#LIVEAID40: Prep Teacher Reflects on Historic Concert

On July 13, 1985, the eyes of the world were on rock concerts at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and Wembley Stadium in London. An estimated two billion people watched as some of the biggest names in music gathered for a benefit concert to raise money for starving people in Ethiopia. 

Among the more than 90,000 people gathered in South Philadelphia was Prep math teacher Greg Camma, who was between his junior and senior years at Saint Joseph’s University. Camma, a big music fan, wanted tickets as soon as he heard about the epic concert.

“It was different then, there was no internet to easily purchase tickets so it was harder to get them,” says Camma, who used a contact of his brother’s to secure his $35 ticket to this historic event.  

Some of his quick memories include seeing local band The Hooters open the show and the diverse acts that graced the stage that day. “There were bands that I probably would never have seen on my own: the Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest, Run DMC,” he said, also highlighting the return of Philly legend Teddy Prendergast to the stage with Ashford and Simpson after a devastating car crash left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. “It was amazing but again, not artists I normally would have seen in concert.”

For the first hours, the acts in Philadelphia alternated with performances from London. Camma was already a huge fan of Queen and he says watching that “performance on the big screen blew me away. We were reacting to it the same way the crowd in London was.” He also remembers seeing legends Mick Jagger together with Tina Turner right after Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood took the stage. 

The concert was more than about music; it was created to shine a light on the devastating famine raging across Africa. Camma recalls a video that played during the concert that was heartbreaking and brought the horror home for him. “The media was different then,” he says. “I would never have known about that terrible crisis. It helped me realize that there were others in the world suffering.”

Camma still has a t-shirt from that day, which includes names that never made it to the show. In addition, he sometimes wears a Live Aid lapel pin that always sparks conversation. “I was in the Ocean City (N.J.) Acme when someone saw the pin and wanted to talk about it,” Camma says. “He said he was there too and I wonder if our paths crossed.”

Concertgoers were at the stadium for nearly 14 hours yet Camma describes them as “mellow, laid back, and peaceful.” The day was incredibly hot but Camma remembers a feeling of community and sharing. “We were wandering around and I bumped into so many people I knew there,” Camma says. “It was an amazing day and I am always glad to have a chance to talk about it.”