Formed in 1976, U2 consists of Bono (vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). U2’s early sound was rooted in post-punk, but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group’s musical pursuits, they have maintained a sound built on melodic instrumentals. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns.
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The band formed in Dublin at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when Larry Mullen, Jr., then a 14-year-old student, posted a note on the school's notice board in search of musicians for a new band. Six people responded; Paul Hewson (Bono), David Evans (The Edge), Dik Evans, Adam Clayton, Ivan McCormick, and Peter Martin
They began with the names “Feedback” and then "The Hype” before Steve Averill, a punk rock musician with The Radiators and family friend of Clayton's, suggested six potential names for the band. From those they chose "U2" for its ambiguity and open-ended interpretations, and because it was the name that they disliked the least
Paul David Hewson and his friends were part of a surrealist street gang called Lypton Village who had a ritual of nickname-giving. Bono, which is a shortened version of "Bono Vox," was his original nickname. The name, which translates to "good voice" in Latin, was the name of a hearing aid shop in Dublin
David Howell Evans was born in the County of Essex in England, on August 8, 1961. Early in the band's career, Dave Evans was re-baptized by Bono, then "Bono Vox," as "The Edge." The nickname was inspired in the beginning by the sharp features of his face, but it also applied to his sharp mind and the way he always observed things from the edge
Laurence Joseph Mullen was born October 31, 1961 in Artane, Dublin, Ireland, and lived there, on Rosemount Avenue, until his twenties. As U2 became increasingly successful, Larry Mullen had to add the suffix "Junior" to his surname to avoid confusion with his father, who was receiving large tax bills meant for his son
Island Records signed U2 in March 1980, and in May the band released "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" as their first international single. The band's debut album, Boy, was released October 20, 1980 and the album included their first hit single, "I Will Follow
The band's second album, October, was released in 1981 and contained overtly spiritual themes, particularly in the song “Gloria.” During the album's recording sessions, Bono and the Edge considered quitting the band due to perceived spiritual conflicts after joining the "Shalom Fellowship,” a Christian group in Dublin
In support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the 360° Tour visited St. Louis on July 17, 2011 at Busch Stadium. By its conclusion, U2 360° had set records for the highest-grossing concert tour with $736 million in ticket sales, and for the highest-attended tour with over 7.2 million tickets sold
The Joshua Tree Tour made its way to St. Louis on October 25, 1987 at the St. Louis Arena. On that same night, the 7th Game of the World Series was being played by the Twins and the Cardinals. During their performance, Bono donned a Cards hat and jacket to show his support, although they ended losing the game and the series
U2 are one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 170+ million records worldwide. They have won over 20 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility
