80s pop icon who penned smash hit Christmas song is unrecognisable as he boards budget RyanAir flight - but can YOU guess who it is?

Daily Mail​

11-06-2025

An 80s pop icon who penned a classic Christmas song looked totally unrecognisable as he was pictured hopping on a RyanAir flight this week.
The famed musician organised the iconic two-venue Live Aid concerts alongside Bob Geldof some 40 years ago, bringing a host of the decade's biggest stars together to raise money for Ethiopian famine.
As part of the epic Band Aid group, he co-wrote and produced one of the most-well known festive tunes ever to be released, Do They Know It's Christmas, a year earlier.
The Scottish musician journeyed around several groups in the 70s and early 80s before finding real success with a revived band in 1979, dropping the smash hit Vienna a couple of years later.
But can you guess who the almost forgotten star is?
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
He later shared another snap revealing he had shaved his beard - but can you guess who it is?
Well, the man kicking back on a commercial RyanAir flight to Dublin is none other than Ultravox, Thin Lizzy and Visage star Midge Ure, 71.
And the grey fox looks totally different to his appearance during the height of his fame, sporting a full-grown beard as opposed to his old moustache.
Clad in a black cap and a pair of glasses, the 80s icon shared a selfie to his Instagram of him on his way to a show in Dublin.
Acknowledging his RyanAir ticket, he jokingly captioned the snap: 'Dublin bound. The yellow and blue gives it away. Ahh the glamour.'
After rocking his show in the Irish the capital, the Glaswegian musician posed for another photo as he waited in customs for his flight, revealing he had shaved his beard for the gig.
'Great night at Rewind Dublin,' he wrote with the post.
'Amazing audience & amazing weather & amazing music. A winning combination all round. Glasgow Kennington Bandstand next.'
Midge's journey on a commercial flight is a far cry from his successful days as part of Ultravox.
The 71-year-old Band Aid star later praised the 'amazing' Irish audience before flying back
In fact, such was his success that a couple of years after Band Aid the 71-year-old was was handed a £1million advance by his record label.
But four years later the rocker found himself half a million in debt and selling off assets to pay back tax and VAT demands.
After a few other troubles - including a house he bought in the Caribbean that was demolished by a hurricane and engulfed by a volcano - in 2023 Midge became one of a host of musicians to sell their catalogue.
The rocker's latest set of shows comes after he and former musical partner Bob Geldof, 73, reunited at Wembley Stadium last month to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
The pair were back together to announce Just for One Day: The Live Aid Musical cast recording ahead of its West End run, as they were pictured pitch-side at the iconic English stadium.
Echoing that hot summer's day in 1985, when stars such as David Bowie and Queen mesmerised fans across the world, the sun beat down as Geldof, and Ure took a trip down memory lane.
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.
Band Aid 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 focused 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.