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

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Billy Joel's tragic past - car crashes, addiction battle and suicide attempt
Billy Joel, also known as the Piano Man, is one of the most respected entertainers in the world - but the famous singer has faced his fair share of tragedy over the years Billy Joel, affectionately known as the Piano Man, has been a beacon in the music world for more than 20 years, selling millions of records and mesmerising listeners far and wide. Yet despite his monumental success, the famed rocker has grappled with numerous personal tragedies. The 76-year-old, who hails from The Bronx, New York, paved the way for music during the 1970s and 80s, becoming one of the most successful artists with hits like Uptown Girl, Piano Man, and We Didn't Start the Fire. Offering the chance to look back on his best performances and moments over the years, 'Billy Joel at the BBC ' will air tonight at 8.40pm, honouring the talented musician. But away from fame and success, Billy has been involved in several car crashes, confronted addiction demons, endured mental health issues, and eventually decided to step back from songwriting. When reflecting on what he cherishes most about his journey, Joel once remarked: "My ability to move on with life. I've had difficulties in my life, but it never stopped me from continuing." He added: "Troubles with business didn't stop me from doing business. I have no bitterness about anything, even people who rip me off, I let it go. I'm content with that I'm happy. I'm having a happy ending." The legendary 'Vienna' singer hasn't had an easy ride, literally – he's encountered alarmingly frequent mishaps behind the wheel, causing concern among his supporters over the years. Joel found himself embroiled in three separate motoring incidents in the early 2000s. His most recent scrape occurred in 2004, when he accidentally propelled his vehicle into a house in Long Island. Thankfully, there were no other victims, and the star emerged with nothing worse than a nick on his finger. In January 2003, Joel had a car crash in Sag Harbor, driving his Mercedes -Benz into a tree and sustaining minor head injuries, with paramedics whisking him off to hospital. Fast forward to June 2004, and the singer was involved in another prang in East Hampton, this time hitting a fire hydrant and post, again suffering minor injuries and declining medical help. Opening up about his battles with alcoholism, Joel admitted that his substance abuse issues, particularly with alcohol, were an obstacle to achieving his full potential. In a candid chat with he confessed: "If I couldn't be as good as I wanted to be, I'd just drown it with booze. I know I've got a reputation that I'm this depressed guy. I'm not - I'm a happy guy. I was in rehab twice." He remarked: "It was one of the best things I ever did." Joel also revealed to Howard Stern his forays into drug experimentation, noting that heroin was the drug that frightened him the most due to its addictive nature. This fear, he explained, fuelled the creation of his track Scandinavian Skies. The artist opened up about his mental health battles, including a suicide attempt detailed in his autobiography, which occurred during career struggles in his 20s. Despite the hurdles, Joel emerged as a musical legend, boasting 13 studio albums and an impressive repertoire of over 121 songs that resonated through generations. Yet, the hitmaker confided to the LA Times that he hung up his hat on creating new tunes, finding the process "excruciating". Joel elaborated: "I didn't have the same motivation anymore. You need inspiration to create good new music, and if you don't have it, don't bother. Get off the treadmill, for Christ's sake." Then last month, the iconic singer cancelled his gigs after he was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) - a condition that leads to fluid accumulation in the brain. In a social media update, Billy explained to fans that it causes issues with hearing, vision and balance. In a further update this week, his close friend and radio host Howard Stern, 71, revealed that the Piano Man singer is "doing fine" as he relayed a message from the star. Speaking on his Sirius XM show, The Howard Stern Show, Howard said: "He does have issues, but he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, I'm not dying'. He wants people to know that." Howard and Joel recently enjoyed a dinner together a few weeks before, and the radio presenter said: "He's got to deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful." He added to co-host Robin Quivers that he had a "great conversation" with Billy and that the singer "brought out a guitar" while celebrating Billy's birthday in early May.


BBC News
21 hours ago
- BBC News
Alan Yentob's last interview to be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
Alan Yentob's last interview, When Alan Yentob Met Jenny Saville, will be broadcast on Sunday 8 June on BBC Two and iPlayer. Jenny Saville is one of the most successful figurative painters working today, first coming to prominence as part of the YBA movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She has been reluctant to discuss her work for many years on television, until now. Alan Yentob was working with Jenny on a film for his imagine strand and earlier this year, they met in Vienna on the eve of two major exhibitions she is mounting. This was the last interview Alan Yentob conducted in a career spanning six decades at the BBC, bringing many of the world's leading artists and creatives to the screen. Alan also persuaded Jenny to allow cameras into her painting studio for the first time in almost three decades. Suzy Klein, Head of Arts and Classical Music TV says: 'Alan Yentob was a titan of arts broadcasting and a passionate supporter of so many of the leading creative artists of the last half century. His final interview, in conversation with Jenny Saville, is testament to his relentless curiosity and advocacy for the arts across many decades - part of a night dedicated to celebrating his work as a programme maker, channel controller and visionary television executive.' Jenny Saville says: 'Alan and I were beginning to work on a documentary about my paintings from across the years. It was an honour to know Alan, who I'd met in my early twenties and we reconnected to make this film.' When Alan Yentob Met Jenny Saville airs as part of a tribute night on Sunday on BBC Two and iPlayer alongside some of the legendary programme maker's best loved films, including imagine… Mel Brooks: Unwrapped, imagine… David Bowie: Cracked Actor, Salman Rushdie: Through a Glass Darkly, imagine… Diana Athill: Growing Old Disgracefully, imagine… Tom Stoppard: A Charmed Life, and Ella Fitzgerald at Ronnie Scott's, as well as Alan's iconic BBC Two idents, from 9.15pm. When Alan Yentob met Jenny Saville is a BBC Studios production for BBC Arts. The Producer / Director is John O'Rourke and the Executive Producer is Tanya Hudson. The commissioning editor for BBC Arts is Mark Bell. Watch When Alan Yentob met Jenny Saville on BBC iPlayer AM2


The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Diddy accused of ‘drugging and raping TV reporter on tour bus' as she demands rapper be extradited to face ‘punishment'
A REPORTER has accused Sean "Diddy" Combs of drugging and raping her after she tried to get an interview in the midst of his sex trafficking trial. Kathi Steininger claimed she was set to tell her dark story on the stand, but broke her anonymity after she was dismissed. 3 3 3 Combs, 55, is accused of hiring prostitutes as perverse entertainment for his so-called "freak offs," which were sex parties that had a roster of high-profile guests. He would allegedly ply attendees and sex workers with drugs before filming them in compromising positions, and use the tapes as blackmail. At the center of the charges is his relationship with ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who broke the story wide open when she sued the mega producer in November 2023. In that suit, she accused her ex-lover of raping and beating her, as well as forcing her to take part in the sometimes days-long freak-offs. After the lawsuit was filed and settled out of court, dozens of alleged victims came forward with legal complaints of their own, where they described harrowing brushes with the rapper. Now, Steininger, who is an Austrian national, has claimed in an interview that she was also targeted by the mega producer when she was just 19 years old. In March 2000, the budding journalist scored an on-camera interview with Combs during his European tour, she told Austrian broadcaster PULS 24 on Monday. But at some point during the chat, she claims she was separated from her cameraman and given a drink by Combs, which she believes was drugged. The next thing she knew, the then-teenager was allegedly on the back of a tour bus being raped by the musician. She said she felt too out of it to move or cry for help. "There was 100 percent something in it," she said of the drink. "I would never have gone to bed with that man." After the alleged attack, she said she felt too "ashamed" to tell anyone. Steininger claimed she was going to take the stand as part of Combs' ongoing trial, but said her story was out of the statute of limitations because she and Diddy were overseas. After getting that news, she chose to break her anonymity and join the growing chorus of women and men urging for justice. The accuser claimed the alleged attack left her with post-traumatic stress disorder and that she was unable to work. The trial of Sean "Diddy DISGRACED music mogul Sean "Diddy Five: The number of charges against Combs. His charge sheet includes one count of racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the alleged offenses. Twelve: The number of jurors. Six alternates will also be selected. Two: In March 2024, two of Combs' homes were raided by the feds. Cops searched a property in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, that was linked to his production company. Agents also searched a property in Miami, Florida. Cops were pictured carrying boxes from the disgraced star's Star Island mansion. In September 2024, Combs listed the Los Angeles home for $61.5 million. 1,000: The number of bottles of baby oil and lubricant seized by cops during the raids of the hip-hop star's homes. The supplies are alleged to be linked to the star's infamous drug-fueled freak offs. Eight: The number of weeks the trial is expected to last. Eight: The number of lawyers on the prosecution team. Seven of which are women. Seven: The number of lawyers on Combs' defense team. Brian Steel, who represented the rapper Young Thug, is part of the defense team. Four: The number of accusers who will take the stand. Combs' ex-partner Cassie Ventura, who accused him of sexual abuse and assault, is the prosecution's star witness. Combs and Ventura had an on-off relationship for over a decade. Ventura and Combs settled for $20 million a day after the lawsuit was filed. 15: Combs faces a minimum sentence of 15 years if he's convicted on the sex trafficking charge. 10: Ten years is the maximum charge for the transportation for the purposes of prostitution. She's reached out to prosecutors in Austria to pursue charges, but because the alleged attack was so long ago, it's also considered outside the statute of limitations. However, she claims that state attorneys told her they would reexamine the case based on the results of Combs' sex trafficking trial. "I want some kind of punishment for what he did to me," she said. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Combs' spokesperson for comment. Comb's trial has continued into its third week with explosive testimony from an ex-hotel worker who claims the rapper gave him a wad of hush money. The security guard said he watched in horror after surveillance captured Combs beating up girlfriend Cassie as he wore nothing but a towel. Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun: The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun.