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U2 is an Irish rock band featuring Bono (Paul David Hewson) on vocals, guitar and harmonica, The Edge (David Howell Evans) on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Adam Clayton on bass, and Larry Mullen, Jr. on drums.

U2 Biography

FORMED: 1976, Dublin, Ireland

In autumn 1976, drummer Larry Mullen put a note on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, looking for people to join a band. Four friends joined up: Paul Hewson (aka Bono Vox), Dave Evans (aka The Edge), Dik Evans, and Adam Clayton. Dik soon left to join the Virgin Prunes, while the remaining four formed 'Feedback' before changing to 'The Hype' and then settling on U2.

The band's first break came in 1978, winning ?00 in a talent contest on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) in Limerick. Bono later recalled that they had beaten off many technically better bands because of what he called 'a spark', which had produced a great atmosphere on stage. One of the judges that week was Jackie Heyden of CBS Records, who was impressed and arranged their first demo session. It was not a great success - the band's inexperience and lack of studio time combining to hinder their efforts - but it was a start.

Their reputation for intense and electrifying live shows meant that U2 soon built up a dedicated following of fans. One was Bill Graham, a journalist with the music paper 'Hot Press', who was an early champion of the band and also introduced them to their manager, Paul McGuinness. A three-year contract with CBS Ireland soon followed, and with it the release of their first record in September 1979 - a three song EP entitled 'U23' comprising Out of Control, Boy/Girl, and Stories for Boys. A second single followed, before the band signed a world-wide contract with Island Records in March 1980.

Having secured the all-important record deal, the rest of 1980 was spent touring extensively. Despite this, the band also found time to record their first LP, 'Boy', which received widespread critical acclaim on its release in October. A year later came 'October' a much more mellow and spiritual record that reflected the Christian beliefs of Bono, Edge and Larry, and built on the success of 'Boy'.

U2 really hit the big time with the 'War' LP, released in March 1983. Boosted by the success of the 'New Year's Day' single, the record entered the UK charts at Number 1, and established the band as a mainstream act. Further tours followed through the US and Europe, where the songs for the mini Live LP 'Under A Blood Red Sky' were recorded. This record marked the end of an era, as it was the last record before Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois were engaged to work on future LPs.

The next record to be released, 'The Unforgettable Fire', marked a distinct change in direction towards a more complex style, moving away from the 'anthems' of the War era. Despite a few teething problems incorporating the newer songs into the band's live set, the material was well received on the subsequent European and US tours. The mini LP 'Wide Awake in America' was comprised of 2 new tracks and 2 live recordings from the European tour. It was at this time, in April 1985, that 'Rolling Stone' magazine dubbed U2 "The Band of The Eighties".

That summer U2 played in the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in London, where they gave a memorable performance, as the song 'Bad' over-ran to about 12 minutes! Bono actually considered leaving the band at that point, as he feared that his antics during that show (dancing with girls from the audience while leaving the band to play on regardless) had ruined the set for the rest of the band - Pride had to be dropped from the set due to lack of time. Only when a friend told him that it was one of the high points of the day did he come round. The following year U2 played Self Aid, a benefit for Ireland's unemployed, and joined the Conspiracy of Hope tour for Amnesty International.

U2's 7th LP was 'The Joshua Tree', another Eno/Lanois collaboration which was released in March 1987. This was to be their most successful record to date, becoming the fastest selling record ever in the UK on its release, and reaching number one in 22 countries. The accompanying sell-out tour included over 100 shows, and cemented their reputation as what what 'Time' magazine called "Rock's hottest ticket". During the tour, director Phil Joanou was chosen to put together a film which would capture the live shows, and also depict the band's perceptions of America. Filmed chiefly in Denver Colorado and Tempe Arizona, the resulting movie ('Rattle and Hum') and the LP of the same name were released in October 1988. Taken from this LP, the single 'Desire' gave U2 their first UK mumber one single. Other songs on the record, such as 'When Love Comes to Town' featured blues legend BB King, and he joined U2 on the Love Town tour which concentrated on Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

At the end of the 1980s, U2 played a series of 4 concerts at The Point Depot in Dublin, culminating with a show on New Year's Eve which was broadcast throughout the world. Bono announced that night that it was "time to go away and dream it all up again". This led some to believe that U2 were considering splitting up, but those fears proved to be unfounded with the release of 'Achtung Baby' in November 1991. A much more electronically processed record than their earlier releases, it marked a new beginning in U2's career. The subsequent ZooTV tour was a huge extravaganza which used giant video screens to create a stunning visual spectacle, and at the end of each show of the tour Bono attempted to call VIPs such as Bill Clinton, Pavarotti, or Princess Diana.

On a break from the tour, U2 recorded 'Zoooropa' which was released in July 1993. Less commercially successful than previous releases, it was called U2's most experimental work to date. It was to be 4 years before their next LP was released, although they continued working on various outside projects, such as the soundtrack for Batman Forever which yielded the single 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. Larry and Adam worked on the 'Mission Impossible' soundtrack, while Bono and Edge worked on 'Goldeneye'. U2 also donated songs to good causes such as the AIDS fundraiser 'Red, Hot and Blue' and 'A Very Special Christmas'.

In March 1997 U2 released 'Pop' which Edge described as being "about as far away from U2 as it is possible to be". Yet another massive world tour followed, which utilised the world's largest video screen at 150 feet wide and 50 feet tall to show live pictures of the band performing, along with computer generated animation sequences. Other props included a giant rotating lemon shaped mirrorball (from which the band would emerge for the encores) and a huge olive on a 100 foot high cocktail stick. According to recent reports, this was to be the last tour of such proportions that the band would undertake. Future shows are more likely to be 'back to basics' in terms of the sets used etc.

A new LP entitled 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' was released on the 30th October 2000 (31st in the US). In a recent interview, manager Paul McGuinness stated that because of the high price of CDs in the UK and Ireland and because U2's earliest fans came from those countries, there would be a bonus track (The Ground Beneath Her Feet) on the UK release of the album. A new single taken from the album (Beautiful Day) was released and went straight into the British charts at number one, and 'Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of' has been released everywhere except the US, where no singles are due to be released at all. The new LP reached number one in the British album charts in its first week of release, but did not manage this feat in the America, where sales were not what many had hoped.

In support of All That You Can't Leave Behind, the Elevation tour started in Florida on March 24th 2001 and the first three legs have so far covered North America, Europe and back to North America, where the shows seemed to take on a new meaning in the wake of September 11th. More dates are expected to be announced for Europe in the near future, probably for large outdoor venues. Sadly, Australasia and South America have so far missed out on the tour for economic reasons. The weakness of the currencies in those regions means that a tour would not be financially viable at the moment.

Through a combination of zealous righteousness and post-punk experimentalism, U2 became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s. Equally known for their sweeping sound

as for their grandiose statements about politics and religion, U2 were rock & roll crusaders during an era of synthesized pop and heavy metal. The Edge provided the group with a signature sound by creating sweeping sonic landscapes with his heavily processed, echoed guitars. Though the Edge's style wasn't conventional, the rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. played the songs as driving hard rock, giving the band a forceful, powerful edge that was designed for arena rock. And their lead singer, Bono, was a frontman who had a knack of grand gestures that played better in arenas than small clubs. It's no accident that footage of Bono parading with a white flag with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" blaring in the background became the defining moment of U2's early career -- there rarely was a band that believed so deeply in rock's potential for revolution as U2, and there rarely was a band that didn't care if they appeared foolish in the process. During the course of the early '80s, the group quickly built up a dedicated following through constant touring and a string of acclaimed records. By 1987, the band's following had grown large enough to propel them to the level of international superstars with the release of The Joshua Tree. Unlike many of their contemporaries, U2 were able to sustain their popularity in the '90s by reinventing themselves as a postmodern, self-consciously ironic dance-inflected pop/rock act, owing equally to the experimentalism of late-'70s Bowie and '90s electronic dance and techno. By performing such a successful reinvention, the band confirmed its status as one of the most popular bands in rock history, in addition to earning additional critical respect.

With its textured guitars, U2's sound was undeniably indebted to post-punk, so it's slightly ironic that the band formed in 1976, before punk had reached their hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Larry Mullen, Jr. (born October 31, 1961; drums) posted a notice on a high-school bulletin board asking for fellow musicians to form a band. Bono (born Paul Hewson, May 10, 1960; vocals, guitar), the Edge (born David Evans, August 8, 1961; guitar, keyboards, vocals), Adam Clayton (born March 13, 1960; bass), and Dick Evans responded to the ad, and the group formed as a Beatles and Stones cover band called the Feedback, before changing their name to the Hype in 1977. Shortly afterward, Dick Evans left the band to form the Virgin Prunes. Following his departure, the group changed its name to 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. By the end of the year, the Stranglers' manager, Paul McGuinness, saw the band play and offered to manage them. Even with a powerful manager in their corner, the band had trouble making much headway -- they failed an audition with CBS Records at the end of the year. In the fall of 1979, U2 released their debut EP, U2 Three. The EP was available only in Ireland, and it topped the national charts. Shortly afterward, they began to play in England, but they failed to gain much attention.

U2 had one other chart-topping single, "Another Day," in early 1980 before Island Records offered the group a contract. Later that year, the band's debut, Boy, was released. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the record's sweeping, atmospheric but edgy sound was unlike most of its post-punk contemporaries, and the band earned further attention for its public embrace of Christianity; only Clayton was not a practicing Christian. Through constant touring, including opening gigs for Talking Heads and wet T-shirt contests, U2 were able to take Boy into the American Top 70 in early 1981. October, also produced by Lillywhite, followed in the fall, and it became their British breakthrough, reaching number 11 on the charts. By early 1983, Boy's "I Will Follow" and October's "Gloria" had become staples on MTV, which, along with their touring, gave the group a formidable cult following in the U.S.

Released in the spring of 1983, the Lillywhite-produced War was U2's breakthrough release, entering the U.K. charts at number one and elevating them into arenas in the United States, where the album peaked at number 12. War had a stronger political message than its predecessors, as evidenced by the U.K., college radio, and MTV hits "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day." During the supporting tour, the band filmed its concert at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater, releasing the show as an EP and video titled Under a Blood Red Sky. The EP entered in the U.K. charts at number two, becoming the most successful live recording in British history. U2 had become one of the most popular bands in the world, and their righteous political stance soon became replicated by many other bands, providing the impetus for the Band Aid and Live Aid projects in 1984 and 1985, respectively. For the follow-up to War, U2 entered the studios with co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who helped give the resulting album an experimental, atmospheric tone. Released in the fall of 1984, The Unforgettable Fire replicated the chart status of War, entering the U.K. charts at number one and reaching number 12 in the U.S. The album also generated the group's first Top 40 hit in America with the Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute "(Pride) In the Name of Love." U2 supported the album with a successful international tour, highlighted by a show-stealing performance at Live Aid. Following the tour, the band released the live EP Wide Awake in America in 1985.

While U2 had become one of the most successful rock bands of the '80s, they didn't truly become superstars until the spring 1987 release of The Joshua Tree. Greeted with enthusiastic reviews, many of which proclaimed the album a masterpiece, The Joshua Tree became the band's first American number one hit and its third straight album to enter the U.K. charts at number one; in England, it set a record by going platinum within 28 hours. Generating the U.S. number one hits "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," The Joshua Tree and the group's supporting tour became the biggest success of 1987, earning the group the cover of respected publications like Time magazine. U2 decided to film a documentary about their American tour, recording new material along the way. The project became Rattle & Hum, a film that was supported by a double-album soundtrack that was divided between live tracks and new material. While the album Rattle & Hum was a hit, the record and film received the weakest reviews of U2's career, with many critics taking issue with the group's fascination with American roots music like blues, soul, country, and folk. Following the release of Rattle & Hum, the band took an extended hiatus.

U2 reconvened in Berlin 1990 to record a new album with Eno and Lanois. While the sessions for the album were difficult, the resulting record, Achtung Baby, represented a successful reinvention of the band's trademark sound. Where they had been inspired by post-punk in the early career and American music during their mid-career, U2 delved into electronic and dance music with Achtung Baby. Inspired equally by late-'70s Bowie and the Madchester scene in the U.K., Achtung Baby was sonically more eclectic and adventurous than U2's earlier work, and it didn't alienate their core audience. The album debuted at number one throughout the world and spawned Top Ten hits with "Mysterious Ways" and "One." Early in 1992, the group launched an elaborate tour to support Achtung Baby. Dubbed Zoo TV, the tour was an innovative blend of multimedia electronics, featuring a stage filled with televisions, suspended cars, and cellular phone calls. Bono devised an alter ego called the Fly, which was a knowing send-up of rock stardom. Even under the ironic guise of the Fly and Zoo TV, it was evident that U2 were looser and more fun than ever before, even though they had not abandoned their trademark righteous political anger.

Following the completion of the American Zoo TV tour in late 1992 and before the launch of the European leg of the tour, U2 entered the studio to complete an EP of new material that became the full-length Zooropa. Released in the summer of 1993 to coincide with the tour of the same name, Zooropa demonstrated a heavier techno and dance influence than Achtung Baby and it received strong reviews. Nevertheless, the album stalled at sales of two million and failed to generate a big hit single. During the Zooropa tour, the Fly metamorphosed into the demonic MacPhisto, which dominated the remainder of the tour. Upon the completion of the Zooropa tour in late 1993, the band took an extended break. During 1995, U2 re-emerged with "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," a glam rock theme to Batman Forever that was produced by Nellee Hooper (Björk, Soul II Soul). Later that year, they recorded the collaborative album Original Soundtracks, Vol. 1 with Brian Eno, releasing the album under the name the Passengers late in 1995. It was greeted with a muted reception, both critically and commercially.

Many hardcore U2 fans, including drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., were unhappy with the Passengers project, and U2 promised their next album, to be released in the fall of 1996, would be a rock & roll record. The album took longer to complete than usual, being pushed back to the spring of 1997. During its delay, a few tracks, including the forthcoming first single "Discotheque," were leaked, and it became clear that the new album was going to be heavily influenced by techno, dance, and electronic music. When it was finally released, Pop did indeed bear a heavier dance influence, but it was greeted with strong initial sales, as well as some of the strongest reviews of U2's career. In late 1998, the group returned with Best of 1980-1990, the first in a series of hits collections issued in conjunction with a reported 50 million dollar agreement with Polygram. Three years after the mediocre response to Pop, U2 teamed up with Eno and Lanois once again to release All That You Can't Leave Behind in fall 2000. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Biography: Bono

BIRTH NAME: Paul Hewson

(d-o-b May 10, 1960, Dublin Ireland)

PERFORMANCE NAME: Bono (BAH'-noh)

ORIGIN OF NAME: Paul was originally nicknamed "Bono Vox" by his friend, Guggi, a high school cohort who stole it from a hearing aid store on O'Connell Street in Dublin. Fittingly enough, the original moniker meant "good voice" in cockeyed Latin. Paul later shortened it to Bono, which remains his name to this day.

NICKNAMES/ALTER-EGOS: The Antichrist * (see below), Alton Dalton, The Mother Teresa of Abandoned Songs, The Sonic Leprechaun, The Fly, Mirrorball Man, Mister MacPhisto

BAND ROLE: lead singer/songwriter, sometime guitarist

OTHER OCCUPATIONS/INTERESTS: Activist. Screenwriter. Orator. Amateur thespian.

MARITAL STATUS: Alison Stewart (August, 1982)

CHILDREN: Two girls (Jordan, Memphis Eve) and two boys (Elijah Bob Patricus Guggi Q, and John Abraham)

HISTORY:

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Paul "Bono" Hewson is the second child of Bobby and Iris Hewson. His brother, Norman, is the oldest.

Described by Bobby as "a bloody exasperating child", Paul got a reputation at an early age for being both absent-minded yet argumentative...traits which earned him the unholy and ironic nickname "the Antichrist" from both family and friends.

At the same time, he was starry-eyed and wickedly curious...the kind of youngster who viewed the world through rose-colored glasses, while at the same time questioning what he saw.

The most notable example of this was witnessed by both Bobby and Iris Hewson when Paul was three-years-old, playing in their backyard garden: the couple watched with both horror and fascination as their toddler lifted honeybees off the flowers on his fingertip, talked to them, then put them back on the petals without ever getting stung.

At the age of 15, Paul suffered a tragic and devastating loss, when his mother died of a brain aneursym while attending the funeral of her own father. (It's this incident which many fans and writers alike speculate may be the reason Bono has such a restless and inquisitive nature).

During this time, Paul also found himself drawn to music and playing the guitar...absorbing inspiration from the music of such bands as Patti Smith, Thin Lizzy, The Ramones and Television.

In high school, Paul's natural gift of gab and flair for the dramatic allowed him to move within nearly every school circle, and to experiment with a variety of artistic mediums.

It was also during this time that Paul got his new name. Credit for this goes to his friend, Guggi, a high school cohort who stole it from a hearing aid store on O'Connell Street in Dublin. Fittingly enough, the original moniker meant "good voice" in cockeyed Latin.

In school, Bono was a popular kid and a half-decent student. He excelled in history, chess and art, was considered a good painter, and had many girlfriends who adored his romantic, sweet-talking ways...although it was the feisty, no-bull nature of his dark-haired sweetheart Alison Stewart which eventually got him to become a "one woman" man.

His greatest enjoyment, however, seemed to come from performing with a school theater troupe...during which he often could be seen on stage, singing.

One day in 1976, he answered an ad posted on a bulletin board at the Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, asking for anyone who was interested in forming a band to meet after school at the house of one Larry Mullen Junior.

With the younger, no-nonsense Larry serving as the talented drumming catalyst for the group's formation, the other members filled out what was to eventually become U2, one of the world's most memorable and famous rock groups: a gifted guitarist/guitar builder named Dave Evans, whose eventual nickname "The Edge" (by varying accounts) came from either the shape of his skull or his low-key personality; an amateur bassist named Adam Clayton, whose caftan coats, tinted glasses and use of such cool words as "gig" and "amp" made him seem like he knew more about music than he actually did; and finally, Bono...who couldn't play guitar or really carry a tune (yet), but whose earnest charm, intense poetic songwriting, and theatrical persona ultimately won him the position as the band's frontman and songwriter.

These traits are also what earned Bono and U2 their worldwide fame (and, at times, notoriety).

As the group's lead singer and lyricist, Bono has written songs which have taken people on spiritual journeys, turned them on sexually, or inspired them to change.

At the same time, he has repeatedly flogged himself in the press for not being a proper "pop star" and has continually expressed a desire to become a great singer. Yet his powerful voice has evolved and morphed over the years with a versatility rarely heard in most rock bands: at the start of the decade, it was a teenage croon full of longing and rebellion on such 80's albums as "Boy" and "War"; near the end, it was a throaty roar full of anger and passion on "The Unforgettable Fire," "The Joshua Tree," and "Rattle and Hum."

Though he is known as a socially-conscious songwriter who has tried to inspire crowds with his lyrics, Bono is a rarity in that he also tries to connect with them physically during a performance. The best example of this was seen by millions during the 1980's...especially the Live Aid concert in 1985, when (mid-way through an epic rendition of "Bad") he leapt off the stage, over a security barricade to the floor of the arena, and pulled a woman from the crowd to dance with her.

In the 90's, when U2's political earnestness ultimately threatened to turn them into a caricature (due mostly to Bono's often politically-charged, on-stage sermonizing), the band vanished into Berlin, Germany to remake itself with a new sound.

Having a full appreciation for the Brechtian and surrealist origins of rock performance, the lead singer followed suit...and altered his own earnest image into something more cyberpunk. With the help of band stylist "Fighting" Fintan Fitzgerald, Bono stylized his once-brown shoulder length hair into a jet-black coif, donned a pair of bubble-eye wraparound sunglasses, and slid into a skin-tight leather suit to become a funkified banshee called The Fly, a cool phantom hoodlum who howled amid the dark electronic flash and shash of the band's watermark album, "Achtung Baby."

This character --part Jim Morrison, part Lou Reed and all trash -- begat other characters who appeared onstage during the band's worldwide Zoo TV tour: the Mirrorball Man, a glittering tribute to televangelists all over the world...and Mister MacPhisto, a gold lame-suited cross between the devil and Elvis all wrapped up in the frame of a broken-down soul singer during his final Vegas days.

During this time, Bono also established himself as having a gift for lionizing others, as evidenced by his moving induction of both Bob Marley into the Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame, and his lifetime achievement tribute to Frank Sinatra at the 1994 Grammy Awards. More recently, he gave Bruce Springsteen an equally-memorable induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall.

Unfortunately, the rigors of touring and the strain of singing night-after-night took a severe toll on Bono's pipes...especially during the group's monstrous Popmart tour in 1997.

Having picked up the bad habit of inhaling the cheroots he puffed on the Zoo TV tour, Bono became a full-fledged smoker while on the road; a habit which, combined with a severe sinus infection, had a disastrous effect on his voice...which he lost on more than a few tour dates, particularly the band's history-making show in Sarajevo.

Fortunately, after the tour, he was admitted to the hospital to have the problem corrected and has since quit smoking, after doctors told him it would permanently damage his singing.

Weeks after the surgery, he was in the studio recording and performing with his band and other artists, such as soul singer Kirk Franklin and rapper Wyclef Jean.

Beyond U2, Bono has extended himself to other projects and causes, and has emerged over the years to be both a social animal and an activist...and has rallied numerous actors, artists and activists to his cause...most recently, his bid to end Third World Debt as spokesman for the Jubilee 2000 project and Netaid. Bono was recently presented with the Free Your Mind Award at the MTV Europe Awards held in Dublin, Ireland, in acknowledgement for his work on behalf of the Jubilee 2000 project to end Third World Debt. After receiving the award from Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, the clearly-humbled singer humorously remarked: "This is only going to make me worse."

When he wasn't crusading for the poor, Bono spent the latter part of 1999 composing and performing music for "The Million Dollar Hotel," a new Wim Wenders film starring Mel Gibson, which he wrote with the help of screenwriter Nicholas Klein. Bono will also make a brief appearance in the movie. It is his second film role, having previously appeared as himself in "Entropy," an indie flick made by "Rattle and Hum" director Phil Joanou.

Today, he counts --and has counted-- among his numerous acquaintances and friends such names and faces as Brian Eno, Luciano Pavarotti, Sting and Trudie Styler, Quincy Jones, Tina Turner, Bjork, President Bill Clinton, Jack Nicholson, Mohammed "Mo" Sacirbey, U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan, Frank and Barbara Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Salman Rushdie, Sean Penn, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Sir Bob Geldof, Phil Joanou, Johnny Cash, Billy Corgan, William Gibson, and Muhammad Ali.

Despite the obvious privilege of his lifestyle, Bono continues to display a generosity and genuine nature that is impressive to both friends and fans alike...the kind of person who could work a roomful wealthy socialites, then stop to chat with fans on the street about music, and then be seen giving cash handouts to the homeless.

He and his wife, Ali, continue to make their home in Dublin with their four children.

Grammy Awards

1987 -- Album Of The Year -- The Joshua Tree
1987 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- The Joshua Tree
1988 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- Desire
1988 -- Best Performance Music Video -- Where The Streets Have No Name
1992 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- Achtung Baby
1993 -- Best Alternative Music Album -- Zooropa
1994 -- Best Music Video, Long Form -- Zoo TV: Live From Sydney
2000 -- Record Of The Year -- Beautiful Day
2000 -- Song Of The Year -- Beautiful Day
2000 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- Beautiful Day
2001 -- Record Of The Year -- Walk On
2001 -- Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
2001 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- Elevation
2001 -- Best Rock Album -- All That You Can't Leave Behind
2004 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - Vertigo
2004 -- Best Short Form Music Video -- Vertigo
2004 -- Best Rock Song -- Vertigo
2005 -- Album Of The Year -- How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
2005 -- Song Of The Year -- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
2005 -- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
2005 -- Best Rock Song -- City of Blinding Lights
2005 -- Best Rock Album -- How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb


News on U2

U2's Bono nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Coming off of 5 big wins at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, a new honor may be heading to U2’s lead singer. After being named one of Time magazine's Persons of the Year, Bono has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, for the third time in four years.

The grand title is given to those who promote peace and humanitarian work. Passed recipients have been individuals in a wide variety of fields, including former U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt in 1906; Jimmy Carter in 2002; Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990; Nelson Mandela in 1993; Yasser Arafat in 1994; and humanitarians Mother Theresa in 1979 and Martin Luther King in 1964.

Last year’s winner was Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency for his work in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

U2 has been a severe force to be reckoned with musically speaking, continuing to put out rock anthems, pop-friendly tunes and lyrics with messages. “(Pride) In The Name Of Love,” “One,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Love And Peace Or Else” are just to name a few socially conscious songs. The band as a whole has contributed towards the campaign of many organizations, including Amnesty International and Greenpeace, to better the world.