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{{Infobox Biography
|subject_name=Bono
|image_name=<!-- NOTE TO EDITORS: Do not replace Bono U2 at press conference 2000.jpeg unless it is with a photo under a public ___domain or free license (meaning NOT fair use). Any fair use photos (i.e. "promotional photos") are copyright violations and will be deleted. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Fair use criteria -->Bono U2 at Prague 2000 IMF.jpeg
|image_caption=Bono talking to then Canadian Finance Minister [[Paul Martin]] in Prague, 2000.
|date_of_birth=[[10 May]] [[1960]]
|place_of_birth=[[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland]]
'''U2'''</br>
[[Adam Clayton]]</br>
Bono</br>
[[Larry Mullen, Jr.]]</br>
[[The Edge]]</br>
}}
'''Paul David Hewson''' (born [[10 May]] [[1960]]), nicknamed '''Bono Vox''' ([[stage name]]) and '''Bono''' (pronounced Bonn-oh), is the lead [[singer]] and occasional rhythm guitarist of the [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[rock band]] [[U2]]. Bono lives south of [[Dublin]] with his family and shares a villa in [[Èze]] in the [[Alpes-Maritimes]] in the South of [[France]] with [[The Edge]], as well as an apartment in [[The Dakota]], the same apartment building in which [[John Lennon]] lived in [[Manhattan]].
== Biography ==
Paul Hewson was brought up in [[Ballymun|Ballymun, Dublin]]. His mother, Iris, was [[Protestant]], and his father, Bob Hewson, was a [[Roman Catholic]]. When asked whether he would call himself a Catholic or Protestant, the singer is reported to have said, "I always felt like I was sitting on the fence." His mother died of a brain hemorrhage at her father's funeral, when Bono was fourteen years old. Many U2 songs, especially from the early albums ("[[I Will Follow]]", "Out of Control", "[[Tomorrow (song)|Tomorrow]]"), focus on this part of his life.
He attended [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]], an [[Ecumenical]] school, which was the first of its kind in Dublin. During his childhood and adolescence, Bono and his friends were part of a surrealist street gang called Lypton Village, where one of the rituals was nickname-giving. He had several names: first, he was "Steinvic von Huyseman", then just "Huyseman", then "Houseman", then "Bon Murray", "Bono Vox of O'Connell Street", and finally just "Bono". <ref> Assayas, Michka. ''Bono on Bono''. </ref>
In 1976, Bono responded to an advertisement by fellow student [[Larry Mullen, Jr.]] to form a band, as did Dave Evans (also known as [[The Edge]]), brother Dick Evans (who soon left the band), and [[Adam Clayton]]. The remaining four formed a band named 'Feedback', before changing the name to 'The Hype' and then settling on [[U2]]. Initially Bono sang, played guitar and wrote songs. As The Edge became a better guitarist, Bono was relegated to vocals, although he often plays acoustic [[guitar]] and [[harmonica]].
[[Image:Bonomoya.jpg|thumb|left|Bono and [[Moya Brennan]] in the [[Clannad]] video "In A Lifetime".]]
Bono married his longtime girlfriend, [[Ali Hewson|Alison "Ali" Stewart]], on [[21 August]] [[1982]], in an [[Anglican]] ceremony at a chapel on the [[Guinness]] family estate. The singer has mentioned in several interviews that his stint in U2 and relationship with Ali began around the same time. The couple have four children: Jordan (b. 1989), Memphis Eve ('Eve' b. 1991), Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (b. 1999) and John Abraham (b. 2001).
Following the [[Enniskillen]] bombing in 1987, several newspapers claimed [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Provisional IRA]] paramilitaries had put Bono on a hit-list for his [[Sunday Bloody Sunday (song)|"fuck the revolution" speech]] following the bombing that left 11 dead and 63 injured on [[8 November]] [[1987]]. The singer had been advised to cut his on-stage outburst from the [[Rattle and Hum]] film but it stayed. Some papers suggested the film's charity London premiere on [[31 October]] would have to be cancelled. It wasn't, and U2 all turned up, although their attempts to [[busking|busk]] in Leicester Square were prevented by crowds and police.{{fact}}
In 1992, together with U2's guitarist The Edge, Bono bought and refurbished Dublin's two-star 70-bedroom [[Clarence Hotel]] and converted it into a five-star 49-bedroom hotel, which quickly gained a reputation as one of the most stylish (and expensive) hotels in the city.
Bono is almost never seen in public without his [[sunglasses]] on. He has said in a [[Rolling Stone]] interview that the reason is he has "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."
His nickname "Bono Vox", usually shortened to "Bono", is an alteration of ''Bona Vox'', a brand of [[hearing aid]] for which the [[Latin]] translates to "good voice". Bono was given the nickname because it was the name of a shop they regularly passed on North Earl Street, just off O'Connell Street, in Dublin. A different theory says he was nicknamed after a hearing aid shop by his friend [[Gavin Friday]] because he sang so loudly he seemed to be singing for the deaf. Initially, Bono did not like his new nickname. However, when he learned it could be translated to "good voice", he accepted it. "Bono Vox" literally means "The voice to the good man". Vox is the subject and Bono is the indirect object. The word ''bono'' is also [[Italian language|Italian]] [[slang]] for "sexy" and the dative form of the Latin word ''bonus''; see [[List of Latin phrases]].
Bono is on the board of the [[Elevation Partners]] private equity firm which attempted to purchase [[Eidos Interactive]] in 2005 and has since gone on to invest in other entertainment businesses.
== Humanitarian work ==
In 1984, Bono appeared in [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]] and reprised his role in the 2004 [[Band Aid 20]]. He also performed at [[Live Aid]] in 1985, and [[Live 8]] in 2005. Since 1999, he has become increasingly involved in campaigning for [[third-world]] debt relief and the plight of [[Africa]].
[[Image:LulaAndBonoVox.jpeg|thumb|left|200px|Bono meets [[Brazil]]'s President, [[Lula da Silva]] about world poverty eradication. He also donated a guitar to the [[Fome Zero]] program.]]
In March 2002, Bono travelled to the [[White House]] for a special private meeting with President [[George W. Bush]], who had just unveiled a $5 billion aid package for the world's poorest countries that respect human rights. He also accompanied the President for a speech on the White House lawn. He stated, "This is an important first step, and a serious and impressive new level of commitment... This must happen urgently, because this is a crisis." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,667739,00.html]
In May 2002, Bono took US Treasury Secretary [[Paul H. O'Neill|Paul O'Neill]] on a four-country tour of [[Africa]]. Later in that year, Bono set up an organization called "DATA", which stands for [[Debt AIDS Trade in Africa|Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa]]. The focus of the organization is to raise awareness about what he claims are Africa's unpayable debts, uncontrolled spread of [[AIDS]], and unfair trade rules that hurt the continent's poor citizens.
Bono made a speech during the inauguration of [[Paul Martin]] as [[Canada]]'s prime minister, who in turn pledged to help with the global crisis. In 2005, in a time that some claimed Martin was facing "political destruction", Bono spoke on [[CBC]] Radio "bashing" Martin for being slow at increasing Canada's foreign aid. Following this a spokesperson for the Prime Minister pointed out that the budget has seen an 8% increase to aid and that "Rather than set an artificial deadline, the prime minister has focused on real increases measured in real dollars each and every year."{{fact}}
In early 2005, Bono, [[Ali Hewson]] and New York-based Irish fashion designer [[Rogan Gregory]] launched the socially conscious line [[EDUN]]. This has been an attempt to shift the focus in Africa from aid to trade. By utilizing factories in Africa, [[South America]], and [[India]] that provide fair wages to the workers and practice good business ethics EDUN will hopefully create a business model which will encourage others to invest in developing nations. [http://www.edun.ie/faq.html]
In July 2005, Bono played a fundamental role in the effort to organize and publicize [[Live 8]], a series of 10 concerts around the globe aimed at encouraging the representatives of the world's industrialized countries at the Group of Eight Summit to write off Africa's enormous debt, reform trade policy, and grant a great deal more aid for crises such as the AIDS epidemic.{{fact}}
Later in the year, before [[Paul Wolfowitz]] was chosen to replace [[James Wolfensohn]] as president of the [[World Bank]], Bono was spoken about as a serious candidate for the position. [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] [[John Snow]] said about Bono on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] news talk program ''[[This Week]]'': "He's somebody I admire. He does
a lot of good in this world of economic development." The selection process for the position is by member governments, however, and his selection was considered unlikely.{{fact}}
[[Image:U2-Anaheim 2005 2.jpg|thumb|210px|Bono (right) on stage with [[U2]] in [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[1 April]] [[2005]]]]
In December 2005, Bono was named by ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]'' as one of the [[Person of the Year|Persons of the Year]], along with [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|Bill and Melinda Gates]]. An article by former senator Jesse Helms appears in a special issue of May's Time magazine, "Time's 100 Most Influential People".
On [[2 February]] [[2006]] Bono spoke in advance of [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[George W. Bush]] at the 54th Annual [[National Prayer Breakfast]], held at the Hilton Washington Hotel. In a speech peppered with biblical references, Bono encouraged the care of the socially and economically depressed. His comments included a call for an extra 1% "[[tithe]]" of the United States' national budget. His Christian views were brought into harmony with other faiths as he noted that Christian, Jewish and Muslim writings universally called for the care of the widow, orphan, and stranger. President Bush appeared uncomfortable receiving praise from the singer-activist for the United States' increase in aid for the African continent. Bono continued by saying much work is left to be done to be a part of God's ongoing purposes.{{fact}}
In May 2006, Bono became Editor of ''[[The Independent]]'' newspaper for a day in aid of the [[Product Red|(RED)]] charity.{{fact}}
In February 2003, 2005 & 2006, Bono was among the 191 nominees for the [[Nobel Peace Prize]]. [http://www.wnbc.com/entertainment/1986984/detail.html],[http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=596&id=214402005]{{fact}}
== Criticism==
Along with [[Bob Geldof]], Bono has come under fire from radical journalist [[George Monbiot]] for getting too close to those in power, and therefore running the risk of legitimising their actions. Monbiot dubbed the pair "Bards of the Powerful". [http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1510808,00.html]. They have also drawn criticism from [[Bianca Jagger]] for "''trying to patent the language of poverty reduction''" and that his relationship with George Bush and Tony Blair amounts to little more than a "mutual admiration club" [http://www.opendemocracy.net/xml/xhtml/articles/2677.html] .
Bono has also been criticized for his connection with the war game [[Mercenaries 2]]: "many people around the world have been shocked to find out that you are a part owner, through [[Elevation Partners]], of [[Pandemic Studios|Pandemic/Bioware]] producers of “[[Mercenaries 2]]” [...] a war game that simulates the invasion of
[[Venezuela]] in the year 2007.".[http://www.spin.com/features/news/2006/07/060710_bono/][http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org/files/BonoLetter.pdf]
Bono, along with the rest of the band U2, has also come under criticism for moving part of their multi-million pound business empire out of Ireland for tax reasons. Commenting on the decision to move his assets to a tax shelter, [[Joan Burton]], the finance spokesman of the Irish [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] commented:
''"Having listened to Bono on the necessity for the Irish Government to give more money to Ireland Aid, of which I approve, I am surprised that U2 are not prepared to contribute to the Exchequer on a fair basis along with the bulk of Irish taxpayers.”'' [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/08/nbono08.xml]
Despite his devotion to his homeland (he has always lived there, even when the lack of musical infrastructure would have suggested London or New York to be better launchpads for U2), he is less than loved in Ireland. U2 were able to exploit a 1969 artists-tax exemption, intended to help struggling artists, until it was semi-repealed in 2005 and pay relatively little tax despite their great wealth, estimated at €690 million+ by the ''[[Sunday Times]]''. This, coupled with his charity campaigning has led to accusations that he is two-faced in the Irish media{{fact}}. When he criticised the Irish government for not meeting the DATA target of 0.7% of GDP to be set aside for the 3rd World a government minister, Conor Lenihan, suggested that if he paid his taxes then the government would be halfway to meeting the figure. The recent decision to move U2 companies out of Ireland to avoid tax has added to the heat.
He has also been accused of hypocrisy for his decision to buy a 40%, £160 million share in ''[[Forbes|Forbes magazine]]'', as its pro-capitalism, right-wing politics are seemingly at odds with Bono's left-wing campaigning. Bono is reported to be an avid reader of the publication. An article in ''[[The Daily Mail]]'' on [[12 August]] [[2006]] also presented a different picture of him than his own publicity. He is an owner of several luxury houses, a fleet of expensive cars and is a noted wine connoisseur who regularly spends thousands on a single bottle at his favourite [[New York]] restaurants. And despite his campaiging for reduction in fuel emissions, along with the other members of [[U2]] he purchased an [[Airbus A320]] to fly them around the world on their latest tour. His interest in making money was noted by investment expert [[Roger McNamee]] with whom he formed ''Elevation Partners'', which invested £200 million merging two computer games firms. Sources also report he is interested in buying a stake in the large [[U.S]] newspaper group [[Knight Ridder]] in addition to his well-publicised bid for [[BMG Publishing]].
== Trivia ==
*Bono, along with [[Island Records]] producer [[Chris Blackwell]], were flying in [[Jimmy Buffett]]'s plane when the "[[Jamaica Mistaica]]" incident occurred. Jamaican authorities believed the [[Grumman HU-16 Albatross|Grumman HU-16 "Albatross"]] was being used as a "ganja plane" to smuggle drugs and opened fire while all three were inside. No one was hurt.{{fact}}
*Bono said "this is really, really, fucking brilliant" during the 2003 Golden Globe Awards, which was originally ruled neither indecent nor obscene by the FCC (see [http://research.yale.edu/lawmeme/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1249]), who later reversed the decision and found the sentence to be both indecent and profane (see [http://www.fcc.gov/eb/News_Releases/DOC-245133A1.html]).
== References ==
*[http://www.torontosun.com/News/Canada/2005/04/23/1009529-sun.html Toronto Sun: Bono Bashes Martin]
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5220235-103677,00.html Bono criticism by the Guardian's George Monbiot]
*[http://www.data.org/archives/000774.php Bono's speech] at the 2006 [[National Prayer Breakfast]].
== See also ==
* [[100 Greatest Britons|BBC's 100 Greatest Britons]]
* [[The ONE Campaign]]
* [[List of people on stamps of Ireland]]
* [[Product Red]]
== External links ==
{{commons|Category:U2|Bono}}
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://www.U2.com/ U2.com] - official U2 website
*[http://www.atu2.com/ @U2] - The most comprehensive unofficial U2 site.
*[http://www.data.org/ Debt, AIDS, trade, Africa] - Bono's organization
*[http://www.makepovertyhistory.org MAKE POVERTY HISTORY] - An anti-poverty campaign with which Bono is currently involved
*[http://www.one.org/ The ONE Campaign] - Bono-supported campaign: 'a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty'.
*{{imdb name|id=0095104|name=Bono}}
*[http://www.edun.ie/ EDUN] - ecofashion line started by Bono and his wife Ali
*[http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003241048,00.html The Sun Online] - Bono flies hat first-class to gig
*[http://jubileeusa.org/ Jubilee USA] - A network dedicated to the 100% cancellation of debt in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an important issue to Bono
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