As you know, Bono had emergency back surgery in May necessitating the postponement of the North American leg of the U2 360 Degree tour until fall. He’s been convalescing at his home Eze-sur-Mer but on Sunday borrowed Sir Philip Green’s (Topshop) helicopter to go house shopping in Nice close to where the Brange and the Beckhams live. Yes, Bono can afford to kick back for a few extra weeks while he’s healing. And he should. Because to some people, to MANY people, he is a god. An angel too.

I have a friend who was living in New York on September 11, 2001. Afterwards she couldn’t get out of bed for days. But she played U2 over and over. She said that eventually it was Bono’s voice that brought her back.

I remember the last time U2 played in Toronto it was during TIFF and the dome roof was open and people living in the high-rises were enjoying the free show and he would call to them from the stage, he would say – I know you can hear me, and I want you to show me that you can hear me – and of course they did, they turned the lights on and off, several condo buildings in the downtown core, blinking and twinkling like concrete comets because Bono asked them to. I’d like to see Justin Bieber do that in 25 years.

Bono hurt his back while rehearsing in Munich just after his 50th birthday. Apparently they had to operate immediately or he could have suffered permanent paralysis in one of his legs. For many of his fans, including the aforementioned, knowing of his vulnerability has been rather unwelcome. Bono is supposed to be invincible. And tireless. Even The Edge acknowledged that they would have a hard time keeping him off the stage:

"I was joking earlier on that this is probably the most rest he'll have in decades, you know the few weeks after the operation. But the other thing we have to make sure is that he does follow the doctor's orders in terms of the program of rehabilitation because knowing him again he'll probably want to take some short cuts and sort of get ahead of himself. But really from what I understand it's very important he does this in a very methodical way. So we'll be there to chain him down if need be." (Source)

Yes, please, do. Bono is supposed to never change, age, or weaken.

This one’s for you LB.


Photos from Splashnewsonline.com