Bono

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Biography

Paul David Hewson was born in Dublin, Ireland on May 10, 1960. His stage name, "Bono," is derived from the Latin "Bonavox," meaning "good voice." He was given this nickname in the late seventies by childhood friends. He met his fellow band members while attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School. Their journey began with a school bulletin board advertisement for auditions to form a rock band.

In the beginning the band tried out several different names before finally settling on "U2". Bono was initially given the tasks of songwriter and second guitar player, but the band realized early on that he had the capacity to excel as a lead vocalist. His lyrical themes have largely been, and continue to be, fraught with religious, social, and political meaning. The band's first album, Boy, was released in October of 1980 and was centered around the difficulties of childhood.. Their fifth album, The Joshua Tree, focused primarily on religious themes with hit singles such as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." It was released in March of 1987 and is among the most easily recognized of their early works, still receiving regular radio play today. It was in the 1991 release of the album Achtung Baby that Bono began to draw from his personal experiences to enhance his song writing. After a four-year gap between the 2004 release of the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and the early 2009 release of No Line on the Horizon, the band, with Bono at it's head, have proven yet again that they intend to stay on top of the music scene while continuing to stay socially active.

Outside of his music, it has been said that Bono's political and social activisim borders on fanatical. He was first inspired by a viewing of The Secret Policeman's Ball, a benefit show to raise funds for the British division of Amnesty International. In 1986, Bono joined the benefit tour Conspiracy of Hope. It was not only his very first experience working with an established charitable organization, but was also his first attempt at fusing his musical aspirations with his philanthropy. Bono has since participated in countless charitable initiatives around the globe, including DATA (Dept, AIDS, Trade Africa), Make Poverty History, and his self-started ONE Campaign designed to raise awareness of the struggle of impoverished nations in Africa. He has also been a public spokesman for (RED), a trademarked brand name designed to be added to various products. Companies such as Apple, Motorola, Armani, and American Express have participated in (RED) by branding a product with the (RED) logo to inform consumers that a portion of the purchase price for those products would go directly to helping woman and children affected by the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

Trivia

Has received three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize
Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005
His daughter, Jordan, was born on his 29th birthday.
Is a very good chess player
His silhouette is used as the icon for the "Artists" tab on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Quotes

"I'm representing the poorest and the most vulnerable people. I'm throwing a punch, and the fist belongs to people who can't be in the room, whose rage, whose anger, whose hurt I represent."
"Overcoming my dad telling me I would never amount to anything is what has made me the megalomaniac that you see today."
(On wearing his trademark sunglasses) "Without them, I'm an amorphous mass."
"Never trust a man who tells you it's from the heart, never trust a man smoking a cigar, never trust a cowboy or a man who wears shades..."

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