U2 lead singer Bono and popular musicians including boy band One Direction are recording a new version of the Band Aid charity song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” This time the money will go to fight Ebola in Africa. Other artists will include Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.
It’s been 30 years since Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats led the Band Aid effort to help those affected by famine in Ethiopia. In 1984, the song raised 8 million pounds ($11 million) and featured singers including George Michael and David Bowie. Geldof said the United Nations contacted him, “saying help was urgently needed to prevent the disease from spreading beyond West Africa.” Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people this year.
