Single by pop-stars to support fighting Ebola raises $1.5 million before start of sales
The musicians recorded a new version of “Do They Know It's Christmas?” which was performed by Band Aid campaigners to help the hungry in Ethiopia in 1984
LONDON, November, 17. /TASS/. A charity record of the song performed by the world pop-stars raised more than £1 million ($1.5 million) for the fund to fight Ebola through preorders before the song was even available for download from the Internet, the organizer of the record, Bob Geldof, said.
The single was released the day before the 30th anniversary of the Band Aid campaign organized by Geldof to help the hungry in Ethiopia. The musicians recorded a new version of “Do They Know It's Christmas?” that the participants of Band Aid performed in 1984.
An Anglo-Irish band One Direction, a British singer Sam Smith, Coldplay's leader Chris Martin and singer Paloma Faith participated in the charity campaign. All the money raised will be given to the fund to fight the disease caused by Ebola virus.
On Sunday the performers were invited to the popular British TV talent show X-Factor and after that the audience started doing preorders for the purchase of the single, Bob Geldof said.
"The host of the X-Factor Simon Cowell gave us 5 minutes in his show. In 4 or 5 minutes after we left the studio we collected £1 million (more than $1.5 million)," he said.
The song costs 99 pence ($1.5). In three weeks the CD at the cost of £4 will be released.