Bob Geldof never thought he'd find love again.
The 59-year-old rocker was devastated when his wife Paula Yates - who died of a drugs overdose in 2000 - left him in 1995 but says his relationship with French actress Jeanne Marine helped inspire him to pen new album 'How To Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell'.
He said: "Without love things are utterly empty. Now, that sounds too w***y but it's true. "I'm so old, so ugly, I thought love would never come my way again.
Then it did and allowed me to write an album again."
Bob - who has children Fifi, 27, Peaches, 21, and Pixie, 20, with Paula, and also raises her 14-year-old daughter Tiger Lily from the presenter's relationship with Michael Hutchence - admits he was grateful that Jeanne had no idea about the troubles in his personal life when they first met.
He added: "This record is full of gratitude that Jeanne came along and somehow was able to love this very unlovable person, me.
"You know, this girl from Paris hadn't got a fucking clue about what was going on and she lands in the middle of this stuff."
Bob Geldof will be the keynote speaker at SXSW in March.
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