Brazil celebrates Rock Day on July 13, a date dedicated to the style popularized from the 1950s onwards and which brought to the world some of the biggest names in music history, such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Queen, Led Zeppelin, among many others.
The milestone is celebrated on July 13 because of a great festival held in 1985, called Live Aid, with benefit concerts held in two different places: Wembley stadiums, in London (England), and John F. Kennedy, in Philadelphia ( USA).
Conceived by Irish singer and songwriter Bob Geldof, Live Aid was intended to raise funds to fight hunger in Ethiopia. During the presentations, the public was encouraged to call a telephone number and make donations.
A cast of big names in rock was invited to the concerts: in Philadelphia, for example, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin reunited with their classic formations – in the case of the latter, Phil Collins took the place of drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980.
Other standouts on the American stage were Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger (with Tina Turner), Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Eric Clapton, The Beach Boys, Santana and Madonna.
The most famous moment of the London concert was probably the Queen performance, which was also featured in the biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, for which Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor for playing Freddie Mercury. On that same stage, Elton John, The Who, David Bowie, U2 and Dire Straits, among others, also performed.
Phil Collins, in turn, participated in both concerts – he took a Concorde plane to travel from London to Philadelphia and ensure his presence on both stages.
According to estimates, the event gathered around 72,000 people in Wembley and 90,000 in Philadelphia, in addition to millions who followed, in 100 countries, the live shows on TV and radio. Figures vary, but at the time, media outlets estimated that Live Aid had raised at least £40 million.
Source: CNN Brasil
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