He was deeply moved by the images of famine in Ethiopia in 1984 and felt compelled to do something. He came up with the idea of bringing together a group of top British musicians to record a charity single, which would raise money to help those affected by the famine.
He assembled the group of musicians, wrote the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" with Midge Ure, and the recording and release of the single was a huge success. This led to Live Aid, the massive concert event he also organized in 1985, further raising awareness and funds for famine relief.