The story behind how The Sun launched Band Aid 20 as we celebrate our 50th birthday
ONE of The Sun’s proudest showbiz achievements was launching Band Aid 20 in 2004.
Bizarre’s then-Editor Dominic Mohan was inspired by a news report he heard about another famine in Ethiopia that was once again threatening to kill millions.
Dominic explains: “It was 20 years since the famine that sparked Band Aid and Live Aid.
“We said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to re-record the record? Maybe it will lead to another Live Aid’.”
The Sun then persuaded British rock bands Travis and Coldplay to sign up.
Dominic remembers: “I messaged Coldplay singer Chris Martin and said, ‘We are going to do this record, are you up for it?’
“Then Radiohead got involved, and Sir Paul McCartney, and it turned into this big project. It shows The Sun as a force for good.”
With Sun Feature Writer Oliver Harvey already in Ethiopia to interview Tony Blair and Sir Bob Geldof, Dominic called to run the idea by them. Sir Bob agreed.
A new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? became the Christmas No1 and led to 2005’s Live 8 concerts.
The Hyde Park gig featured U2, Pink Floyd and an appearance by Birhan Woldu, who as a starving three-year-old in Ethiopia was shown in a video at the original Live Aid in 1985.
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Oliver says: “The Sun flew Birhan over and she appeared on stage with Madonna.
“Backstage, she saw Paul McCartney, then Brad Pitt, Victoria and David Beckham and Bill Gates all said hello to her. She didn’t know who they were.
"The only person she reacted to – and went crazy for – was Jeremy Clarkson! They get Top Gear in Ethiopian hotels, so she knew who he was.”
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