The Dream That Built a Band

Picture Dublin, Ireland, 1976, in a cluttered kitchen at Mount Temple Comprehensive School. A 16-year-old Larry Mullen Jr. pins a note to the bulletin board: “Drummer seeks musicians.” Paul Hewson—soon Bono—shows up, all bravado and no gear, singing off-key. David Evans—The Edge—plugs in a guitar, his awkward riffs echoing promise. Adam Clayton, bass in hand, exudes cool despite his novice chops. They’re kids, misfits in a city of gray, bonded by punk’s raw pulse and a hunger to matter. It’s not fame they chase—it’s purpose, a sound to shake the world. That day, U2 isn’t born; it’s conceived, a spark in a teenage wasteland.

The Lads from Dublin: A Biography

U2’s heart beats with four. Bono, born May 10, 1960, lost his mom at 14, fueling his fire. Edge, born August 8, 1961, a Welsh-Irish tinkerer, found solace in strings. Larry, born October 31, 1961, a quiet anchor, mourned his mom too. Adam, born March 13, 1960, a posh expat, brought swagger. All Dublin-bred, they clicked at Mount Temple, a rare integrated school.

Life’s been kind and cruel. Bono’s wed Alison Stewart since 1982—four kids (Jordan, Eve, Elijah, John). Edge married Aislinn O’Sullivan (three daughters), split in ’96, then wed Morleigh Steinberg in 2002 (two kids). Adam’s with Mariana Teixeira since 2013, one daughter. Larry’s with Ann Acheson since the ’80s, three kids. At 60-plus, they’re rock’s elder statesmen, still restless.

The Career That Redefined Rock

U2’s no side act—it’s Bono (vocals), Edge (guitar), Adam (bass), Larry (drums), a unit since ’76 (briefly “Feedback,” then “The Hype”). Signed to Island Records in 1980, Boy dropped with “I Will Follow,” a raw cry. The Joshua Tree (1987)—“With or Without You,” “Where the Streets Have No Name”—catapulted them to No. 1 globally. Achtung Baby (1991) reinvented them, “One” a soul-baring peak. No other bands for the core, though Bono’s duetted with Springsteen, Edge with Rihanna.

Tours like Zoo TV (1992-93) and 360° (2009-11) rewrote spectacle—giant screens, claw stages. TV? The Simpsons (1998), Saturday Night Live galore. Film? Bono’s in Across the Universe (2007), U2 scored Mandela (2013). Pals like Brian Eno (producer) and Springsteen (jams) loom large; Bono’s Bill Gates chats made headlines. Awards: 22 Grammys (Joshua Tree, Beautiful Day), two Golden Globes, a 2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nod.

The Hits That Define Them

• “With or Without You” (1987) – Bono, Edge, Adam, Larry, with Eno and Daniel Lanois, wrote this No. 1 heartbreaker.
• “One” (1991) – The band’s collective pen birthed this No. 4 anthem of unity.
• “Beautiful Day” (2000) – Bono and Edge led this No. 21 Grammy-winner, a rebirth cry.
• “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987) – Another Joshua Tree gem, No. 1, pure yearning.

Controversy in the Limelight

U2’s stirred pots. In 2014, Songs of Innocence auto-downloaded to iTunes users—fans screamed “invasion,” Bono apologized: “We got carried away.” Bono’s activism—Live Aid (1985), Drop the Debt—earns praise but irks cynics who call him “preachy.” Tax dodging whispers hit too; their 2006 move of publishing to the Netherlands sparked “hypocrite” cries. Onstage, a 1997 Sarajevo gig nearly bombed—literally—amid war, but they played. Rebels with a cause, flaws and all.

A Night That Echoed Forever

Let’s drop into July 13, 1985, Wembley Stadium, Live Aid. U2’s slotted for 18 minutes, mid-tier then. Bono’s in leather, Edge’s hat askew, 72,000 roaring. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” kicks it, fierce, but it’s “Bad” that stops time. Bono spots a girl crushed in the crowd, leaps offstage mid-song, pulls her free—security scrambles, he dances with her, sings into her eyes. The band stretches the jam, 14 minutes total, cutting “Pride.” Critics howl “self-indulgent,” but the world sees a savior. Backstage, Edge laughs, “He blew the setlist to hell.” It’s the night U2 went from band to phenomenon—raw, reckless, eternal.