Charity Set to a Rock 'n' Roll Beat
One of rock's biggest names on his past, future, as well as his favorite songs.
August 3, 2007— -- Back in 1976, The Edge (then known simply as David Evans) teamed up with a few boys from Dublin, Ireland, to form The Larry Mullen Band. Never heard of them? That's because the name lasted all but a few seconds.
They soon re-emerged as Feedback, which spun into The Hype, but it wasn't until the quartet decided on U2 — a name they agreed they hated least — that the group solidified and began their meteoric rise to the top of the charts.
Years later, The Edge is a guitarist and songwriter for what is undisputedly one of the biggest rock bands in the world — and one that has gone far beyond the world of rock to make a serious impact on global events.
"For a growing number of rock 'n' roll fans, U2 have become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters," declared Rolling Stone in 1985, when they were already one of the world's most popular acts. And with charity work ranging from fighting poverty in their native Ireland to aiding Amnesty International in its fight for human rights across the globe, they continue to find new fans drawn to their music and their activism.
Before meeting his band mates in the late '70s, The Edge was a strong student who had plans of becoming a doctor. That all changed when he showed up at future U2 drummer Larry Mullen's house in response to a note on their high school bulletin board about putting a band together.
Mount Temple Comprehensive High School proved to be an important fixture in The Edge's life: He also went on to marry his secondary school sweetheart, Aislinn O'Sullivan, in 1983. The couple had three daughters together, Holly, Arun and Blue Angel, before separating in 1990. His family grew further when his second wife, Morleigh Steinberg, whom he wed in 2002, gave birth to a fourth daughter, Sian, and a son, Levi.
Although born in London, The Edge considers himself more of an Irishman — and a citizen of the world. And in 20 years of traveling he has seen a lot of it and accumulated an extraordinary wealth of stories, from nearly having the group's only set of guitars stolen within their first few hours in New York to dancing on top of the bar with Bono in pre-Katrina New Orleans.
The Louisiana city left its mark, and now The Edge and other music industry titans have launched an effort to rebuild the community left devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The primary goal of the charity, called Music Rising, is to get local musicians back to work.
Who wouldn't want to get a peek at this legend's iPod? On The Edge's you'll find a variety of artists, ranging from songs by rock patriarchs like Bob Dylan and the Beatles to indie acts like the Rebirth Brass Band. What they have in common is that each is connected to some time or place in his life.
For more stories and video on The Edge, click here for "Nightline's" playlist page.