Bono wooed wife Ali Hewson by playing 'the class clown'

The Advertiser

26-05-2025

Bono became the "class clown" as a teenager in a bid to woo Ali Hewson.
The 65-year-old rock star has been married to Hewson since 1982, but Bono had to fight off potential competition from The Edge - his U2 bandmate - during their school years.
"She did seem to be taking an interest in his guitar playing and, as hard as I might practise, I just knew I couldn't touch this guy," Bono told The Project.
"So I had to become, you know, the class clown."
Hewson and The Edge were in the same year at school and she still has a strong friendship with the rocker.
"They're still really close - and they still talk about me behind my back," Bono quipped.
"They say it's out of concern."
Bono previously admitted that Hewson's life would have been easier if he wasn't a member of U2.
Bono - whose real name is Paul Hewson - said in his 2022 memoir Surrender, that fame and success had complicated his love life.
"Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we've ended up with," he wrote.
"Ali had never been 'just' my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be 'just' my wife."
Bono observed that his bandmates - The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr - have always been a prominent part of their lives.
"There were air pockets from the beginning, like, say, my immaturity. Married at 22 going on 18," he said.
"She was also realising that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world."
Bono also suggested that friendship had been the key to his marriage.
"If you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have," the rocker said at the New Yorker Festival in 2022.
"When you have romantic love and friendship, that's really something special."
Bono became the "class clown" as a teenager in a bid to woo Ali Hewson.
The 65-year-old rock star has been married to Hewson since 1982, but Bono had to fight off potential competition from The Edge - his U2 bandmate - during their school years.
"She did seem to be taking an interest in his guitar playing and, as hard as I might practise, I just knew I couldn't touch this guy," Bono told The Project.
"So I had to become, you know, the class clown."
Hewson and The Edge were in the same year at school and she still has a strong friendship with the rocker.
"They're still really close - and they still talk about me behind my back," Bono quipped.
"They say it's out of concern."
Bono previously admitted that Hewson's life would have been easier if he wasn't a member of U2.
Bono - whose real name is Paul Hewson - said in his 2022 memoir Surrender, that fame and success had complicated his love life.
"Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we've ended up with," he wrote.
"Ali had never been 'just' my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be 'just' my wife."
Bono observed that his bandmates - The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr - have always been a prominent part of their lives.
"There were air pockets from the beginning, like, say, my immaturity. Married at 22 going on 18," he said.
"She was also realising that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world."
Bono also suggested that friendship had been the key to his marriage.
"If you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have," the rocker said at the New Yorker Festival in 2022.
"When you have romantic love and friendship, that's really something special."
Bono became the "class clown" as a teenager in a bid to woo Ali Hewson.
The 65-year-old rock star has been married to Hewson since 1982, but Bono had to fight off potential competition from The Edge - his U2 bandmate - during their school years.
"She did seem to be taking an interest in his guitar playing and, as hard as I might practise, I just knew I couldn't touch this guy," Bono told The Project.
"So I had to become, you know, the class clown."
Hewson and The Edge were in the same year at school and she still has a strong friendship with the rocker.
"They're still really close - and they still talk about me behind my back," Bono quipped.
"They say it's out of concern."
Bono previously admitted that Hewson's life would have been easier if he wasn't a member of U2.
Bono - whose real name is Paul Hewson - said in his 2022 memoir Surrender, that fame and success had complicated his love life.
"Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we've ended up with," he wrote.
"Ali had never been 'just' my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be 'just' my wife."
Bono observed that his bandmates - The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr - have always been a prominent part of their lives.
"There were air pockets from the beginning, like, say, my immaturity. Married at 22 going on 18," he said.
"She was also realising that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world."
Bono also suggested that friendship had been the key to his marriage.
"If you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have," the rocker said at the New Yorker Festival in 2022.
"When you have romantic love and friendship, that's really something special."
Bono became the "class clown" as a teenager in a bid to woo Ali Hewson.
The 65-year-old rock star has been married to Hewson since 1982, but Bono had to fight off potential competition from The Edge - his U2 bandmate - during their school years.
"She did seem to be taking an interest in his guitar playing and, as hard as I might practise, I just knew I couldn't touch this guy," Bono told The Project.
"So I had to become, you know, the class clown."
Hewson and The Edge were in the same year at school and she still has a strong friendship with the rocker.
"They're still really close - and they still talk about me behind my back," Bono quipped.
"They say it's out of concern."
Bono previously admitted that Hewson's life would have been easier if he wasn't a member of U2.
Bono - whose real name is Paul Hewson - said in his 2022 memoir Surrender, that fame and success had complicated his love life.
"Ali would have been happier with a life that was simpler than the one we've ended up with," he wrote.
"Ali had never been 'just' my girlfriend, and now she was never going to be 'just' my wife."
Bono observed that his bandmates - The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr - have always been a prominent part of their lives.
"There were air pockets from the beginning, like, say, my immaturity. Married at 22 going on 18," he said.
"She was also realising that there were three other men in her marriage. Men whom she was more than fond of, but men who were taking her man away, not just in his wild imaginings, but physically, all over the world."
Bono also suggested that friendship had been the key to his marriage.
"If you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have," the rocker said at the New Yorker Festival in 2022.
"When you have romantic love and friendship, that's really something special."