About U2

U2 has been perhaps the biggest music act in the world since the late 1980s to the current day. U2 take prominent stands on human rights issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and actions. U2's lead singer, Bono, has become quite prominent in charity movements and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. U2 consists of Bono, lead singer and songwriter; The Edge, lead guitar, keyboards, vocals; Adam Clayton, bass guitar; Larry Mullen Jr., drums. U2's manager is Paul McGuinness.

U2 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".

U2'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. U2 band continued anyway.

U2'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 home town 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, U2'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 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.

U2

U2 - Brief History

U are a popular Irish rock band from Dublin, Ireland It all started back in 1976 when Larry Mullen Jr. posted a message on a high school bulletin board asking for fellow musicians to form a band. Paul Hewson, David Evans, Adam Clayton and Dick Evans responded to the ad and it was at this stage along with Larry Mullen Jr. that the band 'Feedback' was formed. The name came about because of the poor quality of Adam's amplifier, they played covers of Beatles and The Stones. In 1977 the band changed their name to "The Hype", something they were hoping to create, it was the name of David Bowies' backing band. They were influenced by bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols and Bowie. Shortly afterward, Dick Evans left the band to form the 'Virgin Prunes'. Following his departure the group changed their name once again, to the name that has become world famous, U2.

U2's first big break arrived in 1978, when they won a talent contest sponsored by Guinness; the band were in their final year of high school at the time. In the autumn of 1979, U2 released their debut EP U2:3. The tracks included: Out of Control, Stories for Boys, and Boy/Girl. The EP was available only in Ireland and it topped the national charts a sure sign of things to come. It was from here on in that history was made with U2 gaining the loyal following of many a fan from all over the world. The lyrics which U2 choose to sing, deliver meaningful and powerful messages about life, reality, war, poverty,religion and love. It is the musical genius of each and every member of the band that makes them the huge success that they are today.

U2

U2 - Introduction

U2 are a rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland. Famous rock band U2 consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion).



World renowned Irish rock band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. By the mid-1980s, the band had become a top international act. Their success as a live act was greater than their success as a record selling act until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree, which according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band's stature "from heroes to superstars". U2 responded to the dance and alternative rock revolutions and their own sense of musical stagnation by reinventing themselves with their 1991 album Achtung Baby and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour. Since 2000, U2 have pursued a more conventional rock sound that retains the influence of their previous musical explorations.

U2 have sold more than 145 million albums worldwide and have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band. In 2005, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine listed U2 at #22 in its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and social justice causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE Campaign, and Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign.

U2