Bono and Sixties Influences

U2’s Bono recalls his early childhood influences in conversation with Michka Assayas. 

                                                           

Do you remember the first time you heard music that really hit you hard?

Oh yeah, I can remember that. Those memories are very clear to me. I mean, very much .now that you mention it. I’m probably getting lots of these things back now, because I remember very clearly hearing the Beatles “I want to hold your hand” on the radio. That would have been probably ’63, would it? At three or four years old.

Are there any images that come to mind?

I was in the back garden. There were trees at the back, at that time, but they were cutting them down. I used to love hiding in the trees, I climbed up to the top of them and enjoyed hearing my mother shout my name when she was looking for me. I just remember the transistor radio was on, and everybody was talking about this group – they were such a phenomenon.  I loved the Beatles. I only realised recently, like last month, that “Beatles” was a bad pun, as in “beat”. I remember Christmas, getting up with my brother, watching them on Stephen’s Day, the day after Christmas. On the morning. A Hard Day’ Night was being put on, and then Help! And then Yellow Submarine. So their music made a real impact. And later, as I got a bit older, Elvis.