Bono tells Chris Evans how his parents shaped his career
U2’s Bono has spoken about how grateful he is that his parents helped shape the man, and the musician he became.
The Irish singer made the remarks when he appeared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio to discuss his new biography Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.
In the book, Bono shares the relationship he had with his father, who was actually a singer in his own right, and how he used to tell his son that he was a “baritone who thinks he’s a tenor.”
While on the promotional tour for his book, he’s been ‘inhabiting’ his dad’s character on stage, and in doing so, discovered much more about his parents that he realised.
“I always loved my father,” Bono told Chris. “But now, I’m starting to like him even more because his put-downs were funny and he was a funny man, and there was mischief in him.
“I had a very, not that unusual relationship with my father, I think a lot of males have difficulty sometimes with their father. I try to be a good father to my kids, but it’s harder if you don’t have that relationship yourself so I’m working on it.”
He also explores the relationship he had with his mum, and the grief he felt after losing her when he was only 14.
“The way my father dealt with the grief was to never speak her name, so my brother and I don’t have many memories of our mother,” Bono revealed to Chris.
“Writing the book, I found her again, and I have some beautiful memories that I discovered. She was wonderful, and I’ve made peace with all that. Through that ache, I filled that hole with music, so I wouldn’t be in U2 and I wouldn’t have the life I have without all the stuff that got me here, so I’m very grateful going into Christmas for everything, from both my father and my mother.
He added: “Writing about it is important because you have to be truthful about these things because they shape you, they make you who you are. It wasn’t as easy as it would’ve been for me to get to gratitude, but I got there.”
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky can be heard weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio.