U2
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
U2 has been perhaps the biggest music act in the world since the late
1980s to the current day. They take prominent stands on human rights
issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and
actions. The band's lead singer, Bono, has become
quite prominent in charity movements and has been nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize. The band consists of Bono, lead
singer and songwriter; The Edge, lead guitar,
keyboards, vocals; Adam Clayton,
bass guitar; Larry Mullen Jr., drums.
Their manager is
Paul McGuinness (1978-2013).
The band formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1976. The three members who
strongly identified themselves as Christians (all except Clayton)
decided to pursue and promote the band's career in a manner that would
be consistent with their religious beliefs, which are heavy on social
action. Theology professor Eugene Peterson says the band has "little
patience with media-driven aspects of the Christian religion and a
church and culture that shows little concern for justice and poverty
and sickness".
The band's popular 1983 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" commemorated the
slaughter of innocent civilians during the Irish troubles. It called
for a renunciation of violence, a sentiment that resonated greatly with
the people of Ireland. Throughout the 1980s, the band used this song to
campaign against the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) efforts to raise
money to fuel continued armed conflict. The IRA sent a threat to U2
that if they continued their campaign, they would be kidnapped. The
band continued anyway. The band's 1984 album "Unforgettable Fire" was
named after paintings made by the survivors of the Hiroshima and
Nagasaki atomic bombs. The album's songs "Pride" and "MLK" were both
tributes to the modern-day leader they most admire,
Martin Luther King. Another song,
"Bad", was about heroin addiction, which was a serious problem in their
hometown of Dublin at that time.
U2 were major participants in the historic and seminal "Live Aid"
concert of 1985, which raised funds for relief from a severe drought in
Ethiopia. The band was seen by many of the 1.5 billion people who
viewed the concert on live television, and Bono's unscripted leap into
the crowd captured the imagination of all. The more than 75 performing
groups raised some $250 million for the charity. In the months
following the concert, U2's record sales skyrocketed and have never
come back down. In 1986, the band headlined a promotional tour to
support Amnesty International, and the effort reportedly tripled the
organization's membership.
In the 1990s, the band's music and concerts mocked the excesses of
commercialism. Some critics failed to understand that Bono's
exaggerated on-stage personas during the "Zoo TV" tour were parodies,
and thus concluded that the band had given in to what they in fact were
criticizing. In the early 2000s, U2 shifted from stadium extravaganzas
to performing in smaller arenas where they were closer to their
audiences. In 2004, the band teamed up with iPod for an innovative
promotional campaign.
U2 continues their work for charity and social action. They promoted
the Northern Ireland Peace Accords, raised money for the survivors of
the Omagh bombing, played in devastated Sarajevo following the war
there, helped bolster the shaky economy of New York City by playing
there following the September 11 terrorist attacks, participated in the
Live 8 series of concerts to relieve Third World debt, and continue to
promote the Make Poverty History campaign. Bono has become prominent in
efforts to end poverty and seek relief from AIDS and promote trade for
Africa. He has become quite celebrated for these efforts apart from his
music and he often finds himself publicly hobnobbing with presidents
and finance ministers to promote these charitable ends.
U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. By that
year, they had won 22 Grammy awards, a historic record surpassed only
by Stevie Wonder.
1980s to the current day. They take prominent stands on human rights
issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and
actions. The band's lead singer, Bono, has become
quite prominent in charity movements and has been nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize. The band consists of Bono, lead
singer and songwriter; The Edge, lead guitar,
keyboards, vocals; Adam Clayton,
bass guitar; Larry Mullen Jr., drums.
Their manager is
Paul McGuinness (1978-2013).
The band formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1976. The three members who
strongly identified themselves as Christians (all except Clayton)
decided to pursue and promote the band's career in a manner that would
be consistent with their religious beliefs, which are heavy on social
action. Theology professor Eugene Peterson says the band has "little
patience with media-driven aspects of the Christian religion and a
church and culture that shows little concern for justice and poverty
and sickness".
The band's popular 1983 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" commemorated the
slaughter of innocent civilians during the Irish troubles. It called
for a renunciation of violence, a sentiment that resonated greatly with
the people of Ireland. Throughout the 1980s, the band used this song to
campaign against the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) efforts to raise
money to fuel continued armed conflict. The IRA sent a threat to U2
that if they continued their campaign, they would be kidnapped. The
band continued anyway. The band's 1984 album "Unforgettable Fire" was
named after paintings made by the survivors of the Hiroshima and
Nagasaki atomic bombs. The album's songs "Pride" and "MLK" were both
tributes to the modern-day leader they most admire,
Martin Luther King. Another song,
"Bad", was about heroin addiction, which was a serious problem in their
hometown of Dublin at that time.
U2 were major participants in the historic and seminal "Live Aid"
concert of 1985, which raised funds for relief from a severe drought in
Ethiopia. The band was seen by many of the 1.5 billion people who
viewed the concert on live television, and Bono's unscripted leap into
the crowd captured the imagination of all. The more than 75 performing
groups raised some $250 million for the charity. In the months
following the concert, U2's record sales skyrocketed and have never
come back down. In 1986, the band headlined a promotional tour to
support Amnesty International, and the effort reportedly tripled the
organization's membership.
In the 1990s, the band's music and concerts mocked the excesses of
commercialism. Some critics failed to understand that Bono's
exaggerated on-stage personas during the "Zoo TV" tour were parodies,
and thus concluded that the band had given in to what they in fact were
criticizing. In the early 2000s, U2 shifted from stadium extravaganzas
to performing in smaller arenas where they were closer to their
audiences. In 2004, the band teamed up with iPod for an innovative
promotional campaign.
U2 continues their work for charity and social action. They promoted
the Northern Ireland Peace Accords, raised money for the survivors of
the Omagh bombing, played in devastated Sarajevo following the war
there, helped bolster the shaky economy of New York City by playing
there following the September 11 terrorist attacks, participated in the
Live 8 series of concerts to relieve Third World debt, and continue to
promote the Make Poverty History campaign. Bono has become prominent in
efforts to end poverty and seek relief from AIDS and promote trade for
Africa. He has become quite celebrated for these efforts apart from his
music and he often finds himself publicly hobnobbing with presidents
and finance ministers to promote these charitable ends.
U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. By that
year, they had won 22 Grammy awards, a historic record surpassed only
by Stevie Wonder.