Bono is the world famous Irish front man, lead singer and lyricist for one of the most popular rock bands on the planet, U2. He is also an outspoken and ubiquitous social activist. This combination has attracted legions of fans and, given some darker elements of human nature, plenty of haters, too. Here is the 411 on Bono.
Paul David Hewson was born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 10, 1960, to a Catholic father and Protestant mother. His mother died in spectacularly traumatic fashion, suffering a ruptured aneurysm in the brain while attending her father’s funeral. Paul was 14. He was soon running with Lypton Village, a “surrealist street gang.” One of the gang’s rites was nicknaming its members, and Paul was tagged with Bonovox, the name of a hearing aid store meaning “good voice” in Latin. Apparently, that’s what surrealist street gangs do. In high school, at age 16, Bono as he was now known, answered an advert by drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. for people wanting to form a rock band. The crew that assembled in his kitchen is still together 40 years later. Bono’s other long-term relationship began that same year when he met his wife-to-be, Ali. They married in 1982, and have 4 children.
U2 started out as Feedback, the name Bono still prefers. He became the lead singer, writes most of their lyrics, and plays the occasional guitar and harmonica. U2 was a force in rock music from the get-go, from its first album Boy in 1980 to its thirteenth Songs of Innocence in 2014. Seven albums were #1s, including a run of five in a row, and the band has 8 #1 singles. U2 has won 22 Grammys, on 49 nominations, and has sold >170 million albums. The group’s 2009-2011 360 Tour is the highest grossing tour of all-time: $736 million over 110 performances. U2 was inducted into the HOF in the first year they were eligible, 2005.
Bono is often seen as a spokesperson for social causes, including debt relief for the third world, AIDS in Africa, and the fight against poverty. He was Time’s Person of the Year in 2005, was awarded a K.B.E. by Queen Elizabeth in 2007, and won the Nobel Man of Peace Prize in 2008. He’s the only person to have been nominated for Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, Golden Globe, and Nobel prizes.
Not everything has been rainbows and unicorns. Bono always wears tinted glasses due to light sensitivity caused by glaucoma. He sustained a spinal injury requiring surgery while training for U2’s 2010 tour. In 2014, a bicycle crash endangered his guitar playing when he fractured his left scapula, humerus, orbit and little finger. After reconstructive surgery and rehab, he still has restricted motion and numbness in his left hand. By the end of this year, he should know if the damage is permanent.
By reputation, Bono is a notoriously bad investor. An exception is his 1.5% ownership of Facebook, worth about $1 billion. That probably took the sting out of paying $15 million for Steve Jobs’ Manhattan, NYC, apartment.
Happy Birthday to Bono! Slainte!
