Larry Mullen
|
|
Larry_mullen_jr.jpg
Larry Mullen, Jr. (born October 31, 1961 in Artane, Dublin, Ireland), is the drummer for the Irish rock band, U2.
Biography
Larry grew up with his two sisters Cecilia (born 1957) and Mary (born 1964) in Artane. Mary died at the age of six. In 1978, Larry's mother Maureen was killed in a car crash. Larry added the "jr." to his name in order to prevent his father from receiving his son's tax bills. Larry lives with his long-time partner, Ann Acheson, with whom he has three children: son Aaron Elvis (born October 4, 1995), and daughters Ava (born December 23, 1998) and Anya (born February 8, 2001). The family lives in Howth, a suburb in the north of Dublin. Larry is well-known for his love for Elvis Presley and Harley Davidson. He is also a big fan of the Irish football team for whom he wrote the song "Put 'em under pressure" in 1990. He also is a regular spectator at Lansdowne Road when Ireland's national rugby team is playing an international match.
Music
Larry's parents, Larry senior and Maureen, thought it was a good idea if their son learned to play an instrument, and so at the age of eight, Larry began to take piano lessons. It did not take long for him to discover he preferred to play drums, and so in 1970, his sister Cecilia bought him his first drum kit. Larry took drumming lessons and joined different bands, such as the Artane Boys Band and a military-style fife and drum band. The marching military sound made him develop a drumming style that to this day is characteristic for the music of U2. In 1976, Larry put a note on the message board of Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, looking for fellows to form a band. Amongst the teenagers congregating in Larry's kitchen were Paul Hewson (Bono), Dave Evans (The Edge), and Adam Clayton - U2 was born. In addition to his job playing drums for U2, Larry has also recorded with artists like Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, B. B. King, Daniel Lanois, and others.
Quotes
"There were no jobs to get. It was like we were all going nowhere, so we decided to go nowhere together and form a band." (1986)
"I am a Christian and not ashamed of that. But trying to explain my beliefs, our beliefs, takes away from it. I have more in common with somebody who doesn't believe at all than I do with most Christians. I don't mind saying that." (1987)
"It's a tough life being a pop star. You know, at the end of the day when you've paid all the bills and put the kids through college and that, you know, there's only enough left for a small island off the South Pacific." (1997)
"It's a mad thing we do. There's nothing natural about it. I mean, I hit things for a living. I hit things and people clap!" (2001)
"I have nightmares of my kids saying, Did you really look like that? Did you really make that shit? I want to make good enough records for them to be able to say I'm OK." (2001)
"I didn't join a band to be famous. I joined a band to hit things." (2002)de:Larry Mullen Junior it:Larry Mullen nl:Larry Mullen jr pl:Larry Mullen sv:Larry Mullen Jr