What Famous People Have Been Knighted?

One example of a famous person who has been knighted is musician Bob Geldof (of the Boomtown Rats). This Irish rocker, who had a huge musical hit with his song, "I Don't Like Mondays", received this highest of honors when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II after his Live-Aid charity concert in the late 1980's. Geldof spearheaded the entire Live-Aid concert, which raised millions of dollars for African famine relief. Performers who appeared at Live-Aid included:
 Collins, of Genesis fame
• U2
• Sting
• Duran Duran
• Mick Jagger
• Bryan Adams

Another celebrity who was knighted by the Queen is the charming and handsome Star Trek actor, Patrick Stewart. This British thespian's beautiful speaking voice and innate charisma have made him extremely popular with fans all over the world. Now christened Sir Patrick Stewart, this actor has appeared in countless films and television series.

Women can't be knighted, they are made "Dames" instead; one example of a woman who earned this honor is Dame Judi Dench; Dench is an actress who portrays classic James Bond character "M" in the recent 007 films; she's also appeared in wonderful period films, such as Pride & Prejudice.
There are lower honors bestowed by the Queen, such as OBE's and so forth - the Beatles receives OBE's, but John Lennon sent his back afterwards, as he was not a true proponent of the monarchy and the class system.