Midge Ure
Scottish musician (born 1953)
James Ure is a Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids, Visage, and as the second bandleader of Ultravox after John Foxx had left, carrying the band into high chart positions for the six following years before disbanding it. In 1984, he co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the supergroup Band Aid, which he organised with Bob Geldof. He acts as a trustee for the charity. The single sold 3.7 million copies in the UK at first release, has become a staple of Christmas song compilations ever since, and is the second-highest-selling single in UK chart history. He also organised the events Live Aid and Live 8 with Geldof, and serves as an ambassador for Save the Children.
The public source identifies “Midge Ure” as scottish musician (born 1953). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Midge, Scottish and musician.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Midge Ure”, the useful work is to connect “scottish musician (born 1953)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The first chronological checks are 1984.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
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- Building a first chronology
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Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Midge Ure”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Midge Ure primary sources, Midge Ure archive and Midge research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Midge Ure” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.