Bono Undergoes Emergency Back Surgery

News broke on MTV.com and U2.com on May 21, 2010 that U2 frontman Bono has undergone emergency back surgery. He is being treated in Germany by neurosurgeons Dr. Joerg Tonn and Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt. It is said that he will remain there for a couple of days before returning to Dublin to recuperate with his family. Little has been said officially regarding the cause of this sudden surgery. It is clear, however, that the upcoming dates of U2's 360 Tour will be impacted.

Bono has been struggling with an injured back since falling from a stage several years ago. He then suffered from a bulged disk. He has complained in the past that this injury has effected his abilities and performances. He once remarked that it made it difficult for him to exercise for a time and that was why he gained weight after the Elevation Tour. He once said jokingly in an interview: "I'm not ready for my fat Elvis stage yet." He was delighted when he was able to return to his boxing exercise program shortly after the Vertigo Tour and managed to lose some weight in the years that followed while recording "No Line On The Horizon" and preparing for the 360 Tour.

U2 have been struggling financially throughout the 360 Tour, despite the fact that it was the top grossing tour of 2009 and winning "Year's Best Show" in the U.S.A. during the same period. They have said that the record breaking tour has yet to break even monetarily due to the enormous production costs of designing and setting up the 170 ton, $40 million stage. Though sales of the "No Line On The Horizon" album have been impressive considering the economy and the age of file-sharing/ internet sales, they have been only middling when compared to U2's average sales numbers and is the lowest selling U2 album since "Pop" in 1997.

The band's long-time manager, Paul McGuinness, announced today that this has forced a change in the scheduling of the 360 Tour. It's June 3rd date in Salt Lake City, Utah has been postponed and, so far, there is no word from the U2 camp whether other dates will be postponed as well- or even canceled. Fans are being encouraged to hold on to their tickets until further notice. The U2 Camp remains positive about these matters and McGuinness has said: "We hope to get things resolved as soon as possible." There have been no statements from Bono himself or his family.

Resources:

U2.Com, "Bono Undergoes Surgery" http://www.u2.com/news/title/bono-undergoes-surgery, May 21, 2010, U2.com.

U2.Com, "U2360 Salt Lake City Postponement" http://www.u2.com/news/title/salt-lake-city-postponement, May 21, 2010, u2.com.

U2.Com, "Paul McGuinness On Today's News" http://www.u2.com/news/title/paul-mcguinness-on-todays-news, May 21, 2010, u2.com.

Kelly L. Carter, "Bono's Back Sugery Postpones U2 Tour: New Leg of 360 Tour Was Set to Kick Off in Salt Lake City on June 3" http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1639816/20100521/bono.jhtml, May 21, 2010, MTV.com.