This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of the "Waltz King"
It all started in 1976, when drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a "musicians wanted" ad on a school notice board. A few people responded, and they later met in his kitchen.
They were "a band before we could play," said Bono in early interviews. The four teenagers originally called themselves "Feedback," and were inspired by punk music.
Bono was the singer, The Edge played guitar, while Adam Clayton and Mullen played bass and drums, respectively.
In a 2022 interview, Bono shared his true thoughts on the band he's been part of for over four decades. He revealed that there are only a few U2 songs he can listen to without feeling embarrassed! "The other ones make me cringe a little bit." He also revealed he still doesn't like the band name. Their first manager had convinced them it would "look good on a T-shirt—a letter and a number," the singer explained. He continued to criticize his own singing abilities, saying "I only became a singer, like, recently," and then returned his focus to the legendary band. “I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot, and maybe that’s the place to be as an artist—you know, right at the edge of your level of embarrassment.”
U2 became somewhat infatuated with the US, and released their 'The Joshua Tree' album in 1987. Singles 'With or Without You' and 'I Still Haven’t Found What I'm Looking For' went number one in America.
In 1980, the band signed a deal with Island Records. Their first single, '11 O’Clock Tick Tock,' hit the shelves in May 1980. Their debut album, 'Boy,' came five months later.
The band followed the album with a 54-date tour in America, as well as an iconic performance at Live Aid in July 1985.
Where were you when you first heard U2? Was it in the late '70s, when they were called The Hype? Or how about at Live Aid in 1985, with a performance only Freddie Mercury could rival? Maybe it was in 2014, when their new album was uploaded onto iPhones worldwide. Truth is, the boys have stood the test of time.
And they're still going. U2 announced that they'll be playing a Las Vegas residency soon, and they made the announcement during a primetime Super Bowl commercial. The band will reportedly help launch the MSG Sphere at The Venetian, a globe-shaped performance center which holds 17,500 people and boasts 4D technology, with their show called “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere.” The band themselves said in a statement, “We’re the right band, ‘Achtung Baby’ the right album and the Sphere the right venue to take the live experience to the next level,” per CNN. Unfortunately drummer Larry Mullen Jr. will miss shows because he needed surgery to keep playing, but other drummers will join the stage with Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton.
The band formed as schoolboys in 1976, and have led a career spanning five decades. During this time, Bono has become one of the most recognizable frontmen of his generation. Let's look back on Bono and U2.
In 2023, the band will reportedly help launch the MSG Sphere at The Venetian, a globe-shaped performance center that holds 17,500 people and boasts 4D technology, with their show called “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere.” The band themselves said in a statement, “We’re the right band, ‘Achtung Baby’ the right album and the Sphere the right venue to take the live experience to the next level." They're set to play a 17-show residency starting in September.
See also: Music to fight for: political singers around the world
Bono and U2: The incredible story so far
Bono celebrates his 64rd birthday on May 10!
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Where were you when you first heard U2? Was it in the late '70s, when they were called The Hype? Or how about at Live Aid in 1985, with a performance only Freddie Mercury could rival? Maybe it was in 2014, when their new album was uploaded onto iPhones worldwide. Truth is, the boys have stood the test of time.
The band formed as schoolboys in 1976, and have led a career spanning six decades. During this time, Bono has become one of the most recognizable frontmen of his generation. Let's look back on Bono and U2. Click through the gallery to get started.