Paul Hewson (Bono Vox)

Bono Vox, the lead singer for U2, is widely considered one of the greatest singers of all time. Bono has received countless awards for his outstanding performances and talent in the music industry. However Bono has not always been a world famous rock star. Bono's combination of extreme talent and hard work have lead him to where he is now. Paul David Hewson, who goes by the stage name of Bono, was born in Dublin, Ireland, to Robert and Iris Hewson. "(Bono was) raised along with a brother in the neighborhood of Glasnevi. His mother was a Protestant and his father a Catholic" (Wenner). "Bono married Ali Stewart in 1982.. (Bono) lives with her in Killiney County, Dublin.with their four children: Jordan (born 1989), Memphis Eve (born 1991), Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (born 1999), and John Abraham (born 2001)" (Cooney). Heroes possess certain traits that define them as individuals. Heroes inspire others by achievement in their professional, community or personal lives. They set an example as exemplary citizens that propel others to reach new heights. A hero could be someone who cares about others to such a point where he or she would donate thousands of dollars to charities around the world and even found multiple organizations to help with AIDS research in Africa and many other charitable things. According to the criteria introduced above, Bono would produce a very good hero. Bono is an inspirational man that has clearly defined his life long goal to make the world a better place through charitable acts and foundations. Bono shows us that we should never give up; he started from very humble beginnings and made his way from the bottom of the music industry to the top.

Bono has inspired millions of people with his outstanding character and amazing sense of charity. Bono shows us this inspiring attitude when he appeared in an article expressing why he originally became a part of his bestselling, multimillion dollar band named U2. "Sometimes it comes across as if I got into U2 to save the world. I got into U2 to save myself. I meet people out on the street who approach me like I'm Mahatma Gandhi" (Hewson, U2 6). Perhaps Bono understands that it is in helping others that we end up helping ourselves, that our acts of charity help us to become better people. Surely Bono could not have fully anticipated the amount of success he would someday have and just how much potential to help others he would eventually enjoy through that success. He initially joined his band simply to pursue a career in music with a few other musicians. However, his perseverance and hard work have yielded such material success and public popularity that he has been able to reach far with his generous donations of time and money.

With his great resources, Bono and his wife, Ali, have inspired people to donate to charity by explaining in vivid terms the extreme poverty of the neediest people in the world. Bono explains, "Seven thousand Africans dying every day of preventable, treatable disease like AIDS? That's not a cause, that's an emergency. And when the disease gets out of control because most of the population live on less than one dollar a day? That's not a cause, that's an emergency" (Hewson, "Because We Can"). Bono and Ali have established several organizations to help filter profit from regular products in grocery and clothes stores to fund research for AIDS and many other diseases: "In 2005, Bono and wife Ali created the socially conscious clothing line EDUN, produced under fair conditions to improve economic conditions in poor communities. He also co-founded the Product (RED) campaign in 2006, asking global companies such as The Gap to sell specific product lines and donate profit portions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria" (Cooney). Bono and his wife are a constant inspiration for everyone around them. For example, Bono's companies, such as the ones stated above to help fund different research organizations and to donate money to those who need it most--the AIDS stricken population of Africa--make a difference everyday. Bono knows he has a great responsibility to make a difference, to help the helpless and teach others how they can help too. He has inspired thousands of people to donate as much money as possible to multiple charities worldwide.

Bono persevered through very tough times as a child and as an unsuccessful band member while in high school. Although he came from humble beginnings, he worked tirelessly to make his band a success--such a great success that Bono has been recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 35 greatest singers of all time. Bono has always had a passion for music. He expresses this passion by singing with his outstanding and unique voice which takes great effort on his part: "To sing those songs, to hit those high notes, takes an incredible concentration and commitment. You have to step inside and live the songs" (Hewson, U2 6). Bono shows an extraordinary amount of dedication to his songs and to his audience. He takes the very essence of music and makes it his own unique treasure. Bono's example teaches that being one-hundred-percent dedicated generates results. Bono has received many awards for his exemplary work as a music artist and as a charity worker: "In 2002, a poll of senior music business executives conducted by Q magazine named Bono as the most powerful personality in the music industry. He was also named by Time magazine as one of its 2005 People of the Year. Bono has also received honorary knighthoods from Britain and France. In addition, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work toward AIDS awareness and debt relief. Bono has also received many honorary degrees from universities worldwide, and has served as editor for Vanity Fair magazine in the US and for The Independent newspaper in the UK" (Cooney). These awards are all examples of how Bono's determination to succeed and his self-confidence have led him to great works. Although he went through tough times as a child, he was able to look past that and have amazing dreams and set big goals to become an amazing singer. Bono inspires everyone he meets to become as successful as humanly possible. Anyone can set goals and no goal is unachievable if one has the courage to stand strong and believe.

Bono is the best kind of hero--a hero who cares deeply about whose with the least means to help themselves. He has inspired thousands to join his causes and has clearly publicized his lifelong goal to make the world a better place through charitable foundations and donations. Bono shows us that we should never give up on our dreams; he started much like anyone else, a young person with a dream, in his case a dream to be the next outstanding singer, and worked hard every day for years to achieve his dream. Today he stands as one of the greatest singers of all time. He has earned more Grammy music awards than one can count on both his hands. But of even more importance to Bono than his material success is his efforts to feed and heal the poverty-stricken. Bono certainly qualifies as a hero. If everyone around us were more like Bono, everything would be peaceful and all dramatically more successful. Inspired by his example of caring more and doing more than is required, we can all make a difference today as we remember "It's a beautiful day...Don't let it get away" (Clayton, Hewson, Mullen, and Evans).