Bono
was born Paul David Hewson on May 10, 1960, in Ballymum, Dublin,
Ireland. His mother Iris, was Protestant and his father Bobby,
was Roman Catholic. Raised in the Church of Ireland, Paul avoided
becoming attached to a particular denomination. When Paul was
14, his mother died, closely after the death of her own father.
This traumatic event struck young Paul very hard. On the other
hand it allowed Paul to connect with fellow U2 band member Larry
Mullen, Jr. because he too lost his mother at an early age.
Paul
attended the Mount Temple Comprehensive School, the first Catholic-
Protestant mixed school in Ireland. It was during his school
days when Paul acquired his trademark name "Bono"
which was cut down from the original: Bono Vox of O'Connell
Street . The name came from the Latin bona vox, which
means "good voice," and was also the name brand of
a hearing aid company. O'Connell Street is where Bono grew up.
Paul
received the name "Bono" for being a member of Lypton Village,
the neighborhood teen performance group. Lypton Village
encouraged Bono to develop an interest in music. The gang performed
several "exhibitions" and ultimately
lead to the creation of two bands: U2 and the Virgin Prunes.
In 1976, 16-year-old Paul Hewson met Larry Mullen, Jr., and the two
formed the band, now known as U2 .
Bono
married his high school sweetheart, Alison Stewart, in 1982.
Together they have four children, Jordan (1989), Memphis Eve
(1991), Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (1999), and John Abraham
(2001). He and his family reside in Dublin. In addition to being
a family man, activist, and musician, in 1992, Bono purchased
a hotel with fellow band member Edge, transforming it into one
of the most stylish hotels in Dublin.
