takes a similarly expansive and, at times, critical view, highlighting the contradictions and compromises behind the scenes. 'Queen were completely, utterly brilliant,' Geldof told the New York Times last week. 'But the telephone lines collapsed after David Bowie performed.' Both documentaries do not shy away from Live Aid's moral ambiguities. Each examines how money was distributed, the motivations of its celebrity participants and the blurry boundary between activism and performance. Yet the day remains unparalleled in cultural memory — a moment when rock music, however flawed, dared to take on the world. It also reminds us how much has changed. '(Elon) Musk said that the great weakness of Western civilization is empathy,' Geldof said. 'You fool. Empathy is the glue of humanity. It is the basis of civilization.'
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
U2's Bono Regrets One Thing About His 1985 Live Aid Charity Concert
Last Updated: In the Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World documentary, U2's Bono was seen taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting one of the biggest moments in his career. Paul David Hewson, popularly known as Bono, is one of the most iconic names in rock music. Alongside Bob Geldof, Sting, Patti LaBelle, and others Bono was one of the organisers of Live Aid, the largest global music event in history benefiting famine relief in Ethiopia. Bono, with his band U2, performed at the event that raised billions of dollars for the cause. In the Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World documentary, U2's Bono was seen taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting one of the biggest moments in his career. Being one of the organisers of Live Aid, which took place in 1985, Bono performed in front of billions of people, and 40 years later the rockstar still regrets his bad hair day. Reflecting on the historic day, Bono shared in the documentary how his hairstyle ruined the biggest day of his career. 'I can't look back at this moment with two eyes because it was such a bad hair day… Honestly, one of the most famous moments of your life and your activism, you have got a mullet," the 65-year-old rock star revealed in the documentary. The Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World documentary premiered on BBC on July 6 and debuted on CNN a week later on July 13, exactly 40 years after the historic Live Aid event took place at London's Wembley Stadium as well as Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium on July 13, 1985. An estimated 1.9 billion people, nearly 40% of the global population at that time, watched the concert organised by influential artists from the music industry as well as politicians. 40 years ago, Bono performed a quick set with his band U2 alongside a group rendition of Do They Know It's Christmas? With Wham's George Michael, Queen's Freddie Mercury, and The Beatles' Paul McCartney, among others. The logline of the documentary states, 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took on the World tells the definitive story of how two rockstars inspired the largest global music events in history." The four-part documentary features interviews with the organisers, including Bono, Sting, Bob Geldof, Patti LaBelle, Lionel Richie, and Phil Collins, alongside global leaders like George W. Bush, Tony Blair, President Obasanjo, and Condoleezza Rice. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
