Honorary Knighthood for Bono
Bono will receive an honorary knighthood. The British Ambassador to Ireland, Mr David Reddaway, announced the news on Saturday.
He will receive the honour, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order, for “his services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work.” The ceremony will take place in Dublin shortly after New Year’s Day. Bono will not be adding his name to the long list of people who have declined a British honour, like David Bowie, Francis Bacon and John Lennon, who eventually returned his MBE.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander who are not not citizens of the United Kingdom or another country ruled by the Queen are not entitled to the prefix “Sir” or “Dame”, but may still use the post-nominal abbreviations: Paul Hewson, KBE.
A statement on U2.com reads:
We understand that Bono is ‘very flattered’ to be honoured, particularly if the honour – like its French counterpart – opens doors for his long standing campaigning work against extreme poverty in Africa.
The sainthood can’t be far off. Though maybe The Mrs has dibs.
- The Independent: Arise, Sir Bono!
- NME: U2 star to be knighted
Ovation Travel Experiences to provide Vertigo tour packages
U2 fans who purchased Vertigo tour packages from ETS will be serviced by Ovation Travel Experiences (OTX) when the tour resumes later this year. The following press release, prepared by OTX, provides the details, as well as explains how fans may still purchase Vertigo tour packages.
PRESS RELEASE
HELLO! HELLO! OVATION’S BACK WITH VERTIGO!
September 6, 2006 – Kingston, Ontario
The long-awaited comeback of U2′s Vertigo tour is here! Fans from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Hawaii now have the chance to experience the rescheduled touring phenomenon already seen in North America, Europe and South America. We are proud to announce that Ovation Travel Experiences (OTX) is along for the ride! The staff at Ovation is dedicated to providing our customers with the best event experience possible, with a variety of concert packages for Vertigo 2006.
The music industry was shocked earlier this year to hear about the demise of ETS Travel Services, an industry pioneer dating back to 1973. Attention shifted immediately to the hundreds of clients who had booked with ETS, and were now searching for answers regarding their purchased U2 ticket packages! As one of the major selling outlets for ETS, Ovation Travel felt the effects of their closure first hand. Friends quickly found themselves without work, and the existing OTX staff struggled to keep our own product moving forward. Despite the confusion and hardship, we did not forget about those left in limbo that we had the chance to help! Ovation immediately contacted The Next Adventure (TNA) and offered our assistance to the U2 community, and to help solve the dilemma. The folks at TNA graciously promised to take care of everyone who had booked with the former ETS, providing quick answers to concerned U2 fans. With Ovation’s help, those fans were contacted and once again given the chance to see U2 live in concert!
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