Bob Geldof Biography

Fast Facts

• Earned his first Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2006
• Honored with the Beacon Fellowship Prize in 2005 for his various charity contributions
• Co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas?" alongside Midge Ure in order to raise funds for various relief efforts taking place in Ethiopia at the time
• A longtime panel member of the Africa Progress Panel
• Earned his first job in the music industry writing for Georgia Straight based out of Vancouver in the early '70s
• After performing with the Boomtown Rats for over a decade, he would leave the group in 1986 to embark on a solo tour
• After writing for several years in Canada, he would return to his native Ireland to form the Boomtown Rats in 1975
• Known for his brash and unapologetic interview style
• Worked several odd jobs as a boy, including a road navvy, a pea canner and a slaughterhouse attendant