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Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bob Geoldof praises Paula Yates for key role in Live Aid
Bob Geldof has praised his late ex-wife Paula Yates for being instrumental in Live Aid. The Boomtown Rats frontman assembled a host of famous performers at the time for 1984's Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?, which then led to the huge global concert series the following summer, but he admitted he wouldn't have been able to bring the line-up together without the help of his then-partner, who was co-host of music show The Tube. Speaking in upcoming documentary Live Aid At 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On The World, Bob said: 'All I had the power to do was write tunes. But the Boomtown Rats were not guaranteed to have hits any more. All these new guys had come along with beautiful suits and coiffed hair. 'And I understood this new thing because my wife had befriended all these people on the show that she was host of, The Tube. 'So I called Paula and I asked who was on the show that night and she said, 'Ultravox'. I said, 'Put Midge Ure on' and he just said, 'What do you want to do?'.' And even setting up an initiative to ease Ethiopian famine was the brainchild of Paula when she and Bob were watching an infamous news report on the situation with their daughter Fifi, who was two at the time. Bob, now 73, said: "My partner Paula couldn't stand watching it, she didn't want our child to watch it. She clearly associated what she was seeing with our child. She just grabbed her and went upstairs, but I stayed, transfixed. 'I came down the next morning and there was a green bowl on the table in the kitchen, and Paula had put a note in there saying, 'Anyone who comes to this house must put a pound or five pounds into this bowl'. I thought, 'That's not adequate'.' Several of the musicians who took part in Band Aid praised Paula' - who died in 2000 aged 41 - for her calming presence during recording. U2's Bono said: 'There was a lot of male egos in the room, not enough women.' Gary Kemp noted: 'Paula Yates was really the lovely glue, carrying her child around, Fifi, and their dog, Growler. They're a great family.' And Midge added: 'Everybody knew Paula, we all knew Bob through Paula. 'She was funny and witty and highly intelligent, and she kept everyone entertained, walking around chatting to them.' Live Aid At 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On The World airs on BBC Two next week.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Why Paula Yates was the secret force behind Live Aid and why Bob Geldof's phone call with a pop star helped raise £74m
The glowing praise for Paula is in stark contrast to the dark clouds that overshadowed her life in later years MAKING LIVE AID Why Paula Yates was the secret force behind Live Aid and why Bob Geldof's phone call with a pop star helped raise £74m Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE world will always remember 1985's Live Aid as the global fundraiser organised by Bob Geldof. But the truth was, he could not have pulled off the mega rock concert without his then-girlfriend, Paula Yates. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 9 Paula Yates was the secret force behind Live Aid 9 Paula and Bob Geldof began a romantic relationship in 1976 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Four decades on from the historic event, a new documentary reveals how the Boomtown Rats frontman tapped into his glamorous partner's music-industry contacts as he put together the incredible line-up. In Live Aid At 40, which airs next week, Sir Bob says it was really Paula who brought together the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet to boost the appeal, which ended up raising about £150million for the starving in Ethiopia. She had access to big-name celebs through Channel 4's Eighties music show, The Tube, which she hosted with Jools Holland. My wife had befriended all these new guys with beautiful suits and hair. I asked who was on her show and she put Midge Ure on the phone Bob On the BBC Two programme Bob, who married Paula in 1986, recalls: 'All I had the power to do was write tunes. But the Boomtown Rats were not guaranteed to have hits any more. All these new guys had come along with beautiful suits and coiffed hair. 'And I understood this new thing because my wife had befriended all these people on the show that she was host of, The Tube. 'So I called Paula and I asked who was on the show that night and she said, 'Ultravox'. I said, 'Put Midge Ure on' and he just said, 'What do you want to do?'.' That was the moment which led to the cream of British music coming together on November 25, 1984, to record Band Aid's Do they Know It's Christmas?, which then led to Live Aid on July 13, 1985. 'Lot of male egos' The global event saw Madonna, U2, David Bowie, Elton John and Queen, among others, perform at simultaneous concerts at Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. They were broadcast worldwide in a bid to encourage donations to combat the Ethiopian famine. But fundraising to help victims was actually an idea dreamt up by Paula — who was just 25 — in the family home she shared with Bob, then 33, and their two-year-old daughter Fifi. Critics of Bob Geldof are WRONG - Band Aid saved my life and thousands more He can still vividly recall the moment they watched the evening news and witnessed Michael Buerk's now-famous 1984 news report on the humanitarian crisis. She couldn't stand watching the Ethiopia news. She put a bowl on the table with a note saying put £1 or £5 in here. I thought: That's not adequate Bob In the three-part documentary, Sir Bob says: 'My partner Paula couldn't stand watching it, she didn't want our child to watch it. She clearly associated what she was seeing with our child. She just grabbed her and went upstairs, but I stayed, transfixed. 'I came down the next morning and there was a green bowl on the table in the kitchen, and Paula had put a note in there saying, 'Anyone who comes to this house must put a pound or five pounds into this bowl'. I thought, 'That's not adequate'.' This saw Bob team up with Midge to write Do They Know It's Christmas?, with a little help from pals such as Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, who Bob pressured to sign up. 9 Paula hosted The Tube with Jools Holland Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 Paula and Bob join Prince Charles and Princess Diana to watch 1985 mega concert at Wembley Credit: Alamy In the documentary, Gary recalls: 'He came running in — his presence is huge, he takes over — and he said this report was from Ethiopia where the famine is huge and out of control and it broke my heart, and it broke Paula's heart.' Paula was also credited with holding things together when the Band Aid track was recorded — a day which could easily have been derailed by rivalries among the mostly male line-up of rock and pop superstars. As U2's Bono says in the programme: 'There was a lot of male egos in the room, not enough women.' Bringing together so many huge artists from the day — some of whom had sniped at one another in the past — could have ended with fighting and stars storming out. Gary says: 'Paula Yates was really the lovely glue, carrying her child around, Fifi, and their dog, Growler. They're a great family.' Midge adds: 'Everybody knew Paula, we all knew Bob through Paula. 'She was funny and witty and highly intelligent, and she kept everyone entertained, walking around chatting to them.' The glowing praise for the TV host is in stark contrast to the dark clouds that overshadowed her life in later years, when her marriage to Sir Bob imploded. After a decade together, they had wed in Las Vegas, with Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran as best man. They went on to have two more children — Peaches in 1989 and Pixie in 1990. But in 1995, Paula interviewed Michael Hutchence on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast and started a wild, drug-fuelled affair with the INXS frontman. 9 The jubilant Live Aid crowd Credit: Getty 9 Co-organiser Midge Ure performs on the day Credit: Getty 9 Bob at launch of Just For One Day - The Live Aid Musical, in May Credit: Getty That finished her marriage to Bob and led to her having a child, Tiger Lily, with the singer in 1996. Then, in 1997, he took his own life in a Sydney hotel room aged 37. Three years later, Paula died aged 41 of a heroin overdose at her home in Notting Hill, London. 'Wonderful spirit' Tragically Peaches, her daughter with Sir Bob, died the same way, aged 25, in 2014. But with the passing of time, the new BBC documentary provides a clearer look back at the day the world was changed by the unlikely force of rock and pop music. Do They Know It's Christmas? was a huge success, shooting straight to No1 and staying there for five weeks, which saw it sell three million copies in the UK alone. Bob laughs as he recalls convincing Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government to effectively wave the VAT on sales. 'BOB THOUGHT QUEEN WERE ROCK DINOSAURS' QUEEN'S mesmerising set at Live Aid was one of the concert's most memorable performances – but it almost never happened. Bob Geldof did not rate Freddie Mercury and Co and had to be convinced to add them to the bill because he simply 'didn't want them'. Drummer Roger Taylor explained: 'Bob came from the post-punk explosion, so he had pretensions of being a bit punk, so he must have thought we were dinosaurs.' However, after 'packing a few bangers in our set', Queen managed to somehow crank up the volume at Wembley to unparalleled levels. Their epic contribution, which included the songs Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga and We Are the Champions, soon changed Bob's tune. Forty years on years on, he says: 'I just thought it was over-blown operatic, you know 'we use the studio as an instrument', oh f*** off. 'Subsequently, of course, we all have to admit that we thought the songs were great. 'So with age, we're allowed to admit it.' Then another huge boost came when musicians across the Atlantic decided to record their own fundraiser for Africa in the form of We Are The World on January 28, 1985. The track was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and the supergroup called themselves USA For Africa. In the documentary, Bob recalls receiving a surprise phone call from a man who was instrumental in the US project. He says: 'The phone rings and it's just, 'Is that Bob Geldof?'. It's this husky, gravelly voice that's very slow and I go, 'Yep, who's that?'. And he says, 'It's Harry Belafonte . . . and here's Michael'. 'He goes, 'Hi Bob!' and, like, Paula's sitting on the sofa and I'm saying to her, 'It's Michael Jackson!'. And she gets up and sort of runs around excitedly. Anyway, he says, 'Will you come out and help us?'.' Bob flew to LA, where he effectively gave a pep talk to stars including Michael and Lionel, plus Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner. As a result of these huge names, the single sold a staggering 20million copies. More importantly, it forged a trans-Atlantic drive to do more. That led to the launch of Live Aid in London and the US, which was also joined by performances around the world. It soon became apparent just what a success it had been. Interviewed on the night, the ever-positive Paula was asked if she had doubted Bob could pull off the feat. 'No, I never did,' she replied. 'Right from when he first decided, I thought that it would work. 'When they did the record, there was such a wonderful spirit around it. People did want to do it for free. So I thought the concert would happen.' Live Aid At 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On The World is on BBC Two at 9pm on July 6. 9 David Bowie at Live Aid Credit: Getty 9 The historic event birthed Band Aid's Do they Know It's Christmas? Credit: Alamy
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Why Paula Yates was the secret force behind Live Aid and why Bob Geldof's phone call with a pop star helped raise £74m
THE world will always remember 1985's Live Aid as the global fundraiser organised by Bob Geldof. But the truth was, he could not have pulled off the mega rock concert without his then-girlfriend, 9 Paula Yates was the secret force behind Live Aid 9 Paula and Bob Geldof began a romantic relationship in 1976 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Four decades on from the historic event, a new documentary reveals how In Live Aid At 40, which airs next week, Sir Bob says it was really Paula who brought together the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet to boost the appeal, which ended up raising about £150million for the starving in Ethiopia. She had access to big-name celebs through Channel 4's Eighties music show, The Tube, which she hosted with My wife had befriended all these new guys with beautiful suits and hair. I asked who was on her show and she put Midge Ure on the phone Bob On the BBC Two programme Bob, who married Paula in 1986, recalls: 'All I had the power to do was write tunes. But the Boomtown Rats were not guaranteed to have hits any more. All these new guys had come along with beautiful suits and coiffed hair. READ MORE ON MUSIC 'And I understood this new thing because my wife had befriended all these people on the show that she was host of, The Tube. 'So I called Paula and I asked who was on the show that night and she said, 'Ultravox'. I said, 'Put Midge Ure on' and he just said, 'What do you want to do?'.' That was the moment which led to the cream of British music coming together on November 25, 1984, to record Band Aid's Do they Know It's Christmas?, which then led to Live Aid on July 13, 1985. 'Lot of male egos' The global event saw Madonna, U2, David Bowie, Most read in Music They were broadcast worldwide in a bid to encourage donations to combat the Ethiopian famine. But fundraising to help victims was actually an idea dreamt up by Paula — who was just 25 — in the family home she shared with Bob, then 33, and their two-year-old daughter Fifi. Critics of Bob Geldof are WRONG - Band Aid saved my life and thousands more He can still vividly recall the moment they watched the evening news and witnessed Michael Buerk's now-famous 1984 news report on the humanitarian crisis. She couldn't stand watching the Ethiopia news. She put a bowl on the table with a note saying put £1 or £5 in here. I thought: That's not adequate Bob In the three-part documentary, Sir Bob says: 'My partner Paula couldn't stand watching it, she didn't want our child to watch it. She clearly associated what she was seeing with our child. She just grabbed her and went upstairs, but I stayed, transfixed. 'I came down the next morning and there was a green bowl on the table in the kitchen, and Paula had put a note in there saying, 'Anyone who comes to this house must put a pound or five pounds into this bowl'. I thought, 'That's not adequate'.' This saw Bob team up with Midge to write Do They Know It's Christmas?, with a little help from pals such as Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, who Bob pressured to sign up. 9 Paula hosted The Tube with Jools Holland Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 Paula and Bob join Prince Charles and Princess Diana to watch 1985 mega concert at Wembley Credit: Alamy In the documentary, Gary recalls: 'He came running in — his presence is huge, he takes over — and he said this report was from Ethiopia where the famine is huge and out of control and it broke my heart, and it broke Paula's heart.' Paula was also credited with holding things together when the Band Aid track was recorded — a day which could easily have been derailed by rivalries among the mostly male line-up of rock and pop superstars. As U2's Bono says in the programme: 'There was a lot of male egos in the room, not enough women.' Bringing together so many huge artists from the day — some of whom had sniped at one another in the past — could have ended with fighting and stars storming out. Gary says: 'Paula Yates was really the lovely glue, carrying her child around, Fifi, and their dog, Growler. They're a great family.' Midge adds: 'Everybody knew Paula, we all knew Bob through Paula. 'She was funny and witty and highly intelligent, and she kept everyone entertained, walking around chatting to them.' The glowing praise for the TV host is in stark contrast to the dark clouds that overshadowed her life in later years, when her marriage to Sir Bob imploded. After a decade together, they had wed in Las Vegas, with Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran as best man. They went on to have two more children — Peaches in 1989 and Pixie in 1990. But in 1995, Paula interviewed 9 The jubilant Live Aid crowd Credit: Getty 9 Co-organiser Midge Ure performs on the day Credit: Getty 9 Bob at launch of Just For One Day - The Live Aid Musical, in May Credit: Getty That finished her marriage to Bob and led to her having a child, Tiger Lily, with the singer in 1996. Then, in 1997, he took his own life in a Sydney hotel room aged 37. Three years later, Paula died aged 41 of a heroin overdose at her home in Notting Hill, London. 'Wonderful spirit' Tragically Peaches, her daughter with Sir Bob, died the same way, aged 25, in 2014. But with the passing of time, the new BBC documentary provides a clearer look back at the day the world was changed by the unlikely force of rock and pop music. Do They Know It's Christmas? was a huge success, shooting straight to No1 and staying there for five weeks, which saw it sell three million copies in the UK alone. Bob laughs as he recalls convincing Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government to effectively wave the VAT on sales. 'BOB THOUGHT QUEEN WERE ROCK DINOSAURS' QUEEN'S mesmerising set at Live Aid was one of the concert's most memorable performances – but it almost never happened. Bob Geldof did not rate Freddie Mercury and Co and had to be convinced to add them to the bill because he simply 'didn't want them'. Drummer Roger Taylor explained: 'Bob came from the post-punk explosion, so he had pretensions of being a bit punk, so he must have thought we were dinosaurs.' However, after 'packing a few bangers in our set', Queen managed to somehow crank up the volume at Wembley to unparalleled levels. Their epic contribution, which included the songs Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga and We Are the Champions, soon changed Bob's tune. Forty years on years on, he says: 'I just thought it was over-blown operatic, you know 'we use the studio as an instrument', oh f*** off. 'Subsequently, of course, we all have to admit that we thought the songs were great. 'So with age, we're allowed to admit it.' Then another huge boost came when musicians across the Atlantic decided to record their own fundraiser for Africa in the form of We Are The World on January 28, 1985. The track was written by In the documentary, Bob recalls receiving a surprise phone call from a man who was instrumental in the US project. He says: 'The phone rings and it's just, 'Is that Bob Geldof?'. It's this husky, gravelly voice that's very slow and I go, 'Yep, who's that?'. And he says, 'It's Harry Belafonte . . . and here's Michael'. 'He goes, 'Hi Bob!' and, like, Paula's sitting on the sofa and I'm saying to her, 'It's Michael Jackson!'. And she gets up and sort of runs around excitedly. Anyway, he says, 'Will you come out and help us?'.' Bob flew to LA, where he effectively gave a pep talk to stars including Michael and Lionel, plus Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner. As a result of these huge names, the single sold a staggering 20million copies. More importantly, it forged a trans-Atlantic drive to do more. That led to the launch of Live Aid in London and the US, which was also joined by performances around the world. It soon became apparent just what a success it had been. Interviewed on the night, the ever-positive Paula was asked if she had doubted Bob could pull off the feat. 'No, I never did,' she replied. 'Right from when he first decided, I thought that it would work. 'When they did the record, there was such a wonderful spirit around it. People did want to do it for free. So I thought the concert would happen.' Live Aid At 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On The World is on BBC Two at 9pm on July 6. 9 David Bowie at Live Aid Credit: Getty 9 The historic event birthed Band Aid's Do they Know It's Christmas? Credit: Alamy 'DIDN'T DO HOMEWORK ON THEIR TITLE SONG' BAND AID's festive track Do They Know It's Christmas? raised more than £8million for Ethiopia within a year of its release. But it was not a hit with everyone. Despite its huge financial success – and the fact it featured an impressive collection of artists brought together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure – some Ethiopians were offended by it. Two leading government figures admitted the song – which came after Michael Buerk highlighted the plight of starving Ethiopians in a 1984 news report – left them a bit miffed due to inaccuracies in its lyrics. Dawit Giorgis, former Minister for Aid for Ethiopia, told the documentary: 'We didn't like the title, Do They Know It's Christmas? It's the wrong title because they just didn't do their homework. 'Ethiopians are the oldest Christians in the world, so that offended us a little bit.' His deputy, Berhane Deressa, was equally bemused, questioning why the song referenced the country's perceived lack of water with the lyric, 'the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears'. He said: 'The country is that poor there is no rain? 'It supplies its neighbours with rivers that go into the Nile. Writing things like that isn't going to be right.'
Daily Mirror
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
GMB's Susanna Reid issues show update as she's flooded with support
Susanna Reid took to social media to share a big announcement about Good Morning Britain, prompting fans to share their support Susanna Reid has sparked a wave of support from Good Morning Britain viewers with an exciting update about the programme. The well-known presenter shared a significant milestone for the ITV morning show, where she regularly appears with Ed Balls and Richard Madeley. Taking to social media, Susanna revealed that GMB had reached its highest viewing figures of the year, noting this was their best performance since last year's election coverage. It comes on the back of the announcement that ITV is shaking up its daytime scheduling and the show will be on air for an extra 30 minutes daily. Riding high on this news, Susanna posted: "RATINGS! Good Morning Britain had its HIGHEST figures this year, peaking at almost 1 MILLION of you watching. Our highest ratings since last year's election special," complemented by a picture of her and co-host Ed. Underlining her gratitude, Susanna expressed: "Thanks to a great team and YOU the viewers!" Fans quickly took to the internet to express their congratulations and praise for both Susanna and the GMB team, reports the Manchester Evening News. One admirer shared: "Absolutely well done congratulations GMB brilliant team," while another added to the chorus of approval: "Top show, rarely miss it.. you know it's good when it winds up all the right people." A faithful viewer praised Susanna, remarking: "You have played a massive role in this @susannareid100! A journalist and tv presenter at the top of her game." Echoing the sentiment, another fan stated: "Well done Susanna. Always great broadcast with Susanna," and another message read: "You deserve it! Watching from France every morning since day one." Susanna's update comes after she had to clap back at a troll on X, after she rigorously questioned Robert Jenrick during a heated interview on GMB. Robert became a topic of intense social media discussion following a viral video where he confronted TFL commuters about fare evasion, with one man implying he was carrying a blade. Susanna zeroed in on this worrying incident involving a knife-wielding commuter while interviewing Richard and pressed him on his reaction to such a disturbing incident. Following her tough interview, a social media user tried to belittle Susanna by questioning her knowledge of public transport on X, asking, "When was the last time you got The Tube, Susanna? You, literally, have no clue what it's like." To which Susanna coolly replied with a succinct comeback: "I am currently on the tube." Her fans supported her sharp retort, with comments like: "Brilliant Susanna," and another fan cheering, "Love a good take down."
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Unmissable shows at Gilded Balloon's 40th Fringe
Continuing on from my last column, I'm delighted to give you another rundown of some of the unmissable shows taking place at Gilded Balloon's 40th Anniversary Fringe. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... First up, 30 years after their last appearance at the Gilded Balloon, we have the return of the Oblivion Boys and Gayle Tuesday. Steve Frost and Mark Arden were an '80s double act who performed in The Young Ones, Blackadder and were the boys who caused havoc in Channel 4's The Tube. You may also recognise them from their hilarious Carling Black Label ads, in my opinion some of the funniest TV ads from the 80s! I can't wait to see them treading the boards once more. QI panellist, comedian and Jonathan Creek star Alan Davies, is back with his new show, Think Ahead Another familiar face making a welcome return is QI panellist, comedian and Jonathan Creek star Alan Davies, back with his new show, Think Ahead. After making his first fresh-faced appearance at the Gilded Balloon in 1994, he's back after a 10-year break with his new show. Also, impressionists Ronni Ancona and Hal Cruttenden will join forces for their parody podcast, In Pieces, where they seek help from celebrity guests dealing with performance chitters. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Comedian and actress Rosie O'Donnell, 11-time Tony and Emmy award winner and American talk show host, is making her Edinburgh Fringe debut after recently relocating to Ireland. Her new show, Here & Now, reflects on her life and extraordinary career, with Rosie's signature blend of heart, humour and honesty, this is a rare chance to see one of America's biggest TV stars in a Fringe setting. We also have another star returning in Aunt Hilda herself, Canadian-born comedian Caroline Rhea of Sabrina the Teenage witch and Pineas and Ferb fame. Caroline is a close friend and very much one of the Gilded Balloon family. She's a class act and loves Scotland – so much that she popped over for a Scottish tour last year. She has been working as a stand-up comedian for over 35 years and has some very funny showbiz stories to tell. There's a hub of Scottish stories in our 40th programme, including the incredible acting of Gail Watson in Ian Pattison's Faye's Red Lines. It received rave reviews from its run at Oran Mor earlier this year. Gail appeared in last year's Chemo Savvy and is part of BBC TV's River City, and we're so excited to have her with us as the star of this incredible piece of writing. Mary, A Gig theatre show uses original music and spoken word in this feminist retelling of Mary Queen of Scots' iconic story. F Bomb Theatre also return with a new autobiographical show telling a heartfelt, hopeful and immersive story about the turbulent journey of experiencing pregnancy loss as a young queer person. And there is so much more – head to our website and come and see some incredible entertainment at the Gilded Balloon this year.
