Bono, the legendary lyricist and lead singer of U2, shares his captivating journey from Dublin's streets to global stages. He delves into the profound impact of his mother's early death on his music, considering grief as a source of inspiration. The conversation touches on the band's struggle with faith, the significance of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' amidst political turmoil, and the broader role of music in advocating for justice. Bono also reflects on friendship's role in creativity and the importance of harmony among band members in their artistic endeavors.
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Early Ambition Fueled by Desperation
Bono explains megalomania mixed with desperation fueled his early ambition in U2.
Music became a release and sense of self after childhood challenges and distractions.
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Loss Inspired Musical Growth
Bono turned his mother's death into a creative opening, filling that hole with music.
After his father's death, he found a new vocal confidence, shifting from baritone to tenor.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Band Almost Breaks up over Faith
The band nearly broke up over struggles between religious faith and music ambition.
Their manager humorously confronted them about God and legal contracts during this crisis.
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Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story is an autobiography that delves into Bono's life, from his early days in Dublin to U2's rise to fame and his extensive work in social justice. The book is structured around 40 U2 songs, each chapter offering insights into his personal struggles, relationships, and faith. Bono candidly discusses his mistakes, successes, and the role of faith in his life, making this memoir both personal and profound.
In 2022, The New Yorker published a personal history about growing up in Ireland during the nineteen-sixties and seventies. It covers the interfaith marriage of the author’s parents, which was unusual in Dublin; his mother’s early death; and finding his calling in music. The author was Bono, for more than forty years the lyricist and lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. As U2 sold out arenas and stadiums, Bono held forth on a range of social causes; he became “the definitive rock star of the modern era,” as Kelefa Sanneh puts it. Bono joined David Remnick at the 2022 New Yorker Festival to talk about his new memoir, “Surrender.” “When I sang in U2, something got a hold of me,” Bono said. “And it made sense of me.” They discussed how the band almost ended because of the members’ religious faith, and how they navigated the Troubles as a bunch of young men from Dublin suddenly on the world stage. Bono shared a life lesson from Paul McCartney, and he opened up about the early death of his mother. “This wound in me just turned into this opening where I had to fill the hole with music,” Bono said. In the loss of a loved one, “there’s sometimes a gift. The opening up of music came from my mother.”
This segment originally aired on October 28, 2022.