I was gonna post this the other night after I saw his acceptance speech at the Image Awards, but then I thought, well, no one really appreciates him around here! So I didn't. But WTF, I might as well and see what happens. Anyway, did anyone else see his speech the other night? It was freaking AMAZING!! He had those people up and screaming like crazy towards the end. There are so few people that have this gift. And I really do think he's a gifted speaker. I think I'm even going to play the speech for my class. I'm glad I taped it. People were talking about it on the radio stations today about how inspiring it was. I thought that was cool. At least some people get it!! Anyway, post your appreciation for the man or the band here if you like. Keep the negative posting for the many negative Bono/U2 threads that already exist and believe me, there are plenty!

A link to the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENp7c6TtBHk

Thanx!!!To me, Bono is an Amazing songwriter/ frontman/ humanitarian.

mm, there are definitely bono/u2 fans here. i think Sandra and I have been the most vocal about his works and their music on the forum and thank you Sandra for the thread. Bono is an amazing man with somewhat impossible dreams, but at least he dreams. dreaming and trying to achieve those dreams, no matter how impossible they are, is what makes you a great person. if bono were to vote for president of the world, i'd vote for him

"Love thy neighbor is not a request, its a command"

I've seen Bono being dismissed on the TV, including for having his millions while trying to help people suffering in Africa. So he's got his millions, and who wouldn't want them? But, he's done enormously more for the people he cares about than his silly detractors. Viva Bono!

Another Bono/ U2 fan.
I didn't watch the speech but I'm going to visit the link you gave, Sandra, thank you!
Friends of mine often try to say that rock music dies when people like Bono, perfect musicians, start making speeches and leading charity campaigns... I never agree, at least when speaking of Bono.

Quoted from nousha

[...]
Friends of mine often try to say that rock music dies when people like Bono, perfect musicians, start making speeches and leading charity campaigns... I never agree, at least when speaking of Bono. [...]

Rock music gets better when people like Bono and Geldof get active. Their predecessors are people like Lennon and Harrison. Viva Bono!

indeed, i'd rather listen to good music and have someone give a good charity, than a pompous a** that plays guitar well

it was cool during the vertigo tour, when they played One, he had us take out our cellphones and had the tech guys shut off all the lights, so you just see the seats surrounded by cellphone glows, it was very surreal (while this was going on, he talked about signing up for the One Campaign, which i've done)

A longer clip of the speech:

I think it's great that Bono does what he does. I don't know why it would annoy people. It's not like he preaches things and then does the opposite. He's not a hypocrite or anything. He's a decent human being. Just look at the way he lives his life. If that doesn't speak about his character, then I don't know what does.

On another note, I just watched Classic Albums: The Joshua Tree on VH1 last night. Very cool to hear how that album evolved. They really were doing the opposite of what everyone else was doing at that time in the 80's. I never really thought about that before. It was a cool episode.

Bono's gonna be on American Idol. How weird is that? But they're doing a whole thing where they give money to Africa and so on so I can see what his motivation would be. I just can't picture this. He's gonna blow the place away if he performs. I wonder if they'll get to meet him like they did with Diana Ross. Jeez, I'll die. Oh well, at least it's not PAUL!!

Bono was on TV last night for The Children In Need appeal (a kind of telethon).
The sketch had Ricky Gervais (The Office/Extras) in a hut in Kenya talking to an african whose brother had just died of AIDS, and he gave Gervais his only possession, a U2 album which his brother had listened to and gained strength from in his dying days.
Anyways, it transpires that the clip wasn't filmed in Kenya but a London Studio (Gervais "I'm not going to a country where you need injections to get in. This way everyone wins - my face flogs my DVD's and the africans get their money."
Anyways, one by one celebs arrive on the set and seeing the wisdom of Gervais's ways, try and muscle in on the action. Bob Geldoff (who Gervais sprays with deodorant. Gervais "I'm not going to africa and not shower for three days - though that's obviously not a problem for you) and Jamie Oliver, who tries to give the starving african Turkey Twizzlers and Onion Rings (Oliver is famous for leading a healthy-foods-in-schools crusade.)
At the very end the african pulls off a mask and lo and behold it's Bono, obviously using the starving africans as a chance to flog U2 products.
I haven't done it justrice, but it was brilliantly done, and so good to see these guys playing themselves up.

OMG, I have to see that! I like Ricky Gervais. From what I've seen of him anyway. Which I guess isn't much. He was great on the Simpsons! So Bono was in the sketch? That's so awesome. I'm gonna go search youtube!!

Here it is:

That was awesome. Bob Geldoff was great. I Still Hate Mondays. Heh.

Bono's gonna be on American Idol tonight and tomorrow night. Woo hoo!!

LOS ANGELES, April 24 (Reuters) - Irish rock star and anti-poverty campaigner Bono is taking part in this week's "American Idol" charity fund-raiser, organizers said on Tuesday.

The U2 lead singer will appear in a prerecorded segment on Wednesday night urging viewers of the show to call in donations to charities that work with young people in Africa and the United States.

Bono spent last weekend with the remaining six "Idol" contestants, who will perform "American Prayer" -- the song he wrote some years ago with Dave Stewart about the AIDS emergency in Africa -- during Wednesday's two-hour special "Idol Gives Back."

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres will host the show from the Disney Hall in Los Angeles where stars including Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani will perform and dozens more stars are expected to appear on video. Bono will not be performing live himself.

Bono is a leading spokesman for the ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History -- a coalition of nonprofit and faith-based groups that encourages Americans to fight AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa.

The first fund-raising venture by the hit TV show is expected to raise millions of dollars for Save the Children, UNICEF, Malaria No More, The Global Fund and Nothing But Nets for youth relief programs in Africa and poverty-hit areas of the United States including hurricane ravaged Louisiana.