U2’s The Edge turns 63
His guitar playing has become one of the most important parts of U2’s distinctive and influential sound
U2’s The Edge turns 63
The U2 founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and sometimes singer The Edge has been in the spotlight since the early 1980’s when the Irish band started to gain recognition worldwide with albums such as “Boy” and “War”.
The Edge, who’s not actually Irish, was born Dave Evans in Barking, Essex, England on August 8, 1961, He is the son of Welsh parents, Garvin and Gwenda Evans, and has a brother, Richard (Dik), and a sister, Gillian. When he was just a year old, his family moved to Dublin, Ireland, where he grew up and developed an early interest in music. The Edge attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School, where in 1976 he met his future bandmates. Larry Mullen Jr., Paul Hewson (Bono), and Adam Clayton, and formed the band U2. Initially called Feedback, and later The Hype, the band quickly gained a following in Dublin. The Edge’s distinctive guitar style, characterized by its delay-heavy sound and use of reverb, became a defining element of U2’s music.
U2’s debut album, “Boy,” was released in 1980, featuring The Edge’s signature guitar work. The band’s early success was solidified with their third album, “War” (1983), which included hits like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day.” The Edge’s innovative guitar playing was a critical component of the band’s rising popularity.
The mid-1980s to the early 1990s marked U2’s ascent to global superstardom. The release of “The Joshua Tree” in 1987 was a pivotal moment in the band’s career, with The Edge’s atmospheric guitar work on tracks like “With or Without You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name” playing a key role in the album’s success. “The Joshua Tree” won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and is considered one of the greatest albums in rock history.
In the 1990s, U2 reinvented their sound with the album “Achtung Baby” (1991), embracing a more industrial and electronic style. The Edge’s ability to adapt and experiment with new sounds was crucial to this transformation. Subsequent albums like “Zooropa” (1993) and “Pop” (1997) continued to showcase his creativity.
The 2000s and 2010s saw U2 maintaining their status as one of the world’s leading rock bands. Albums such as “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” (2000), “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” (2004), and “Songs of Innocence” (2014) featured The Edge’s evolving guitar techniques while staying true to the band’s core sound. His work on tracks like “Beautiful Day” and “Vertigo” highlighted his continued influence on contemporary rock music.
Beyond U2, The Edge has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He contributed to soundtracks, including work on the musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” and collaborated with artists like Johnny Cash and B.B. King.
The Edge married his high school girlfriend Aislinn O’Sullivan in 1983, and they had three daughters together: Hollie, Arran, and Blue Angel. The couple divorced in 1996. In 2002, he married Morleigh Steinberg, a dancer and choreographer who worked with U2 on their Zoo TV Tour. They have two children, Sian and Levi.
The Edge is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He co-founded Music Rising, a charity aimed at restoring musical instruments to Gulf Coast musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Aside of being the guitarist, The Edge is also the keyboardist and one of U2’s main songwriters, having sung lead in songs such as “Van Diemen’s Land” and the 1993 hit “Numb”. He often sings background vocals and has occasionally shares lead with Bono Vox such as in the 1997 song “Discotheque”. In 1993 he co-produced one of the band’s Alternative Rock adventures, the 1993 “Zooropa”. They remain one of the biggest bands in the world, there’s no doubt U2 achieved an iconic and legendary status in Rock music and standalone in a league of their own, having scored hit after hit since the 1980’s. A string of hit albums that includes “The Joshua Tree”, “Zooropa”, “Achtung Baby”, “Unforgettable Fire” and “Pop”, have solidified U2 status and career as one of the most influential ever and for The Edge, this earned him 22 Grammy Awards and an induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Today he turns 63.
Look back at the 1993 music video “Numb” by U2 featuring The Edge on lead vocals
Watch U2 playing two of their biggest hits “One” and “Where The Streets Have No Name” live in Glastonbury 2011 where you can listen to The Edge’s signature playing
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