Bono thinks a lot about death. The U2 singer’s preoccupation with his own mortality was triggered by the deaths of two musician friends and some near misses of hi sown. “The loss of David Bowie affected me profoundly,” says Bono, 57. “And Leonard Cohen.” Both singers were showered with glowing tributes after their deaths; Bono, who is mocked by non-fans as a sanctimonious, save-the-world celebrity, is worried he won’t be given such a warm send-off.
“At your funeral, nobody talks about what you achieved,” he sys. “They talk about whether you were funny or not. Were you kind to your kids? So I’m moving away from worrying too much about legacy, as regards U2 or my own work, to be more concerned about what my kids and friends think of me.”
Recently, he says, he’s taken a few “attempted knockout punches,” including a serious bicycle rash in 2014 that left him with a broken arm, eye socket, hand, and should; that and other brushes with death he won’t discuss have left Bono questioning his Christian faith. “Belief is preposterous, but I have it, and I thought, ‘I’m experiencing fear!’ It was near, and I realized I don’t want to die. I want to spend more time with my kids. There are songs I want to write, stuff I can be useful for. Then, when I admitted I was afraid, my faith returned.”