Coretta Scott King dead at 78

Bono's New Mama
Bono and Coretta Scott King, Atlanta, January 2004. Photo ©Ruth Barohn/U2log.com.

Coretta Scott King , wife of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., died on Monday, a spokesperson for the King family says. She was 78 and had been recovering at home since suffering a stroke and heart attack in August.

Flags at the King Center were lowered to half-staff on Tuesday morning.

In January 2004, when Bono was awarded for his humanitarian efforts, he praised Mrs King’s civil rights efforts and said: “I haven’t had a mom in a long time, she volunteered to be mine.” Mrs King told the audience: “This is my son.”

Help a child in Congo, win a U2 photo

Dutch radio station 3FM and the Red Cross are raising money for children in Congo with various fundraising activities on and off air. 3FM photographer Hans Peter van Velthoven has donated a framed picture of The Edge and Bono, for auction on E-bay. The photo was taken at U2’s Amsterdam concert on July 13.

To bid, go to Ebay.nl. It’s for a good cause!

(Though personally, I’m bidding on the backstage acoustic set by dEUS’ Tom Barman.)