Members: Paul David Hewson (aka Bono), David Howell Evans (aka The Edge), Adam Charles Clayton, and Lawrence Joseph Mullen Jr.Dubliners U2 started in their hometown in 1976. They began their legacy rooting their music in the political turmoil that was all around them. Angry, conscious and focused, U2 started a "war with words" which was brough forth by their powerful music. After garnering a large fanbase worldwide as well as critical praise, U2's Bono lead them on a crusade around the world to fight injustices with their music and in interviews. After having Steve Lillywhite produce their first three "political" albums, U2 looked for a more commercial sound. They hired Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno to produce "The Joshua Tree" and "The Unforgettable Fire" albums which both rocketed them onto the charts all over the world. After the 80s ended U2 re-invented themselves once again. Incorporating elements of electronics into their rock construct, U2 created a new sound with "Achtung Baby". Bono and the band used their notoriety more than ever expressing their opinions on social matters on a global scale. Continuing into the 21st century, they are still large and powerful politically while still expressing themselves through their music.Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 (Performer).
U2 is an Irish rock band which formed in 1976 in Dublin, Ireland. Since the band?s formation, they have consisted of Bono (real name Paul Hewson) (vocals, guitar, harmonica), The Edge (real name David Evans) (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums, percussion). The band is the biggest selling alternative rock act of all time, having sold 140 million albums worldwide as of 2008. They have won 22 Grammys and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. As of 2009, they have released 12 albums and 58 singles.
Foundation:
The band originally formed in 1976 when Larry Mullen posted a bulletin in his school asking for musicians to form a rock band. The band then consisted of the four current members plus three additional guitarists, including The Edge?s brother Dick Evans (later a member of Virgin Prunes), Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin. According to legend, Bono originally auditioned as a guitarist but couldn?t play. He auditioned as lead vocals, but really couldn?t sing. He was, however, incredibly enthusiastic about the band, extremely charismatic, a great writer, and was strangely able to reach the audience when the band played, something he is known for still today. Bono will reach out into the crowd and dance or mess with someone in the crowd at every concert. He was kept as a member. The extra guitarists would soon leave the band and the group would go through the names ?Feedback ? and ?The Hype? before finally settling on U2.
The 70s & 80s:
1978 was a jumping point year for the band, finally finding their sound / voice. U2 won a talent contest in 1978: £500 and funds to make a record. Paul McGuinness became the band?s manager and U2 released an EP called Three and the single Another Day, the following year. U2 went on to release their first album, Boy and then more critically acclaimed albums incl.: October, War, Under A Blood Red Sky, and The Unforgettable Fire (featuring the song PlayMLK dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr). Seen by many as a political band with more charisma than others, they were called ?a different kind? of band. After a short break U2 returned with The Joshua Tree & the USA music inspired Rattle And Hum (also a movie of the same name, based on the tour).
The 90s:
Promising ?to dream it all up again?, they added industrial and dance styles to their music. Trying to drop a goody two shoes image, they went to Berlin (Germany), supposedly to develop new self-expressions. From there they started to make fun of themselves and had a good time of it in albums like Achtung Baby (meaning ?watch out, baby?, artwork feat. make-up artist Nassim Khalifa) and Zooropa. Bono took on many stage personae such as ?The Fly?, ?Mirrorball Man? and ?Mr. MacPhisto? for the gigantic ZOO TV Tour. Later they continued to make fun of Pop culture and all its extremes with the album Pop and consequent PopMart tour which was announced to be launched at a Kmart store and included a giant golden arch across the stage.
The 00s:
At the end of the 90?s into 00?s U2 became less Image and more reality. With the death of Bono?s good friend Michael Hutchence the lead singer of INXS, Bono wrote more songs from the heart surrounding ideas like life and death, children, hope, and the real world past all the pop culture and TV. Some say they?ve returned to a more band-centric sound with albums like All That You Can’t Leave Behind which features a song, Kite, dedicated to Bono?s father who passed away shortly after the album?s conception and 2004?s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
The Name:
There are many theories as to the origin of the name U2. For example, U2 was an intelligence airplane that was in use by the United States during the Cold War. Other obvious candidates include ?You too? and ?You two?, etc. Nonetheless the official line on the name?s origins remains unknown. The band has been quoted as saying that they did think of the U2 spy plane, but remain hushed about other reasons? U2
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From Wikipedia:U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). The band formed at Mount Temple secondary school in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed to Island Records and released their debut album Boy. By the mid-1980s, they had become a top international act. They were more successful as a live act than they were at selling records, until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree, which, according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band's stature "from heroes to superstars".
Their 1991 album Achtung Baby and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour were a musical and thematic reinvention for the band. Reacting to their own sense of musical stagnation and a late-1980s critical backlash, U2 incorporated dance music and alternative rock influences into their sound and performances, abandoning their earnest image for a more ironic, self-deprecating tone. Similar experimentation continued for the remainder of the 1990s. Since 2000, U2 have pursued a more conventional sound, while maintaining influences from their previous musical explorations.
U2 have released 12 studio albums and are among the most critically and commercially successful groups in popular music. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and they have sold more than 150 million records. In 2005, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine ranked U2 at number 22 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, and The Edge's Music Rising.