Bono advertises his thievery

In the current issue of Billboard magazine, musicians and actors pay tribute to legendary crooner Tony Bennett, who celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this month. Many of the musicians who collaborated with Bennett on his Duets: An American Classic album, which will be released on September 26, placed advertisements in the magazine to congratulate him on his successful career and wish him happy birthday. Bono, who sings with Bennett on the song “I Wanna Be Around” on Duets: An American Classic, took out a full-page ad that reads the following:

Tony,
Trying to sing with you was a humbling if not humiliating experience.
You’re like a house you can’t break into, at least
not by force. You can run at the door, but the doors
are locked…you can bang on the windows…
I got into the House of Bennett, but
only as the cat burglar…looking to steal a place in
this incredible legacy.
I’ve had the pleasure of singing with you, and for you…
I broke in through the bathroom window, up a
drainpipe…I’m not leaving.
Bono

Bono phones in to last ever Mystery Train

‘God bless you and the babies too!’

Bono paid tribute to radio DJ John Kelly on the last ever Mystery Train on RTE radio 1 on Thursday evening. Phoning in from France ‘under an orange moon, thinking of Enniskillen’, he talked to Kelly about the — wait for it — ‘extraordinary’ show, which has been prematurely axed in a recent RTE programming shake up, as well as congratulating him on the imminent birth of his twins.

Listen to Bono’s call. (mp3)

Later on during the show Bono rang in again (as did The Edge), off air, to request ‘Death is not the End’ by Dylan, or Gavin Friday, but Kelly didn’t have it on him. However, he had played the track earlier in the week in memory of Paschal Hanvey (Gavin’s father), who passed away a year ago this Wednesday.

We’re very sad to see a great, eclectic and unpredictable show like gentleman John’s go off air and wish him the best of luck, wherever the tracks may take him.

The good news is, John Kelly announced he will be back on air in October, on Lyric FM (1.30 – 2.30pm, Monday to Friday), with a different type of show. He encourages listeners to join him there.

‘Happy Birthday, Oscar’, from Bono and Gav

RTE1 (Ireland) will be airing a ‘Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde’ tribute that Bono contributes to with Gavin Friday this Monday 27th at 10.30 pm. Larry Mullen contributes too.

150 renowned public figures were filmed by director Bill Hughes, speaking 150 of Wilde’s finest lines, epigrams and verses. Proceeds will go to Amnesty International. A DVD release is expected.

More info here.

Bono and Edge Attend Rally

While U2 fans enjoyed the MTV/VH1 broadcast of the 46664 concert on World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), Bono and Edge attended an AIDS Day rally organized by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in Cape Town, South Africa, where Bono addressed a small audience comprised of HIV-positive people and AIDS activists. The U2 singer acknowledged the inititatives that TAC has taken on, saying he was “overwhelmed” by the organization’s work, and paid tribute to the true heroes of the fight–those living with AIDS/HIV.

Bono on Late Late Show

The Late Late Show on Irish RTE television will be doing a tribute to Irish film director Jim Sheridan on October 31st, the day after the Dublin premiere of his film ‘In America‘.

Bono is said to be appearing on the show. Andrea Corr and Gavin Friday will perform ‘Time Enough for Tears’ (“hotly tipped for the 2004 Oscars”) the song Bono co-wrote with Gavin and Maurice Seezer for ‘In America’.

The score for ‘In America’, including the song, will be released on CD on Atlantic Records in time for Thanksgiving.