Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE (born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band Boomtown Rats. Geldof was born and raised in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, and attended Blackrock College. The Boomtown Rats had hits with his compositions "Rat Trap" and "I Don't Like Mondays". He co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas?", one of the best-selling singles of all time. He also starred as Pink in Pink Floyd's 1982 film Pink Floyd The Wall.

Geldof is widely recognized for his activism, especially anti-poverty efforts concerning Africa. In 1984, he and Midge Ure founded the charity supergroup Band Aid to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. They went on to organise the charity super-concert Live Aid the following year and the Live 8 concerts in 2005. Geldof currently serves as an adviser to DATA and the ONE Campaign, global anti-poverty campaigns founded by fellow Irish humanitarian Bono. A single father, Geldof has also been outspoken for the Fathers' rights movement. Geldof has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and is a recipient of the Man of Peace title which recognizes individuals who have made "an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace", among numerous other awards and nominations.

Geldof was born in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, to Catholic parents. His father, Robert, (also known as Bob) was the son of a Belgian immigrant. At the age of 41 Geldof's mother Evelyn complained of a headache and died shortly thereafter, having suffered a haemorrhage. Geldof attended Blackrock College, near Dublin, an exclusive private school whose Catholic ethos he disliked. He was bullied for his lack of rugby prowess and over his middle name - 'Zenon'. After work as a slaughter man, road navvy and pea canner, he started as a music journalist in Vancouver, Canada, for the weekly publication Georgia Straight.