LARRY MULLEN, JR.
Name: Larry Mullen
Birth name: Lawrence Joseph Mullen, Jr.
Also known as Larry Mullen Jr.
Born: 31 October 1961 Dublin, Ireland
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Mullen, Jr. (born 31 October 1961 in Artane, Dublin,
Ireland) is the drummer for the Irish rock band U2. He is the founder of U2,
which was originally known as "The Larry Mullen Band" at its inception. He
has worked on numerous side projects during his career, including a
collaboration with Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of R.E.M. to form Automatic Baby
in 1993 and working with bandmate Adam Clayton on the re-recording of the theme
to Mission: Impossible, in 1996. He and U2 have won several awards,
including 22 Grammy awards.
Mullen, the middle child and only son of Larry and Maureen Mullen, was born 31
October 1961, and raised in Artane, on the north side of Dublin, Ireland.
Mullen began drumming in 1970, at the age of 9, under the instruction of Irish
drummer Joe Bonnie and later, Bonnie's daughter Monica. Mullen's younger
sister, Mary, died in 1973, and his mother died in an auto accident in 1976, the
same year U2 was founded.
Before founding U2, Mullen was involved in a Dublin marching band called the
Artane Boys Band, contributing to the martial beats common in Mullen's work,
such as the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Mullen founded U2 in the fall of
1976 by placing a now-infamous notice on the Mount Temple Comprehensive School
bulletin board, saying something to the effect of "drummer seeks musicians to
form band." The band, originally consisting of Mullen, Paul "Bono" Hewson,
David "The Edge" Evans, his brother Dick Evans, Adam Clayton, and Mullen's
friends Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin, was originally known as the "Larry
Mullen Band", but the name quickly changed to "Feedback", as that was one of the
few musical terms they knew, and subsequently "The Hype". Soon after
the band formed, McCormick and Martin left, and the band, by then known as The
Hype was a 5-piece. Just before they won a Limerick, Ireland talent contest,
they changed their name again, for the final time, to U2, formally done at a
farewell concert for Dick Evans, becoming the 4-piece band they are today.
As U2 grew more popular, Mullen added the "Junior" suffix to his name to stop
confusion with his father (also Larry Mullen), who was receiving large tax bills
meant for his son. Mullen is unmarried, but has lived with his girlfriend Ann
Acheson for more than 20 years. They have three children, Aaron Elvis (born
1995), Ava (born 1998), and Ezra (2001). He is known to be the "brakes of
the band", and prefers to let the other band members take the spotlight at
interviews. Mullen has also played synthesizer or keyboards on several songs,
including "United Colours" from 1995's Original Soundtracks 1, an album that
Mullen has always disliked.
Name: Larry Mullen
Birth name: Lawrence Joseph Mullen, Jr.
Also known as Larry Mullen Jr.
Born: 31 October 1961 Dublin, Ireland
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Mullen, Jr. (born 31 October 1961 in Artane, Dublin,
Ireland) is the drummer for the Irish rock band U2. He is the founder of U2,
which was originally known as "The Larry Mullen Band" at its inception. He
has worked on numerous side projects during his career, including a
collaboration with Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of R.E.M. to form Automatic Baby
in 1993 and working with bandmate Adam Clayton on the re-recording of the theme
to Mission: Impossible, in 1996. He and U2 have won several awards,
including 22 Grammy awards.
Mullen, the middle child and only son of Larry and Maureen Mullen, was born 31
October 1961, and raised in Artane, on the north side of Dublin, Ireland.
Mullen began drumming in 1970, at the age of 9, under the instruction of Irish
drummer Joe Bonnie and later, Bonnie's daughter Monica. Mullen's younger
sister, Mary, died in 1973, and his mother died in an auto accident in 1976, the
same year U2 was founded.
Before founding U2, Mullen was involved in a Dublin marching band called the
Artane Boys Band, contributing to the martial beats common in Mullen's work,
such as the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Mullen founded U2 in the fall of
1976 by placing a now-infamous notice on the Mount Temple Comprehensive School
bulletin board, saying something to the effect of "drummer seeks musicians to
form band." The band, originally consisting of Mullen, Paul "Bono" Hewson,
David "The Edge" Evans, his brother Dick Evans, Adam Clayton, and Mullen's
friends Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin, was originally known as the "Larry
Mullen Band", but the name quickly changed to "Feedback", as that was one of the
few musical terms they knew, and subsequently "The Hype". Soon after
the band formed, McCormick and Martin left, and the band, by then known as The
Hype was a 5-piece. Just before they won a Limerick, Ireland talent contest,
they changed their name again, for the final time, to U2, formally done at a
farewell concert for Dick Evans, becoming the 4-piece band they are today.
As U2 grew more popular, Mullen added the "Junior" suffix to his name to stop
confusion with his father (also Larry Mullen), who was receiving large tax bills
meant for his son. Mullen is unmarried, but has lived with his girlfriend Ann
Acheson for more than 20 years. They have three children, Aaron Elvis (born
1995), Ava (born 1998), and Ezra (2001). He is known to be the "brakes of
the band", and prefers to let the other band members take the spotlight at
interviews. Mullen has also played synthesizer or keyboards on several songs,
including "United Colours" from 1995's Original Soundtracks 1, an album that
Mullen has always disliked.