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The Edge

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The Edge

David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), known by his stage name the Edge or simply Edge, is an Irish and British musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of the rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 15 studio albums with them as well as one solo record. His understated style of guitar playing, a signature of U2's music, is distinguished by chiming timbres, use of rhythmic delay, drone notes, harmonics, and an extensive use of effects units. Born in England to Welsh parents and raised in Ireland, the Edge formed the band that would become U2 with his classmates at Mount Temple Comprehensive School and his elder brother Dik in 1976. Inspired by the ethos of punk rock and its basic arrangements, the group began to write its own material. They eventually became one of the most successful acts in popular music, with albums such as 1987's The Joshua Tree and 1991's Achtung Baby. Over the years, the Edge has experimented with various guitar effects and introduced influences from several genres of music into his own style, including American roots music, industrial music, and alternative rock. With U2, the Edge has also played keyboards, produced their records Zooropa (1993) and Songs of Surrender (2023), and occasionally served as co-lyricist. The Edge met his second wife, Morleigh Steinberg, through her collaborations with the band. As a member of U2 and as an individual, the Edge has campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes. He co-founded Music Rising, a charity to support musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. He has collaborated with U2 bandmate Bono on several projects, including songs for Roy Orbison, Tina Turner, and Martin Garrix, and the soundtracks to the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and the Royal Shakespeare Company's London stage adaptation of A Clockwork Orange. As a member of U2, the Edge has won 22 Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Several music publications have ranked the Edge among the greatest guitarists of all time.

Infobox

Born
David Howell Evans (1961-08-08) 8 August 1961 (age 64)Barking, Essex, England
Origin
Dublin, Ireland
Genres
mw- .inline, .inline dl, .inline ol, .inline ul, dl dl, dl ol, dl ul, ol dl, ol ol dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd ol li Rock alternative rock pop rock post-punk
Occupations
Musiciansingersongwriter
Instruments
Guitarkeyboardsvocals
Years active
1976–present
Labels
Island Interscope Mercury CBS Ireland
Member of
U2
Spouses
mw- Aislinn O'Sullivan (m. 1983; div. 1996) Morleigh Steinberg (m. 2002)

Tables

· Discography
Year
Title
Album
1983
"Snake Charmer" / "Snake Charmer" (Reprise) (Jah Wobble with The Edge and Holger Czukay)"Hold on to Your Dreams" (Jah Wobble with The Edge)
Snake Charmer
1986
Various tracks
Captive soundtrack
2011
"Rise Above 1" (Reeve Carney featuring Bono and The Edge)
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
2021
"We Are the People" (Martin Garrix featuring Bono and The Edge)
Non-album single
2023
"Train with No Station" / "Noche Oscura" (Lol Tolhurst, Budgie and Jacknife Lee featuring The Edge)
Los Angeles

References

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  2. Dunphy (1988), p. 70
  3. "Green goddess; With Primeval back on our screens, Juliet Aubrey's playing nasty again. The award-winning actress tells about being an eco-warrior — and how bad girl Helen Cutter is really a great role model"
    http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Green+goddess%3B+With+Primeval+back+on+our+screens,+Juliet+Aubrey's...-a0197582242
  4. "Don't call me sir, says Bono"
    https://www.iol.co.za/news/world/dont-call-me-sir-says-bono-321019
  5. U2 Magazine
  6. McCormick (2006), pp. 27–30
  7. McCormick (2006), pp. 46–48
  8. McCormick (2006), p. 68
  9. McGee (2008), p. 9
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    https://www.threechordsandthetruth.net/u2bios/u2edgebio.php
  11. McCormick (2006), pp. 117–120
  12. "The Edge biography (@U2)"
    https://archive.today/20120720081257/http://www.atu2.com/band/edge/
  13. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-12-ca-34429-story.html
  14. Flanagan (1996), p. 230
  15. Pollstar
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  17. "'Spider-Man' star Reeve Carney in new video with Bono, the Edge"
    https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/07/spider-man-star-reeve-carney-in-new-video-with-bono-the-edge.html
  18. Rolling Stone
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  19. The Independent
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  20. Los Angeles
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  22. Newsweek
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  23. Gulla (2009), pp. 57–65
  24. Guitar Player
  25. Guitar Player
  26. Guitar Player
  27. McCormick (2006), pp. 72–75
  28. The Village Voice
  29. Gibson
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  30. Musician
  31. Guitar Player
  32. Calhoun (2018), p. 17
  33. Trouser Press
  34. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-20-ca-1124-story.html
  35. Calhoun (2018), p. 11
  36. Flanagan (1996), pp. 44–45
  37. The Joshua Tree
  38. The Washington Post
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  39. Hot Press
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  40. Irish Independent
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  41. Guitar World
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  42. Gibson
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  43. McGee (2008), pp. 29–31
  44. It Might Get Loud
  45. MusicRadar
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  46. The Daily Telegraph
  47. Uncut
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  48. Entertainment Weekly
    https://www.ew.com/article/1991/11/29/achtung-baby
  49. Consequence of Sound
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  50. Gibson
    https://web.archive.org/web/20180418063845/https://www.gibson.com/news-lifestyle/features/en-us/10-things-about-the-edge-and-his-guitars.aspx
  51. McGee (2008), p. 18
  52. "U2 Rotterdam, 1993-05-10, Feyenoord Stadium, ZOO TV Tour - U2 on tour"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20050509034118/http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/show355.html
  53. Cooper, Adam (18 March 2012). "The Edge's 1981 Guitar Rig". GuitarGeek.Com.
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  54. Cooper, Adam (20 March 2012). "The Edge's 1983 Guitar Rig". GuitarGeek.Com.
    http://www.guitargeek.com/the-edge-u2-1983-guitar-rig-and-gear-setup-diagram/
  55. Entertainment Weekly
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  56. Belfast Telegraph
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  57. The New Yorker
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  58. McCormick (2006), p. 144
  59. McCormick, U2 by U2, p. 345.
  60. McCormick, U2 by U2, p. 365.
  61. GQ
    https://www.gq.com/gallery/michael-stipes-greatest-fits
  62. The Clarence Hotel. (Unknown last update). At the Clarence Archived 5 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 July
    http://www.theclarence.ie/dublin_hotel
  63. Irish Independent
    https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/reviews/hotel-reviews/the-clarence-hotel-review-a-beautiful-day-for-revamped-u2-hotel-42354847.html
  64. The Independent
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/u2-stars-plans-push-malibu-over-the-edge-2299306.html
  65. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/interviews/edge-going-difficult-break-u2/
  66. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/23/u2-guitarist-the-edge-becomes-irish-citizen-after-62-years-in-the-country
  67. "The Angiogenesis Foundation: People"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20100226070613/http://www.angio.org/about-people-bod.php
  68. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/06/20/u2s-the-edge-talks-up-food-as-an-anti-cancer-weapon/
  69. Guitar World
    https://www.guitarworld.com/news/the-edge-x-love-welcomes-guitar-strap
  70. Grammy.com
    https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/u2/7858
  71. Spin
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  72. The Boston Globe
    https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/03/15/u2_leads_newest_members_into_rocks_hall_of_fame/
  73. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/arts/arts-briefly-u2-others-to-join-rock-hall-of-fame.html
  74. Rolling Stone
    https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/doctorates-of-rock-21401/
  75. Rolling Stone
    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-u2s-the-edge-receive-les-paul-spirit-award-w488003
  76. Billboard
    https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/u2-the-edge-venice-family-clinic-heart-gala-honoree-1235672711/
  77. Gibson.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110707003804/http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Top-50-Guitarists-526/
  78. Rolling Stone
    https://web.archive.org/web/20171202013720/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/the-edge-20111122
  79. Rolling Stone
    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/the-edge-8-1234814355/
  80. Spin
    https://www.spin.com/2012/05/greatest-guitarists-all-time/8/
  81. Rolling Stone
    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-songwriters#bono-and-the-edge
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