Live Aid Benefit Concert

1985 Live Aid

Live Aid was a benefit concert held on July 13th, 1985. The purpose was to provide funds to aid Ethiopian famine. 

Live Aid was held simultaneously at two venues. London's Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Organized by Bob Geldof, this was a huge event, literally the world was watching. Via MTV and satellite link ups. an estimated 2 billion people watched, in an estimated 150 countries.

Live Aid was a smashing success, and raised more money than Geldof and the other organizers could of imagined. A total of over 283 million dollars was earned.

Huge rock acts were booked to appear, and most did, however some were no shows.

Billy Joel, Boy George, Waylon Jennings, Paul Simon and Huey Lewis and the News, were all included on the promotional poster, but failed to show.

Michael Jackson did not make an appearance, nor did Bruce Springsteen , who was hugely popular at the time, on the heels of 'Born In the Usa'.

Every other huge act in 1980's, and before was there. The Who, Queen, Madonna, U2, Sting, Dire Straits, and others.

Led Zeppelin played a reunion set, but Jimmy Page was unhappy with the sound he got out of his guitar, so the performance was removed on subsequent replays.

Madonna was famously quoted as saying 'Im not taking shit off today', as Live Aid took place soon after her nude pictures were leaked on Playboy and Penthouse.