logo
80s pop icon looks unrecognisable as he's pictured at Wembley stadium - but can you guess who it is?

80s pop icon looks unrecognisable as he's pictured at Wembley stadium - but can you guess who it is?

Daily Mail​02-05-2025

An 80s pop icon looked unrecognisable as he headed back to Wembley Stadium for Live Aid: The Musical's cast recording on Thursday, 40 years after the iconic concert.
The musician was a key organiser of the original two-venue benefit, held on July 13 1985, which intended to raise relief funds for the Ethiopian famine that claimed approximately 300,000 to 1.2 million lives.
Almost 40 years after 72,000 fans converged on the venue for an epic string of performances from some of the biggest stars of the decade, this singer posed for photos on its hallowed turf.
Hailing from the outskirts of Greater Glasgow, the musician journeyed around several groups in the 70s and early 80s but found real success as the second lead singer of a revived band in 1979.
They had a major hit with Vienna in 1981, which went on to become the fifth highest selling single in the UK that year.
He juggled his key roles in three big bands, before co-writing and producing Do They Know It's Christmas for Band Aid in 1984 and bagging a solo number one single with If I Was a year later.
Can you guess who the new wave icon is?
It is none other than Ultravox, Thin Lizzy and Visage star Midge Ure.
Echoing that legendary summer's day in 1985, the sun beat down on Wembley as he and fellow Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof recalled fond memories of the fundraising event.
Launched at London's Old Vic in 2024, jukebox musical Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical details the events leading up to the two concerts, while featuring a series of fictionalised dramatic sub-plots.
Following a recent two month run at Toronto's Mirvish Theatre, it will open at London's Shaftesbury Theatre from May 15 for a further eight weeks, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
Watched by an estimated 1.9billion people across the world, the two concerts raised an astonishing £150m in total for famine relief.
Just seven-months after the release of Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?, Geldof and Ure brought together some of the biggest artists of the 1980s for two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium.
David Bowie, Sir Paul McCartney, Status Quo, Sir Elton John and Queen led a lengthy roster of performers in London, while Black Sabbath, Joan Baez, Run D.M.C and The Beach Boys joined a host of stars in Philadelphia.
Ahead of the anniversary, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer have announced plans to broadcast Live Aid at 40, revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 concert that brought the idea of charity to a new generation.
Geldof (pictured, left) wore a Breton shirt and jeans for his visit to the stadium, while Ure (right) sported a thick roll-neck sweater, despite the weather pushing thirty degrees
The event proved the pinnacle of Midge's lofty career, which kicked off with a 1976 number one single, Forever And Ever, while playing in the band Slik.
He then had a brief stint in new wave group Rich Kids before forming Visage in 1978 with Rusty Egan and lead vocalist Steve Strange.
The band enjoyed a string of hits, including Fade To Grey, and successful albums Visage and The Anvil before tensions caused them to go their separate ways.
He then joined Thin Lizzy in 1979 before regrouping Ultravox later that year as its singer, songwriter and guitarist.
As Vienna topped the charts in 1981, Midge was also juggling his roles in Visage and Thin Lizzy.
They went on to land four top 10 albums and a top three single in Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, before their greatest hits record was released and certified triple platinum.
Once he focussed on his solo career, Midge had a number one single with If I Was in 1985 and a number two album in the same year with The Gift.
After overseeing Live 8 in 2005, Midge was awarded an OBE.
He married his first wife, TV presenter Annabel Giles, in 1985 and they had one daughter Molly Lorenne before divorcing in 1989.
In 2003, he tied the knot with his second wife, actress Sheridan Forbes. The duo live in Bath and have three daughters.
Last year, Midge paid tribute to his friend and Ultravox bandmate Chris Cross: 'We worked together, we played together, made music and directed videos together.
'We were instant friends as well as Ultravox comrades. Even after years apart we managed to pick up where we left off like the years in between never existed. You were the glue that held the band together.
'You were the logic in the madness and the madness in our lives. It was great to know and grow with you. You are loved and missed old friend.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This 100-year-old Bed-Stuy building is now home to a chic oyster bar
This 100-year-old Bed-Stuy building is now home to a chic oyster bar

Time Out

timea day ago

  • Time Out

This 100-year-old Bed-Stuy building is now home to a chic oyster bar

Bed-Stuy's latest wine bar hopes to introduce a space where the wine is accessible, the vibe is French and the oysters are freshly shucked on the half shell. A combination of the French words sel (salt) and lune (moon), Selune opened its doors on June 17, taking space in a 100-year-old brownstone. The wine and oyster bar is a labor of love from couple Marc Lioussanne and Bilen Gaga, who lean on their shared passions to bring it to life. Owner of Bistro Général & Mabel in Paris and previous beverage director of Eden Rock in St. Barths, Lioussane brings the hospitality angle, while Gaga's hand touches the interior, with an eye that is shaped by her fashion background and her Ethiopian roots. Salvaged from the previous tenant, a long, hand-stained walnut bar runs the length of the 50-seat wine bar, illuminated with globe lights. Across it, you can find two-seater tables and chairs plus a singular booth that's pushed up against the exposed brick walls painted white. Among a palette of tan leather, brushed gold and deep green accents, including live greenery, a single portrait hangs on the wall. Found near the rear of the restaurant, the painting depicts a scene of African women preparing a shared meal, nodding to Gaga's Ethiopian heritage. Naturally, wine is on order and there is plenty of it thanks to Lioussanne. Curating a selection over 120 bottles deep, the natural wine list is heavy on the regions of France with stops in Italy, New Zealand and Spain. They seem to be making good on their claim for accessibility as glasses can be had for $8-14 and bottles start as low as $27. There's also a list of cocktails for the partaking, including the miso-based Sunset Martini with rice vinegar syrup and the Ti Carib, an island-y number with coconut, allspice, juice and rum. Even the zero-proof varieties hold interest such as the Daisy with chia seeds, apple juice and a smoked lime as does the cherry tomato water-based Ruby Red, complimented with vanilla syrup and black peppercorn. Rounding it all out, the list includes a range of sakes plus beers sourced from Catskill Brewery. No matter what you drink, it can all easily be paired with Selune's French bistro fare and selections of the sea. Oysters are one of the main draws here, plucked from the eastern coasts of Cape Cod and Nova Scotia to Washington's Hood Canal. All can be dressed your way with a fleet of mignonettes for the choosing: ponzu scallion, shallot wine vinegar and lemongrass. If you'd rather your food come from land, you can build your own charcuterie board, starting with cured Jambon De Paris and Duck Foie Gras before selecting a few artisanal cheeses for the nibbling. Each board comes with a baguette and a swipe of butter to eat it all up.

Howard Jones announces second gig in Dublin in November
Howard Jones announces second gig in Dublin in November

BreakingNews.ie

time3 days ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Howard Jones announces second gig in Dublin in November

Due to demand, Howard Jones has announced a second show at Helix Dublin for November 25th, 2025. Jones is also performing on November 24th. Tickets for the new date are available now from the venue box office and Ticketmaster. Advertisement It has been 40 years since the release of Jones' 1985 album, Dream into Action, which peaked at #2 in the UK charts and cracked the US Top 10. The album went on to spawn global hit singles, Things Can Only Get Better (which experienced a resurgence after being featured on an episode of Netflix's Stranger Things) and No One is to Blame, as well as Life in One Day and Like to Get to Know You Well. 1985 was also the year Jones performed at Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, alongside such legendary acts as David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Phil Collins. 'That album was written while I was on the road,' Jones said. 'I had a studio set-up in every dressing room where we were playing shows. The excitement of being on the road was infused into those songs.' Advertisement Now, Jones is back performing live. 'I feel really pleased that the songs still resonate today. I've always said, it's up to us to make things happen. There are times when we can no longer be bystanders," he said. 'This is the best job in the world, playing songs that people love, and hopefully leaving them inspired by the lyrics. I've always thought my role was that of a cheerleader as we all struggle with the ups and downs of daily life. "We all need a boost when we are trying to put our dreams into action. At the end of the day, my job is to put on an amazing show, and leave people buzzing with a new energy, ready to deal with whatever life throws our way.'

The Documentary Podcast  Amoako Boafo: Creating space to celebrate Blackness
The Documentary Podcast  Amoako Boafo: Creating space to celebrate Blackness

BBC News

time6 days ago

  • BBC News

The Documentary Podcast Amoako Boafo: Creating space to celebrate Blackness

The Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo has attracted global fame for his bold and sensual portraits. He paints bodies and faces using his fingertips instead of a brush, capturing form through direct, tactile gestures. When he went to art school in Vienna, he was struck by the extent to which Black subjects had been overlooked in global art. Determined to change the status quo, he drew inspiration from early 20th Century Viennese artists like Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele and added his own techniques to invent a fresh new style of portraiture. Lucy Ash follows his preparations for a major new show at Gagosian in London. It involves a transformation of the gallery space into a full-scale recreation of a Ghanaian courtyard – just like the shared space in which he was raised. With the help of his collaborator, Glenn De Roché, an architect famous for community buildings and with an artist friend who produced a set of playing cards, especially for the event. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from In the Studio, exploring the processes of the world's most creative people.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store