Bono is the lead singer of the Irish rock group U2. The group released its first record in 1980 and has since sold over 100 million albums worldwide, won 14 Grammy Awards, 6 Brit Awards and MTV's Lifetime Achievement Award. Since 1998, Bono has urged nations to write off the debts of the world's poorest countries by lobbying and working with the IMF, the World Bank, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Pope John Paul II. Bono also traveled with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill to Africa to lobby for money for fighting AIDS and poverty.Jon Pareles, chief popular music critic of the New York Times, has also covered music for Crawdaddy, Rolling Stone, and the Village Voice. He is the co-editor of the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll.
John Darnton, the New York Times associate editor for special projects, is a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter and best-selling novelist who has worked for the Times for 36 years.
In a discussion that ranges from music to politics, Bono reflects on the status of U2 as one of the most critically acclaimed and popular bands currently producing music, and on his work as an advocate for poor nations around the globe. Bono also shares his impressions of George W. Bush, the Pope, Colin Powell and talks about the connection between art and politics that are part of his Irish heritage. You'll also hear some wonderful stories about fans, songs and his father's first U2 concert.