Bono Biiography

Name : Paul David "Bono" Hewson

Born: May 10, 1960

Instrument: Vocals, guitar

Occupations : Musician, singer-songwriter, activist, philanthropist

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.

Bono has long been involved in a variety of causes outside of U2. His work as an activist, due largely to his Christian beliefs, began in earnest when, inspired by Live Aid, he traveled to Ethiopia to work in a feeding camp with his wife Ali and the charity World Vision. Bono also went to Central America in 1985 to see the damage wrought by US-backed operations in Nicaragua and El Salvador, after which he and U2 toured as part of the Amnesty International benefit tour, A Conspiracy of Hope.

U2 began touring almost immediately and released their first album, 'Boy', in 1980. In 1987, they released 'The Joshua Tree', their sixth album and the one that catapulted the band and its outspoken frontman to stardom. Subsequent albums secured U2's reputation for range and innovation, including 1991's industrial-sounding 'Achtung Baby', 1993's funkier-edged 'Zooropa', and techno-influenced 1997's 'Pop.

In March 2009, the band released 'No Line on the Horizon', which reached the top of the American pop charts. It featured such popular songs as 'Get On Your Boots' and 'Magnificent'. To support the album, Bono and the rest of the group have been touring extensively.

Suite101.com recently reported that while the band's manager, Paul McGuinness, was attending the Midem music conference in Cannes, France, he confirmed that U2's 13th studio album would be released in May 2011, although he stopped short of giving an exact release date.