U2 frontman Bono has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’s highest civilian honour.
The Dublin musician, who rose to prominence as one of the world’s best-known lead singers, has also become a vocal advocate for issues ranging from debt relief for developing countries to Aids activism.
In a statement on Saturday, the singer said: “Rock’n’roll gave me my freedom … and with it the privilege to work alongside those who’ve had to fight so much harder for theirs.
“Frontmen famously hog the limelight and this huge honour is coming my way only because I was led by the dogged determination of Aids activists, debt activists, campaigners who have dedicated the entirety of their lives to the fight for freedom from the injustice of extreme poverty. It is also because of my bandmates, without whom I would never have found my voice.”
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The medal is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavours.
The White House said in a statement on Saturday: “Bono is the frontman for legendary rock band U2 and a pioneering activist against Aids and poverty. He brought together politicians from opposing parties to create the United States PEPFAR Aids program, and is co-founder of campaigning organisations ONE and (RED).”
U2 has been one of the world’s biggest rock acts since it was formed in 1976 by four Mount Temple Comprehensive students, releasing 15 studio albums and winning 22 Grammy awards. The group – Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen jnr – was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
The singer is the first Irish recipient of the medal since former president Mary Robinson, who was awarded the honour by US president Barack Obama in 2009.
In an essay published in The Atlantic on Saturday to mark the award, Bono touched on the topic of freedom in the Ireland of his youth and in countries from America to Africa.
Writing on Gaza, he said: “Israel’s prime minister for almost 20 years, Benjamin Netanyahu, has often used the defense of Israel’s freedom and its people as an excuse to systematically deny the same freedom and security to the Palestinians — a self-defeating and deadly contradiction, which has led to an obscene leveling of civilian life that the world can visualize daily on their cellphones. Freedom must come for the Israeli hostages, whose kidnapping by Hamas ignited this latest cataclysm. Freedom must come for the Palestinian people. It does not take a prophet to predict that Israel will never be free until Palestine is free.”
[ Bono interview: ‘I have spent my life looking for the blessing of father figures’Opens in new window ]
Nineteen people, including entertainers, former US government officials, athletes and philanthropists, will be honoured by Mr Biden for their contributions to public service at a White House ceremony on Saturday.
Among those receiving the medal are former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, retired basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, soccer player Lionel Messi, philanthropist George Soros, long-time fashion editor and media executive Anna Wintour and film star Denzel Washington.
Robert F Kennedy, the former attorney general and US senator, will be cited posthumously just as his son and namesake has been chosen by Donald Trump to oversee public health policy in the incoming administration.
Other recipients will include the Spanish-born chef Josė Andrės who founded World Central Kitchen, which the White House said “revolutionised the way food aid reaches communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world”.
Michael J Fox, the actor best known for the Back to the Future movies, was honoured for his advocacy for Parkinson’s disease research and development; William Nye, known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy”, for his championing of science education; and David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, for his dedication to the restoration of landmarks.
Tim Gill, founder of the publishing-software company Quark, was singled out for helping “to secure key victories in the fight for marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections”, according to the White House. Film-maker George Stevens jnr, founder of the American Film Institute, was praised for “American ideals of racial equity and justice for half a century”. Mr Biden will also present the medal to the primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.
Mr Biden will also posthumously honour Ashton Carter, a Defence secretary in the Obama administration; Fannie Lou Hamer, a founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party who laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and George Romney, an auto company chief executive, Republican governor of Michigan and the third secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
“President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else,” said the White House. “These 19 individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by president John F Kennedy in 1963.
Past recipients from the world of culture, entertainment and the arts to receive the medal include the poet TS Eliot, comedian Bob Hope, jazz musician Duke Ellington, actor John Wayne, playwright Tennessee Williams, singer Frank Sinatra, singer BB King, novelist Harper Lee, poet Maya Angelou, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, actors Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro, singers Diana Ross and Bruce Springsteen and film-maker Steven Spielberg. – Additional reporting Bloomberg
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