He rose to prominence in the late s as the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats , who achieved popularity as part of the punk rock movement. Geldof is widely recognised for his activism , especially his anti-poverty efforts concerning Africa. Geldof attended Blackrock College , where he was bullied for being a poor rugby player and for his middle name, Zenon. Returning to Ireland in , he became the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats , a rock group closely linked with the punk movement.
In , The Boomtown Rats had their first No. In , they gained international attention with their second UK No. Geldof had written it in the aftermath of Brenda Ann Spencer 's attempted massacre at an elementary school in San Diego , California , in Geldof became known as a colourful interview subject. The Boomtown Rats' first appearance on Ireland's The Late Late Show saw Geldof as deliberately brusque to host Gay Byrne and during his interview, he attacked Irish politicians and the Catholic Church, which he blamed for many of the country's problems.
He responded to nuns in the audience who tried to shout him down by saying they had "an easy life with no material worries in return for which they gave themselves body and soul to the church". He also criticised Blackrock College. The interview caused uproar, making it impossible for The Boomtown Rats to play in Ireland again.
Geldof left the Boomtown Rats in to launch a solo career and publish his autobiography, Is That It? In , he performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert with the surviving members of Queen at the old Wembley Stadium , singing a song he jokingly claimed to have co-written with Mercury, called "Too Late God". The song was actually co-written by Karl Hyde.
In , he erroneously announced Ian Dury 's death from cancer, possibly due to hoax information from a listener who was disgruntled at the station's change of ownership. Along with U2 's Bono, he has devoted much time since to campaigning for debt relief for developing countries.
