Band Aid (band) facts for kids

Band Aid was a special music group from Britain and Ireland. It was created in 1984 by two musicians, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. Their main goal was to raise money to help people suffering from a terrible famine (when there isn't enough food) in a country called Ethiopia.

To do this, they recorded a famous song called "Do They Know It's Christmas?" This song became a huge hit and was the number one song on the music charts during Christmas. Because it was so successful, the song was recorded two more times by different groups of artists, and both of those versions also reached number one on the charts, raising even more money for charity.

What is Band Aid?

Band Aid is known as a "charity music supergroup." This means it was a group of many famous singers and musicians who came together for a short time. They used their talents to make music and raise money for a good cause, rather than for their own profit.

Why was Band Aid started?

In the early 1980s, there was a severe famine in Ethiopia, a country in Africa. Many people were starving and needed urgent help. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure saw the news and felt they had to do something. They decided to gather famous musicians to record a song. All the money from the song would go to help the people in Ethiopia.

The Song: "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

The song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was written specifically for the Band Aid project. It asked people to think about those who were suffering and to help. Many popular artists of the time, like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, George Michael, and U2, sang on the track. The song was released in December 1984, just before Christmas. It quickly became a massive success, selling millions of copies and raising a lot of money very quickly.

Later Versions of Band Aid

The idea of Band Aid was so powerful that the song was re-recorded a few times to help with other charity efforts:

• Band Aid II recorded a new version of the song in 1989. This group also featured many popular artists of that time.
• Band Aid 20 released their version in 2004. This recording marked 20 years since the original song and continued to raise money for various causes in Africa.

The success of Band Aid showed how music can bring people together to make a big difference in the world.

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