Stars of Band Aide Reunite to Fight Ebola

By James Hirsen

The original Band Aid was a charity-induced supergroup founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. Geldof was the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Ure was the frontman of Ultravox. The celebrity musicians joined forces for a noble cause, and that was to raise money to fight hunger in Ethiopia. The release of the song "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" was the primary vehicle used to generate financial contributions.

Recently, prompted by a reported telephone call from the UN requesting monetary assistance in the fight against Ebola, Geldof gathered together an impressive group of stars for a reboot of the original Band Aid, which he is calling Band Aid 30. Celebrity participants include Bono, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Chris Martin, One Direction, Emeli Sande, Rita Ora, and Ed Sheeran and a new version of the initial Band Aid charity single has been recorded.

The lyrics to the original "Do They Know It's Christmas?" were revised for the Ebola fighting cause. Words in the song now make reference to the way in which the deadly disease can be transmitted from infected loved ones. A new line, "Where a kiss of love can kill you and there's death in every tear," takes the place of the former lyric, "Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears." Some are wondering whether the new version of Band Aid will turn out to be like the original, falling short of its loftier goals. Time will tell, but doing something beats the alternative. [more...]