January is usually a very slow month for U2 news. Most years you will find the band keeping a low profile at the start of the year....but not this year! From Bono and Edge attending preview performances of their Broadway musical “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark” to revelations that Adam Clayton is now the father of a one year old son to Larry Mullen's appearance in an upcoming Canadian movie, this has been a January FULL of U2 news! So here are some of my thoughts on this month, January 2011, in U2 news.
The revelation about Adam Clayton's fatherhood for the last year really did not take me by surprise. Not that I knew that Adam had a son but I DO know that U2, like any other group of famous people, only allow the public to know what they WANT the public to know about their personal lives!
As a Rock band at the top of international popularity for over twenty-five years, U2 have seen many things and done many things that their fans will never know about. Some of these things U2 have alluded to in interviews through the years and some of this is just plain common sense.
For any U2 fan to think that all there has been of Adam's, Larry's, Edge's and Bono's personal lives is what the public knows about them is simply illusional. The band members have their public lives with their fans and their private lives with their families /friends.
We are not privy to the details of their private lives and neither should we think that we should be. The admission about Adam's private life as a father should be a “wake up call” for those fans in the U2 community who think that they know all there is to know about the band – you don't, and you never will. I accept this fact about U2 and highly encourage others to do the same.
Bono's appearance at Sargent Shriver's funeral on 22 January was especially poignant for me. I have met Bono and Bobby Shriver several times over the last ten years through my support and activism for ONE & (RED). As the founding members of these organizations, Bono and Bobby Shriver have worked well together, often behind the scenes, to keep ONE & (RED) the progressive and EFFECTIVE organizations that they are.
Bono has often mentioned about the TREMENDOUS influence that Bobby's father, Sargent Shriver, has had in the formation of Bono's philosophy in building a movement of support for Africa. Thus, it made perfect sense for Bono to attend the funeral and to be a part of the memorial service. Bono's musical rendition of “The Prayer of St. Francis” was one of the most heartfelt performances of his that I have seen in awhile.
THANK YOU, BONO, for sharing with all of us a very difficult personal moment for you. We will miss “Sarge” very much.
Lastly, I was very heartened to see the quick & fervent response by both Bono and Bobby Shriver to media criticism of The Global Fund, which ONE advocates for funding of by world governments and which benefits from the money raised by (RED).
Shriver was VERY EFFECTIVE in his editorial comments and during his appearance on the U.S. television program “The O'Reilly Factor” in answering the unfair media criticism of the Global Fund. Bobby did a GREAT job in advocating for the world's poor at a time when he was still in mourning for the loss of his father. The Global Fund has a great advocate in Bobby Shriver and we should all keep up our support of (RED) to benefit it!
At the same time as Shriver was advocating for the Global Fund in the U.S. media, Bono was making several EXCEPTIONAL appearances at the World Economic Forum in Davos and continuing his advocacy for the Millenium Development Goals (MDG's). Bono was especially eloquent in delivering his ideas this year at Davos and seemed more determined than ever to get across his message - which I think he truly succeeded at.
WOW - what a month in U2 news! Next up is February with the 360 Tour starting soon in South Africa – get ready for a GREAT U2 year. ~ ONLY LOVE, debbie ♥♥
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Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
