In the first celebrity fundraiser, in 1971, musical stars Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Ringo Starr joined event coordinator and former Beatle George Harrison to raise money for hungry residents of what starving nation?

The historic 1971 benefit concert was organized by George Harrison at the request of his friend and mentor, Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar. Shankar was deeply distressed by the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the newly independent nation, where the devastating 1970 Bhola cyclone and the ongoing Bangladesh Liberation War had created a massive refugee crisis, leaving millions of people displaced and facing starvation.

Held at New York's Madison Square Garden, the "Concert for Bangladesh" was a landmark event. Harrison assembled an unprecedented lineup of rock royalty to perform, including his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and a famously reclusive Bob Dylan, who made a surprise appearance. The two shows were attended by over 40,000 people and brought global attention to the plight of the Bengali people.

The concert, along with the subsequent live album and concert film, raised millions of dollars for UNICEF to aid the refugees. More importantly, it set the template for all future large-scale charity concerts, such as Live Aid and Farm Aid, proving that musicians could effectively mobilize their celebrity to raise both funds and awareness for a humanitarian cause.

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