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[h3]Paul David Hewson was raised with his older brother Norman. ‘Bono’s’ mother Iris was a Church of Ireland Protestant and his father Bob a Roman Catholic, so both parents had agreed to raise their first child Protestant and their second Catholic. [/h3]

Despite this agreement though, Bono’s strong religious family influences led to him being brought up without becoming attached to one specific denomination.

Age 14, Bono lost his mother after she tragically suffered a cerebral aneurysm at the funeral of her own father. Her death contributed significantly to Bono’s songwriting in later years.

Attending the Mount Temple Comprehensive School, Bono was to meet his future wife Ali and the members of the band he was to achieve worldwide success with.

[quote]“I was such a lousy guitar player that one day they broke it to me that maybe I should sing instead."[/quote]

Joining a group of local children who named themselves Lypton Village he was given the new name of Bono Vox when they all decided they should rechristen themselves with names they thought better reflected their individual characters. Various stories circulate as to where ‘Bono Vox’ came from including a dog food and a brand of hearing aid (most likely apparently). The loose Latin translation is ‘good voice’ and it was this that persuaded Bono to stick with the moniker.

In 1976 Bono replied to an ad posted by student Larry Muller seeking to form a rock band. Three others also responded, David Evans (The Edge), Dick Evans and Adam Clayton, to form the band. The band firstly named themselves Feedback and then The Hype. When Dick Evans left, the remaining foursome became [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/863:0/U2.htm]U2[/urlnew].

In the early days Bono turned his hand to pretty much everything from guitar playing, lead vocals and songwriting - taking the dominant position in the group. But as the Edge developed his guitar skills, Bono was put firmly back in place as the band vocalist. But even then the band had worries his voice (despite the nickname) may not be up to much and considering disposing of his services all together. Bono later admitted: “I was such a lousy guitar player that one day they broke it to me that maybe I should sing instead. I had tried before but I had no voice at all. I remember the day I found I could sing. I said, 'Oh, that's how you do it.”

His love for being centre stage had been evident since his school days where he possessed a instinctive flare for grabbing people's attention. From the beginning of U2’s musical journey he was a natural at working an audience and getting the best reaction by interacting with them. A constant feature of U2's live shows throughout their career has been Bono’s presence, perhaps most notably during the ZooTV tour, when he took on the guise of characters such as 'The Fly' and Mr. Macphisto.

Bono began touring almost immediately with U2 after their first album release, Boy, in 1980 and his talent for songwriting immediately gave him the responsibility of composing the lyrics for nearly all U2’s songs.

His song themes most commonly lie with his stance on current social and political events, or contain a religious connotation. In the early band days he became known for his rebellious nature and habit of projecting his anger over whatever world crisis may be happening at the time. His on-stage outbursts were frequent but despite being warned to be a little more subdued, he remains committed to publicly voicing his opinions.
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In 1982, Bono married Alison Stewart, who he’d met and known since his school days. The couple are one of those rarities in the showbiz world in remaining a happy unit and family to this day, with four children as additions to the Hewson clan - two daughters Jordan and Memphis Eve and two sons, Elijah Patricius Q Guggi and John Abraham.

By 1987, the band released their sixth album and it was to be this record - The Joshua Tree - that truly catapulted the band to stardom. Subsequent albums secured U2’s reputation for range and innovation, including 1991’s industrial-sounding Achtung Baby, 1993’s funkier-edged Zooropa, and the techno-influenced Pop (1997).

Worldwide, Bono is known to his fans, music associates and the press as a strong figure of social activism, which has always been close to the singer’s heart. He has always chosen to use his music to raise consciousness, with involvement in high-profile projects such as Band Aid and Live 8.

Outside of his music world, Bono knows how to use his celebrity status wisely in garnering awareness about a range of global issues. Over the years, he has met with world leaders to discuss issues such as debt relief for developing countries, world poverty and AIDS. In 2005, Bono and his wife Ali established EDUN, a for-profit clothing enterprise with the idea to foster “sustainable employment in developing areas of the world, particularly Africa,” according to its website.

Bono’s musical success with U2 has been strewn with accolades such as 22 Grammy Awards and even a Golden Globe award win for a song written for the film Gangs of New York. Throughout his career, Bono has managed to firmly establish himself not only as an acclaimed musician and one of Ireland’s biggest musical exports, but also as a global spokesperson for innumerable causes.

[i]Sarah Barnard[/i]
Bono biography



- Bono has written songs either for or with, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Keith Richards, Luciano Pavarotti, Sinéad O'Connor, and Howie B.

- Bono wrote the song The Sweetest Thing after missing his wife Ali’s birthday. When the song was rerecorded she received all the proceeds of its sale and she gave them to a charity for victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

- Bono wrote a song with The Edge for Roy Orbison, She's a Mystery To Me. It is included on Orbison's last album, Mystery Girl.

- Bono is the only person, who has been nominated for an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, and for the Nobel Prize.

- Bono and his daughter Jordan share a birthday. She was born on his 29th birthday.

- Bono illustrated the children's book Peter and the Wolf with his daughters Jordan and Eve in 2003. The royalties went to the Irish Hospice Foundation.

- First Grammy-winning artist to say "fuck" during the 1994 live Grammy telecast

- Bono's silhouette is used as the icon for the ‘Artists’ tab of the music component for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Bono biography




Bono biography



[b]With U2:[/b]

U218 Singles 2006

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb 2004

Carved In Stone: Live At Red Rocks Vol. 2 2004

The Best of 1990-2000 2002

The Best & The B-Sides of 1990-2000 2002

A Tribute to U2 [Big Eye] 2001

Audio Biography CD 2000

All That You Can't Leave Behind 2000

All That You Can't Leave Behind [Bonus CD] 2000

The Best Of 1980-1990 1998

The Best Of 1980-1990 (B-Sides) 1998

Pop 1997

Zooropa 1993

Achtung, Baby 1991

Rattle And Hum 1988

The Joshua Tree 1987

Bono Talks in Philadelphia 1987

The Unforgettable Fire 1984

The Unforgettable Fire [Video] 1984

War 1983

October 1981

Boy 1980

Leonardo Dicaprio Sat 5th Jul - 8:00PM

Hank Williams Fri 4th Jul - 7:00PM

Diana: The Night She Died Fri 4th Jul - 5:00PM