U2, a rock group from Ireland, is one of the most popular bands in rock music history. The group consists of Bono, the lead singer; the Edge, who plays guitar; Adam Clayton, the bassist; and Larry Mullen, Jr., the drummer.
U2 has maintained its international popularity since the 1980’s while remaining one of the most adventurous bands in rock music. The group has incorporated strong pacifist, Christian, and political themes into its music since its early years, and its influence has extended beyond the music world. Bono, in particular, has become a spokesman for such causes as aid for impoverished African nations and banning nuclear weapons.
U2 was organized in Dublin, Ireland, in 1976 as a group named Feedback. The group changed its name to the Hype before finally taking the name U2 in 1978. The band recorded its first album, Boy, in 1980. U2 gained its first major recognition with the album War (1983), which dealt with many political subjects, such as religious strife in Northern Ireland. The band’s 1987 album The Joshua Tree was a hit. It included the number-one songs “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, U2 secured its position as perhaps the most popular band in rock music with exciting live concerts and such albums as Achtung Baby (1991), Zooropa (1993), Pop (1997), All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000), How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), and No Line on the Horizon (2009). U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Bono, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, was born on May 10, 1960. He and Mullen, born on Oct. 31, 1961, are both natives of Dublin. The Edge, whose real name is David Evans, was born in Barking, London, England, on Aug. 8, 1961. Clayton was born in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England, on March 13, 1960. Bono gained attention beyond his musical performances with his political activism. He has met with world leaders, including Pope John Paul II; British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and United States Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The members of U2 became Kennedy Center honorees in 2022. The Kennedy Center Honors are awarded for contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
