Some long-time U2 fans aren’t sure why U2’s Bono is actually called BONO? What on earth does Bono even mean? Is there a connection to Salvatore Phillip “Sonny” Bono, Phil Spector’s studio partner in the early sixties, first husband and duet partner of Cher (“Sonny & Cher”)?
The world star from Dublin recently revealed the origin of his idiosyncratic stage name. And why you should never, ever call him Paul Hewson.
Speaking to presenter Chris Evans on Virgin Radio UK’s The Breakfast Show, Bono said of his original first name, Paul: “I’ve been a child of many nicknames since I was about three years old. My childhood friend was only four. And later, until we were teenagers, we had a kind of street gang where we got all kinds of alter egos. Bono got stuck at some point, which I’m very happy about. Although that name didn’t go down too well in some neighborhoods.”
Just like guitarist David Howell Evans, who has known as The Edge since the beginnings of U2, Paul alias Bono trusts in the power of the performer nicknames: “We decided when U2 first started to address ourselves with these names in public . From my point of view, this creates a certain closeness to the audience; what is beautiful.”
A view similar to that of the Kölsch rockers from BAP; where the longtime guitar master Klaus Heuser always went through as “The Major”. Or with Keith Flint, the deceased singer of Prodigy, who was always called “Keef” in the early days.
In any case, Bono sees institutionalized nicknames as a measure of accessibility for the “normal fan”. On the other hand, he doesn’t like being pandered to by his baptismal name: “Some people occasionally come up to me and say: ‘Hey, Paul, how are you, Paul?’. As if that were a nice approximation. The last person to call me Paul was my father and he’s dead. So don’t ever call me Paul.”
Another aspect of these U2 image measures, which are still valid today, is the slogan, which Bono still swears by and which dates back to the band’s beginnings in 1978.
“U2 can happen to anyone” is this slogan, which was also emblazoned on their first button. When asked by the radio host if that message still holds true, Bono enthusiastically replied, “Absolutely. I really believe in it.”
And further:
“If U2 means anything beyond music, it’s a key message: Even people who don’t really have much can achieve a lot if they are willing to suppress their ego and work together. That is what the history of U2 stands for. We shared everything and lived our values. We have succeeded despite all the adversities of our origins. Truly amazing …”