Bono

Singer, poet, activist, and believer: few icons in the history of rock & roll have created and performed their art with the consciousness and passion of Bono and only a handful have done it as successfully. Whether preaching three chords and the truth or donning ironic personas, the first and only frontman for seminal Irish rock band U2 has always stood unequivocally for hope, faith, and love -- and in so doing has touched millions of people worldwide.



Bono was born Paul Hewson on May 10, 1960, in Dublin, Ireland. His father Bobby, a postal worker, was Catholic, while his mother Iris was Protestant. Young Paul was raised in a spiritual atmosphere, but because he came from a mixed marriage he was never fully welcomed in either the Catholic or Protestant churches. This personal understanding of the religious strife in Ireland -- along with the sudden death of his mother when he was 14 -- were to be major influences on his songwriting in U2's early years.