Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nicknameBono (/ˈbɒnoʊ/BON-oh), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist.[1] He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of therock bandU2. Bono is known for his impassioned vocal style as well as his grandiose songwriting and performance style. His lyrics frequently include social and political themes, and religious imagery inspired by hisChristian faith.[2][3]
Born and raised inDublin, Ireland, he attendedMount Temple Comprehensive School where in 1976 he began dating his future wife,Alison Stewart, as well as forming, with schoolmates, the band that became U2.[4][5] During U2's early years, Bono's lyrics contributed to the group's rebellious and spiritual tone.[2] As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences shared with the other members.[4][2] As a member of U2, Bono has received 22Grammy Awards and has been inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Aside from his music, Bono is an activist for social justice causes, both through U2 and as an individual. He is particularly active in campaigning to fightextreme poverty andHIV/AIDS in Africa, for which he co-founded DATA,EDUN, theONE Campaign, andProduct Red.[4][6] In pursuit of these causes, he has participated in benefit concerts and lobbied politicians and heads of state for relief.[6][7][8] Bono has received numerous honours for his philanthropic efforts,[9][10][11] including being named one of theTime Persons of the Year in 2005, being granted an honoraryknighthood byElizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 2007, being made aCommandeur of the FrenchOrdre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) in 2013,[9][12][13] and receiving thePresidential Medal of Freedom in the United States in 2025. Bono has also attracted criticism for bypassing African businesses in his activist efforts and for tax avoidance in his personal finances.[14][15]
Paul David Hewson was born in theRotunda Hospital inDublin on 10 May 1960,[22] the second child of Iris (née Rankin) and Brendan Robert "Bob" Hewson, then living inStillorgan on Dublin'sSouthside.[23]: 16 His brother, Norman, is eight years older than he is. Bono's family moved to a new house on Cedarwood Road, between theNorthside suburbs ofFinglas[24][25] andBallymun[26][27] when he was six weeks old, and he grew up there.[23]: 16 [a]
The Hewson brothers grew up in aninterdenominational Christian household; their mother was a member of theChurch of Ireland, and their father was aRoman Catholic.[29][4] Both parents initially agreed that the first child would be raisedAnglican and the second Catholic.[23]: 15 Although Bono was the second child, he also attended Church of Ireland services with his mother and brother,[23] while his father also sometimes brought him to Mass at the nearby Catholic church, St Canice's.[30] In 2000, Bono learned that Scott Rankin, a relative he thought to be his cousin, was actually his half-brother; Rankin was the offspring of an affair that Bob Hewson had with his wife's sister Barbara.[31]
Bono's mother died on 10 September 1974, three days after suffering a rupturedcerebral aneurysm at her father's funeral.[4][35] Many U2 songs, including "I Will Follow", "Mofo", "Out of Control", "Lemon" and "Tomorrow", focus on the loss of his mother.[4][36][37] He said "because of the way I grew up in Finglas—sleeping on a couch, or because my mother died when I was a kid, I was in the house on my own a lot of the time, so I'd knock on the door of the Hanveys at teatime, or the Rowens at lunchtime."[38]
During his childhood and adolescence, Bono and his friends were part of asurrealist street gang called "Lypton Village". Two of his closest childhood friends, the artistGuggi and the musicianGavin Friday, lived on the same street; Guggi was also in Lypton Village. The gang had a ritual of giving nicknames. Bono had several names: first, he was known as "Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang",[39] then just "Huyseman", followed by "Houseman", "Bon Murray", "Bono Vox of O'Connell Street", and finally just "Bono".[4] "Bono Vox" is a modified form ofBonavox, which is the name of a hearing aid shop just off Dublin's principal street, O'Connell Street.[30][40] The name derives from theLatin phrase for "good voice". The nickname was given by Guggi; Bono initially disliked it but after learning of its translation, he accepted it. Hewson has been known as "Bono" since the age of 14 or 15.[30] In addition to it being his stage name, close family, friends and fellow band members also refer to him as Bono.[4]
After Bono left school,[when?] his father told him he could live at home for one year, but if he was not able to pay his own way, he would have to leave the house.[41]
On 25 September 1976, Bono,David Evans ("The Edge"), his brotherDik Evans, andAdam Clayton responded to an advertisement on a bulletin board at Mount Temple posted by fellow studentLarry Mullen Jr. seeking people interested in forming a rock band.[42] The band had occasional jam sessions in which they did covers of other bands. Tired of long guitar solos and hard rock, Bono wanted to playthe Rolling Stones andBeach Boys songs.[43] The band could not play covers very well, so they started writing their own songs.[44]
Bono on stage in 1983
The band went by the name "Feedback" for a few months, before changing to "The Hype" later on. After Dik Evans left the group to join another local band, theVirgin Prunes, the remaining four officially changed the name from "The Hype" to "U2". Initially, Bono sang, played guitar and wrote the band's songs. He said of his early guitar playing in a 1982 interview, "When we started out I was the guitar player, along with the Edge—except I couldn't play guitar. I still can't. I was such a lousy guitar player that one day they broke it to me that maybe I should sing instead. I had tried before, but I had no voice at all. I remember the day I found I could sing. I said, 'Oh, that's how you do it.'"[45] When The Edge's guitar playing improved, Bono was relegated mostly to the microphone, although he occasionally still plays rhythm guitar and harmonica. As of 2006, Bono has taken piano lessons from his children's piano teacher as a means to improve his songwriting.[46]
On 13 July 1985, U2 performed at theLive Aid benefit concert atWembley Stadium before a crowd of 72,000 fans and a worldwide television audience of 1.5 billion people.[47][48] During a 12-minute performance of "Bad", Bono climbed down from the stage to embrace and dance with a female fan he had picked out of the crowd,[47] showing television viewers the personal connection that he could make with audiences.[49] Bono's impromptu departure from the stage extended the length of "Bad", cutting into their allotted time and forcing them to drop "Pride (In the Name of Love)", their biggest hit at the time, from their setlist. The group initially regarded the concert as a missed opportunity,[47] but many journalists called their performance one of the show's highlights;[48]The Guardian cited Live Aid as the event that made stars of U2 and their performance as one of 50 key events in rock history.[50]
Bono writes the lyrics for almost all U2 songs, which often have social and political themes.[2] His lyrics frequently allude to a religious connection or meaning, evident in songs such as "Gloria" from the band's albumOctober and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" fromThe Joshua Tree.[3] During the band's early years, Bono was known for his rebellious tone which turned to political anger and rage during the band'sWar,The Joshua Tree, andRattle and Hum eras.[2] Following theEnniskillen bombing that left 11 dead and 63 injured on 8 November 1987, theProvisional IRA paramilitaries threatened to kidnap Bono.[4] IRA supporters also attacked a vehicle carrying the band members.[4] These acts were in response to his speech condemning the Enniskillen bombing during a live performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday".[4] Bono had been advised to cut his on-stage outburst from theRattle and Hum film, but it was left in.[51]
The film also contains footage of the band's 11 November 1987 free "Save the Yuppies" concert atJustin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, during which Bono spray-painted "Rock N Roll Stops the Traffic" on theVaillancourt Fountain sculpture. Bono was criticised by MayorDianne Feinstein and faced a misdemeanour for defacing public property. He apologised in a written statement to local officials, and the band's promoterBill Graham agreed to pay to clean up the graffiti.[52] With the band feeling a sense of musical stagnation towards the end of theLovetown Tour, Bono hinted at changes to come during a 30 December 1989 concert; before a hometown crowd in Dublin, he said on stage that it was "the end of something for U2", and that "we have to go away and ... dream it all up again".[53][54]
Bono as his alter-ego "The Fly" on theZoo TV Tour in 1992
U2's sound and focus dramatically changed with their 1991 album,Achtung Baby. Bono's lyrics became more personal, inspired by experiences related to the private lives of the members of the band.[4][2] During the band's 1992–1993Zoo TV Tour, Bono assumed a number of costumedstage personae in an attempt to be more lighthearted and escape the group's reputation of being overly serious and self-righteous.[55] Bono said: "All through the Eighties we tried to be ourselves and failed when the lights were on. Which is what set us up for Zoo TV. We decided to have some fun being other people, or at least other versions of ourselves."[56] Bono's primary persona during the tour was "the Fly", which originated from him wearing an oversized pair ofblaxploitation sunglasses, given to him by wardrobe manager Fintan Fitzgerald, to lighten the mood in the studio.[57][58] He developed the persona into a leather-clad egomaniac, and described his outfit as havingLou Reed's glasses,Elvis Presley's jacket, andJim Morrison's leather trousers.[59] To match the character's dark fashion, Bono dyed his naturally-brown hair black.[60] In contrast to his earnest stage demeanour of the 1980s, as the Fly, Bono strutted around the stage with "swagger and style", exhibiting mannerisms of an egotistical rock star.[61] He often stayed in character as the Fly away from the stage, including for public appearances and when staying in hotels.[62]
For his "Mirror Ball Man" stage character, Bono dressed in a shining silverlamé suit with matching shoes and cowboy hat.[63] The character was meant to parody greedy Americantelevangelists, showmen, and car salesman, and was inspired byPhil Ochs' Elvis persona from his 1970 tour.[64] Bono said that the character represented "a kind of showman America. He had the confidence and charm to pick up a mirror and look at himself and give the glass a big kiss. He loved cash and in his mind success was God's blessing."[65] Mirror Ball Man appeared during encores of concerts in 1992 and madeprank calls from the stage, often to theWhite House in an attempt to reach U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush.[63] Bono portrayed this alter ego on the first three legs of the tour, but replaced him with "MacPhisto" in 1993.[66] MacPhisto was created to parody thedevil and was named afterMephistopheles of theFaust legend.[66] As MacPhisto, Bono wore a gold lamé suit with gold platform shoes, pale makeup, lipstick, and devil's horns on his head.[67] As the character, Bono spoke with an exaggerated upper-class English accent, similar to that of a down-on-his-luck character actor.[66] According to him, "We came up with a sort of old English Devil, a pop star long past his prime returning regularly from sessions on The Strip in Vegas and regaling anyone who would listen to him at cocktail hour with stories from the good old, bad old days."[68] As MacPhisto, Bono continued his routine of making in-concert prank calls, targeting local politicians and mocking them by engaging them in character as the devil;[69] he said, "When you're dressed as the Devil, your conversation is immediately loaded, so if you tell somebody you really like what they're doing, you know it's not a compliment."[68]
During performances, Bono attempts to interact with the crowd as often as possible. He is known for pulling audience members onto the stage or moving himself down to the physical level of the audience.[4] In 2005, during U2'sVertigo Tour stop in Chicago, he pulled a boy onto the stage during the song "An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart".[4][70] Bono has often allowed fans to come on stage and perform songs with the band.
While accepting the2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "The Hands That Built America", Bono called the award "really, really fucking brilliant!" during the live television broadcast.[71] In response, theParents Television Council condemned Bono for his profanity and started a campaign for its members to file complaints with theFCC.[72] Although Bono's use of "fuck" violated FCC indecency standards, the FCC refused to fine NBC because the network did not receive advance notice of the consequences of broadcasting such profanity and the profanity in question was not used in its literal sexual meaning.[73]In apparent reaction to the refusal,[74] a group of congressmen introducedHouse Resolution 3687, the "Clean Airwaves Act",[75] on 8 December 2003,[76] aiming to amendsection 1464 of title 18 of the United States Code to provide an explicit list of profane words and phrases and remove ambiguity that could enable certain uses of the phrases to be allowed.[77] The bill was not enacted.[76] The incident has had a long-term impact on the handling of profanity on live broadcasts.[75]
U2 were criticised in 2007 for moving part of their multimillion-euro song catalogue from Ireland toAmsterdam six months before Ireland ended a tax exemption on musicians' royalties.[11][78] Under Dutch tax law, bands are subject to low to non-existent tax rates.[11] U2 managerPaul McGuinness stated that the arrangement was legal and customary and businesses often sought to minimise their tax burdens.[11] The move prompted criticisms in theIrish parliament.[79][80] The band later responded by stating that approximately 95% of their business took place outside Ireland, and that they were taxed globally because of this.[81] Bono was one of several wealthy figures whose tax arrangements were singled out for criticism in a report by the charityChristian Aid in 2008.[15]
Solo
The marquee of theChicago Theatre, prior to a November 2022 performance during his Stories of Surrender tour
In November 2022, Bono embarked on a 14-datebook tour across North America and Europe called "Stories of Surrender" to promote his memoirSurrender: 40 Songs, One Story.[82] For the shows, he recited and acted out passages from his book and performed U2 songs in stripped-down arrangements. Though described as a "one-man show",[83] the performances were aided by musicians Kate Ellis (cello, keyboards, vocals),Gemma Doherty (harp, keyboards, vocals), and U2 producerJacknife Lee ("musical director" – keyboards, percussion).[84][85] Bono continued the tour with aresidency of 11 shows at theBeacon Theatre in New York City from April to May 2023,[86] which grossed $6.8 million.[87] The shows were filmed for a documentary film,Bono: Stories of Surrender, which was released onApple TV+ on 30 May 2025. It was also made available as an Apple Immersive Video for theApple Vision Pro headset, making it the first feature-length film to be released in the format.[88] Bono also released an EP of the same name with live performances of three songs to coincide with the film's release.[89]
Bono is known for his impassioned vocal style, often delivered in a highregister through open-throatedbelting.[123][124][125][126] Bono has been classified as atenor,[127][128] and according to him has a three-octavevocal range;[129] one analysis found it to span from C♯2 to G♯5 on studio recordings over the course of his career.[130] He frequently employs "whoa-oh-oh" vocalisations in his singing.[131] Rock musicianBillie Joe Armstrong ofGreen Day said: "He's a physical singer, like the leader of a gospel choir, and he gets lost in the melodic moment. He goes to a place outside himself, especially in front of an audience, when he hits those high notes." He added that Bono is "not afraid to go beyond what he's capable of".[132]
In the early days of U2, Bono unintentionally developed an English vocal accent as a result of him mimicking his musical influences such asSiouxsie and the Banshees.[133] He said: "I still think that I sing like Siouxsie from The Banshees on the first two U2 albums. But I found my voice throughJoey Ramone at that gig in Dublin. I stood there and heard him singing. He sang a bit like a girl too. It was all going to be OK after all. That was my way in."[134] His vocal style evolved during the band's exploration of roots music forThe Joshua Tree;Spin said that he learned to command "the full whisper-to-shout range of blues mannerisms".[135] Bono attributed this maturation to "loosening up", "discover[ing] other voices", and employing more restraint in his singing.[136] For "Where the Streets Have No Name", Bono varied thetimbre of his voice extensively and usedrubato and controlledvibrato to vary its timing,[137] while author Susan Fast found "With or Without You" to be the first track on which he "extended his vocal range downward in an appreciable way".[138]
Bono continued to explore a lower range in the 1990s, using what Fast described as "breathy and subdued colors" forAchtung Baby.[139] One technique used on the album isoctave doubling, in which his vocals are sung in two different octaves, either simultaneously or alternating between verses and choruses. According to Fast, this technique introduces "a contrasting lyrical idea and vocal character to deliver it", leading to both literal and ironic interpretations of Bono's vocals.[140] On tracks such as "Zoo Station" and "The Fly", his vocals were highlyprocessed,[127][141][142] giving them a different emotional feel from his previous work.[143] Bono said that lowering his voice helped him find a new vocal vocabulary, as he previously felt limited to "certain words and tones" by his tenor voice.[144] His singing onZooropa was an even further departure from U2's previous style; throughout the record, Bono "underplay[ed] his lung power", according toJon Pareles,[145] and he also used an operaticfalsetto he calls the "Fat Lady" voice on the tracks "Lemon" and "Numb".[68][146] As he has aged, Bono has continued to evolve his singing, relying more on "thecroon than the belt", according toRolling Stone's Joe Gross.[147]
He has used a Shure SM58 Premier S2 radio microphone in live performances; this was replaced by the Shure UHF-R series and he now uses a B58 capsule instead of the SM58 capsule.[citation needed] He is known to record in the studio with a standard Shure SM58 microphone.[citation needed]
Bono has been involved in philanthropy and activism forhuman rights andsocial justice causes, both as a member of U2 and as an individual. He explained that he was motivated to become involved in social and political causes by seeing one of theSecret Policeman's Ball benefit shows, staged byMonty Python memberJohn Cleese and producerMartin Lewis for the human-rights organisationAmnesty International in 1979.[148] Bono stated, "I sawThe Secret Policeman's Ball and it became a part of me. It sowed a seed...".[149]
In 1984, musicianBob Geldof enlisted Bono to participate in theBand Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?";[150] Bono reprised his singing role for the 2004Band Aid 20 and 2014Band Aid 30 singles of the same name. In July 1985, U2 performed at theLive Aid charity concert, which was organised by Geldof to benefit theEthiopian famine;[151] he and Bono later collaborated to organise the 20th anniversaryLive 8 concerts in 2005, at which U2 also performed.[8]
Bono with then-PresidentLula da Silva of Brazil in 2006
From September to October 1985, Bono and his wife Ali Hewson made a humanitarian visit to Africa, spending a month working at a feeding centre in Ajibar, Ethiopia.[152] Along with other volunteers, they developed an educational programme consisting of songs and one-act plays to teach Ethiopian children important information about issues such as health and hygiene.[153] During the trip, he also became aware of the corruption, trade agreements, and debts that were all claimed to be contributing factors to the famine and poverty in Africa.[153] The trip was cited as fueling Bono's passion for African issues that would come to characterise his future philanthropic and activist efforts.[152][153]
In 1986, Bono and U2 performed on Amnesty International'sConspiracy of Hope Tour of benefit concerts in the United States,[7] alongside musicians such asSting andBryan Adams.
Since 1999, Bono has become increasingly involved with raising awareness of the plight of Africa and campaigning on its behalf. From 1999 to 2000, Bono was involved with theJubilee 2000 coalition, working as an activist on itsDrop the Debt campaign. He met withU.S. Treasury SecretaryLawrence Summers, and with U.S. Republican politicians such asJesse Helms,John Kasich,Orrin Hatch,J. Dennis Hastert, andDick Armey in an effort to secure bipartisan support for the U.S. forgiving thedebt of developing countries.[154] He has met with several influential politicians, including former U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush and former Canadian Prime MinisterPaul Martin.[155] During a March 2002 visit to the White House, Bono lobbied Bush to provide financial assistance to developing countries.[155][156] The following year, Bush signed legislation authorising thePresident's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program,[157] which has been credited with saving 17 million lives over its lifetime.[158] Bush told Bono that the initiative "never would have made it out ofCongress had [Bono] not been engaged".[159]
The advocacynon-government organisation (NGO)DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) was established in 2002 by Bono andBobby Shriver, along with activists from Drop the Debt.[160] The organisation was funded by theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation,George Soros, andEdward W. Scott.[161] In 2004, Bono and Shriver co-founded theOne Campaign, with the aim of eliminatingextreme poverty and disease in Africa by building citizen support.[162][163] The organisation received a $3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[164] In 2006, Bono and Shriver collaborated again to found (Red), an organization that licenses theProduct Red brand to partner companies to raise money forthe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Each company creates a product with the Product Red logo, and a percentage of the profits from the sale of these labelled products benefit the Global Fund.[165] Partner companies includeAmerican Express,Apple,Converse,Motorola,Microsoft,Dell,The Gap,Giorgio Armani,[166][167]Nike, andStarbucks; Bono was involved with securing most of Red's corporate partners.[168] In October 2007, it was announced that DATA and One Campaign would merge in the United States and that the new organization would be known simply as One.[162] Red currently operates as a sister organisation of One.[163] As of December 2018, One has 10 million members, 3 million of whom are in Africa.[163] As of December 2020, Red has generated $650 million to support HIV/AIDS grants.[169] In 2023, Bono announced he would leave the board of directors of the One Campaign at the end of the year.[170]
Bono has spoken at numerous events on behalf of his activist efforts. He spoke at the 54th AnnualNational Prayer Breakfast on 2 February 2006, encouraging the care of the socially and economically depressed and calling for an extra one per centtithe of the United States' national budget.[6] He has made multiple appearances at theWorld Economic Forum annual meeting inDavos, Switzerland.[172][173][174][175]
Bono was a special guest editor of the July 2007 issue ofVanity Fair magazine, named "The Africa Issue: Politics & Power". It featured an assortment of 20 different covers, with photographs byAnnie Leibovitz of a number of celebrities, political leaders, and philanthropists, each showcasing their contributions to humanitarian relief in Africa.[176]
In 2021, Bono lent his voice to One's animated seriesPandemica, which was created to raise awareness of the importance of vaccines in ending theCOVID-19 pandemic and theinequalities in worldwide vaccine availability.[177]
In 2022, Bono supported Ukraine's resistance tobeing invaded by Russia. A poem written by Bono aboutSaint Patrick and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was recited byNancy Pelosi at a White House event forSaint Patrick's Day, on 17 March 2022. The poem was widely derided by the public.[178][179][180][181] In early April, Bono and the Edge recorded an acoustic rendition of "Walk On" forGlobal Citizen's Stand Up for Ukraine livestream, which was organised to urge world leaders to raise funds forUkrainian refugees.[182] On 8 May 2022, as a show of solidarity for Ukrainians and at the invitation of Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, Bono and the Edge performed in aKyiv metro station that was being used as a makeshift bomb shelter.[183]
Efficacy and analysis
Bono meeting with US PresidentBarack Obama in 2010
Bono has become one of the world's best-known philanthropic performers and was named the most politically effective celebrity of all time by theNational Journal.[184][185][186] He has been dubbed "the face of fusion philanthropy",[187] both for his success enlisting powerful allies from a diverse spectrum of leaders in government, religious institutions, philanthropic organisations, popular media, and the business world, as well as for spearheading new organizational networks that bind global humanitarian relief with geopolitical activism and corporate commercial enterprise.[13]
On 15 December 2005,Paul Theroux published an op-ed inThe New York Times called "The Rock Star's Burden" (cf.Kipling's "The White Man's Burden") that criticised stars such as Bono,Brad Pitt, andAngelina Jolie, labelling them as "mythomaniacs, people who wish to convince the world of their worth." Theroux, who lived in Africa as aPeace Corps volunteer, added that "the impression that Africa is fatally troubled andcan be saved only by outside help—not to mention celebrities and charity concerts—is a destructive and misleading conceit."[188]
In February 2006, Bono responded to his critics by calling them "cranks carping from the sidelines. A lot of them wouldn't know what to do if they were on the field. They're the party who will always be in opposition so they'll never have to take responsibility for decisions because they know they'll never be able to implement them."[189]
In an article in Bloomberg Markets in March 2007, journalistsRichard Tomlinson and Fergal O'Brien noted that Bono used his band's 2006 Vertigo world tour to promote his ONE Campaign while at the same time "U2 was racking up $389 million in gross ticket receipts, making Vertigo the second-most lucrative tour of all time, according to Billboard magazine ... Revenue from the Vertigo tour is funnelled through companies that are mostly registered in Ireland and structured to minimise taxes."[190]
Further criticism came in November 2007, when Bono's various charity campaigns were targeted by Jobs Selasie, head of African Aid Action. Selasie claimed that these charities had increased corruption and dependency in Africa because they failed to work with African entrepreneurs and grassroots organisations, and as a result, Africa has become more dependent on international handouts.[14]
Other creative endeavours
Art
Bono sketches and paints as a hobby. He developed his art style by drawing and painting on photographs, which he learned from his father who used to add colour to black-and-whiteinstant film photographs of his wife. Describing Bono's interest in visual artwork,The Atlantic's editor-in-chiefJeffrey Goldberg said, "He just walks around with aniPad and sketches everything."[191]
Bono and his daughters Jordan and Eve provided original paintings for a 2003 book adaptation ofPeter and the Wolf, which accompanied a musical release by Bono's friend Gavin Friday andMaurice Seezer. A CD-book package was released in November 2003. Bono's paintings, which were inspired by the 2001 death of his father, were auctioned atChristie's in New York. Proceeds from the sales of the paintings and CD-book package benefitted the Irish Hospice Foundation.[192][193]
Bono's drawings of his musical influences were featured in a December 2022 issue ofThe Atlantic in an article profiling him. The following year, Goldberg commissioned him to illustrate the cover ofThe Atlantic's June 2023 issue for a story about Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy. Bono's artwork, a line-drawing sketched portrait of Zelenskyy in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, was inspired byprotest art and political posters.[191] U2 also sold merchandise featuring the portrait, including T-shirts, posters, and hoodies, with all proceeds benefitingUnited24 to purchase ambulances for Ukraine.[194]
Bono was an executive producer ofBill Carter's 1995 documentary filmMiss Sarajevo. Carter had previously enlisted U2's help in bringing attention to theSiege of Sarajevo during their 1993 concerts on the Zoo TV Tour.[195] Bono was also executive producer of the 2000 filmThe Million Dollar Hotel, which was developed from a story by himself and Nicholas Klein. It starredJeremy Davies,Milla Jovovich, andMel Gibson.[196]
In the 2007 musical filmAcross the Universe, Bono made a cameo appearance during a psychedelic sequence, portraying the character "Dr. Robert" and singing the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus".[197] Bono served as an executive producer of the 2018 filmWaiting for the Miracle to Come.[198] Bono participated in the 2019 documentaryPavarotti, in which he expressed his admiration for the titular Italian tenorLuciano Pavarotti.[199]
Bono voiced a character in the 2021 animated musical filmSing 2, the lion rock legend Clay Calloway.[200] In April 2023,Max andCartoon Network greenlit a short animated film adaption ofPeter & the Wolf with artwork based on Bono's original illustrations for his 2003 book. The project features narration and music by Friday.[201]
Writings
Bono's memoir,Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, was released on 1 November 2022, and was promoted with abook tour called "Stories of Surrender".[202] The book debuted at number two onThe New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending 5 November 2022.[203] For his work narrating theaudiobook version ofSurrender,[204] Bono won the Audiobook of the Year honour at the 2024Audie Awards.[205] An abridged and updated version of the book with a new introduction was released in paperback under the titleBono: Stories of Surrender, as a tie-in to the Apple TV+ film of the same name released in May 2025.[88]
Business ventures
Bono performing with U2 in 2011
In 1992, Bono, along with the Edge, bought and refurbished Dublin's two-star 70-bedroomClarence Hotel, and converted it into a five-star 49-bedroom hotel.[21] In 2019, they sold the hotel leasehold,[206] and four years later, they sold the property.[207] Bono and McKillen are also co-owners of Clós Nua Ltd., a company that owns the Tramyard site in Dalkey and plans to redevelop it.[208]
In 2005, Bono, Ali Hewson, and designer Rogan Gregory co-founded theEDUN fashion label ("nude" spelled backwards, to suggest both "natural" and theGarden of Eden).[209] It was intended to help bring about positive change in Africa through afair trade-based relationship rather than by direct aid.[210][211]
Bono was a board member of theElevation Partners private-equity firm, which attempted to purchaseEidos Interactive in 2005 and subsequently invested in other entertainment businesses.[20][212] Bono was an investor in the Forbes Media group in the U.S. through Elevation Partners; his firm took a minority stake in Forbes Media, which encompassed the 89-year-old business that includesForbes magazine, the Forbes.com website, and other assets. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports said the stake was worth about €194 million ($250 million).[213][214][215] Elevation Partners also owned a 1.5 per cent stake in social networking siteFacebook, originally purchased for $210 million.[19] Although it was reported that Bono's stake was valued at approximately US$1 billion in February 2012,[216][217] a 2015 article inForbes stated that this estimate was based on an incorrect attribution of shares.[218]
In 2016, Bono invested in and joined the board of directors of the "Rise Fund", a new $2 billionimpact investment fund founded byTPG.[219] Rise's investments fell across seven sectors, including agriculture, education, and healthcare, and were made into companies making "a measurable positive social and/or environmental impact".[220] In 2019, Bono and TPG announced the creation of Y Analytics, a company intended to measure the social and environmental impacts of investments.[221]
Bono was among those named in the 2017Paradise Papers after he was identified as an investor in Nude Estates, which bought a shopping mall in Lithuania in 2007 and transferred ownership to Nude Estates 1 in Guernsey, in an apparent attempt to avoid tax. Bono welcomed the subsequent investigation by the Lithuanian tax authority, saying that transparency was necessary and he had personally campaigned for it.[222] Nude Estates paid €53,000 in taxes and fines after the investigation was completed and Bono severed ties with the company.[223]
In September 2019, Bono joined the board of directors ofZipline.[224]
In 2003, Bono received theLegion of Honour from the French government,[237] and theMusiCares Person of the Year award.[238] The following year he was awarded thePablo Neruda International Presidential Medal of Honour from the Government of Chile.[239]Time included Bono on its annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in 2004[240] and 2006.[241] In 2005, the magazine named him,Bill andMelinda Gates thePersons of the Year.[13] Also in 2005, he received the PortugueseOrder of Liberty for his humanitarian work.[242] That year Bono was also among the first three recipients of theTED Prize, which grants each winner a "wish to change the world".[243] Bono made three wishes,[244] the first two related to the One Campaign and the third that every hospital, health clinic, and school in Ethiopia could be connected to the Internet. TED rejected the third wish as being a sub-optimal way for TED to help Africa[244] and instead organised a TED conference in Arusha, Tanzania. Bono attended the conference, which was held in June 2007.
In 2007, Bono received several honours. At the38th NAACP Image Awards, he won the Chairman's Award.[246] He was named in the UK'sNew Year Honours List as anhonoraryKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[12][247] He was formally granted honorary knighthood on 29 March in a ceremony at the residence of British AmbassadorDavid Reddaway in Dublin, Ireland.[248] On 27 September, Bono and DATA received thePhiladelphia Liberty Medal for their humanitarian efforts. While accepting the honour, Bono said, "When you are trapped by poverty, you are not free. When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grew, you are not free." Bono donated the $100,000 prize to DATA;Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala accepted the prize on the organisation's behalf.[249]
On 11 December 2008, Bono received the annualMan of Peace prize, which is awarded by severalNobel Peace Prize laureates in Paris, France.[250]
Time ranked Bono 8th on its list of the "Most Influential Celebrities" in 2013; he was the only person from the music industry in the Top 10.[251] In July 2013, he was honoured by the French government as aCommandeur deOrdre des Arts et des Lettres, the country's highest cultural honour.[237]
In 2016,Glamour named him "Man of the Year", breaking the 26-year tradition that saw the "Woman of the Year" accolade reserved only for women. Bono was recognized for establishing a campaign called "Poverty is Sexist", which is "specifically aimed at helping the world's poorest women".[252] In 2018, he was the first recipient of the George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership, which was awarded byBush's Presidential Center; the honour was in recognition of Bono's humanitarian work against poverty and HIV/AIDS.[253]
On 1 April 2022, Bono received the 2021 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding from theFulbright Association in recognition of his activist efforts.[254]
In January 2025, Bono was awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States, by PresidentJoe Biden.[255] A statement onwhitehouse.gov called Bono a "pioneering activist against AIDS and poverty" and credited him with creating bipartisan support for the U.S. PEPFAR program for AIDS relief.[256]
At the age of thirteen, Bono metAlison "Ali" Stewart, who was one year below him at Mount Temple Comprehensive School.[257][258] After the September 1974 death of his mother left him emotionally adrift and in conflict with his father and brother,[258] Stewart began taking care of him.[259] In 1976, Bono and Stewart began dating.[257][260] The pair split up briefly but reunited.[261] Their relationship became more serious as she accompanied him in his efforts to break through in the music industry, and by 1979 they were discussing marriage, conditional upon his career becoming established.[262]
"Our marriage has worked because we like each other, because we talk to each other, and we are passionate about what we do. We allow each other to pursue our goals. I wouldn't want to be married to someone who wasn't happy with what they were doing in life, and B wouldn't either. I have learned a lot about what it means to be married, how great it can be if you persevere. We're very close. He says I'm very good with the dog whistle."
Stewart and Bono married on 31 August 1982[264][265] in aChurch of Ireland ceremony[266] atAll Saints Church in her home area,Raheny.[259] The ceremony combined rituals of both conventional Protestantism and the Shalom Friendship Christian group that Bono and other U2 members had belonged to.[267] U2 was in debt to their record labelIsland Records so the couple could not afford a honeymoon, but the label's founderChris Blackwell gave them use of theGoldeneye estate he owned inJamaica.[268] After returning to Ireland, the couple moved to a smallmews house inHowth, which they shared with the rest of U2.[269]
The couple have four children: daughters Jordan (born 10 May 1989) andEve (born 7 July 1991) and sonsElijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (born 17 August 1999) and John Abraham (born 20 May 2001).[270] Elijah is the lead vocalist and guitarist in the rock bandInhaler,[271] while Eve is an established actress.[272]
Residences
The gates of Bono and Ali Hewson's principal property, Temple Hill, on Vico Road, Killiney, County Dublin
After leaving the Howth peninsula, Bono and Ali bought aMartello tower inBray in northernCounty Wicklow, south of Dublin.[273] Since the 1980s, they have maintained a primary home on Vico Road, in the affluent Dublin suburb ofKilliney. The house, Temple Hill, is located on the slopes ofKilliney Hill and has views of Killiney Bay. Bono's childhood friendGavin Friday lives next door.[274][275][276] Some years after the original purchase, the Hewsons bought one neighbouring house, Curlews,[277] and shortly after, a second, the castellated Lios Beag.[278]
Bono and Ali also own residences in the south of France and New York. In the late 1980s or early 1990s,[when?] Bono bought a top-floor duplex apartment in Manhattan'sSan Remo apartment building fromSteve Jobs for $15 million. Jobs had renovated it for his own use, but never moved in.[279] In 1993, Bono and the Edge co-purchased a seafront house inÈze-sur-Mer in the south of France.[280]
"Spending time with Bono was like eating dinner on a train—feels like you're moving, going somewhere. Bono's got the soul of an ancient poet and you have to be careful around him. He can roar 'till the earth shakes. He's also a closet philosopher...talks about the rightness, the richness, glory, beauty, wonder and magnificence of America."
In 2013, when discussing his faith inJesus Christ,[282] Bono said that Christ was either who he claimed he was or he was "a complete and utter nutcase".[283] As early as 2005, Bono was invoking this argument,[284][285] identified as the "Lewis trilemma".
Health and safety
Bono is almost never seen in public without sunglasses, as he has hadglaucoma since the 1990s; this also makes him sensitive to flash photography.[286] During aRolling Stone interview, he stated:
[I have] very sensitive eyes to light. If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day. My right eye swells up. I've a blockage there, so that my eyes go red a lot. So it's part vanity, it's part privacy, and part sensitivity.[287]
In January 1996, Bono was aboard aGrumman HU-16 aeroplane flown by musicianJimmy Buffett namedHemisphere Dancer that was shot at byJamaican police, who believed the craft to be smuggling marijuana. The aircraft, which sustained minimal damage, was also carrying Ali Hewson, her and Bono's two daughters, Chris Blackwell, and co-pilot Bill Dindy. The Jamaican government acknowledged the mistake and apologized.[288]
In May 2010, while rehearsing for a North American leg of the U2 360° Tour, Bono suffered aherniated disk and severe compression of thesciatic nerve,[289] and he was taken to a clinic inMunich for emergencyneurosurgery.[290][291] The North American tour was postponed and rescheduled for 2011.[292][293]
On 16 November 2014, Bono was involved in a "high energy bicycle accident" when he attempted to avoid another rider inNew York'sCentral Park. Bono was rushed toNewYork–Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Emergency Department and underwent "multiple X-rays and CAT scans" followed by five hours of surgery. Bono sustained fractures of the shoulder blade, humerus, orbit and pinky finger. Orthopaedic trauma surgeon Dean Lorich, MD, stated that "[Bono] was taken urgently to the operating room... where the elbow was washed out and debrided, a nerve trapped in the break was moved and the bone was repaired with three metal plates and 18 screws."[294][295] Bono posted to U2's official website, "As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again", as reported inCycling Weekly.[296]
In 2016, during the recording sessions for U2's albumSongs of Experience, Bono had what the Edge called a "brush with mortality"; as a result of the episode, he decided to rework the album's lyrics.[297]The Irish Times reported that sometime in late 2016 between Christmas and New Year's Day, Bono had a near-death experience.[298] At the time, he did not specify what had happened,[299] but in his 2022 memoirSurrender: 40 Songs, One Story, he revealed that he had undergoneopen-heart surgery due to a"blister" that formed over time in hisaorta as a result of having abicuspid aortic valve.[300] The eight-hour operation was performed byDavid H. Adams atMount Sinai Hospital, and Bono made a full recovery.[301]
^abWall, Mick (2005).Bono (In the Name of Love). London: Andre Deutsch. pp. 21, 22.He remembers Ballymun, the district he was brought up in... a newly built semi-detached house at 10 Cedarwood Road
^Cashmere, P. (14 April 2004). The Corrs Record Another Bono Song.Undercover Media. Retrieved 4 July 2007, fromundercover.com.auArchived 19 June 2007 at theWayback Machine.
^Smykil, J. (4 November 2006). Update: The Other Redmeat "charity". Message posted toarstechnica.comArchived 21 August 2008 at theWayback Machine; Macintouch Reader Reports. (7 November 2006).Fraud Reports: Jack Campbell. Retrieved 14 January 2007, frommacintouch.com.
^Bono stated "when we moved to Cedarwood Road everyone was saying we lived in Ballymun ... I asked my dad, who worked in the postal service, and he said, believe it or not, one part of the road is Ballymun and one part of the road is Finglas, so you can say what you like".[28]
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