U2's rock star, Paul "Bono" Hewson is on a mission.

While the lead singer/songwriter's new album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb sold 840,000 copies in the first week of its release, Bono (pronounced (BAH'-noh) is leveraging all this attention on another personal passion: poverty.

Bono has pledged to spend the rest of his life trying to help those around the world who are impoverished.

He is driving this process through an organization he co-founded with Bobby S. Shriver called Data.

Bono, The Philanthropic Artist

Hewson was born in Dublin Ireland on May 10, 1960.

In the 1980's, U2 rose to superstar status around the world with albums like Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and All That You Can't Leave Behind.

In 2002, U.S. President George Bush spoke of the Irishman as follows:

[Bono] has a willingness to lead, to achieve what his heart tells him, and a belief that nobody should be living in poverty and hopelessness in the world.

Needless to say, the forty-four year-old father of four who is celebrating twenty years of marriage to his childhood sweetheart, has a lot more life to live. Spending the rest of it dedicated to those who live in poverty is an admirable "pro bono" service to offer.

It is a service he has been offering for years.

To create leverage Bono has relied on relationships he has nurtured in high places other than a rock n' roll stage.

Fortunately, powerful politicians like Bush, and Bono's friends like Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, are listening.

Bono & Prime Minister Ahern Arriving for the Global Launch of the UN Human Development Report 2003

This month, the U.S. Congress approved a $1 billion increase to a total of $9.7 billion toward America's efforts to fight poverty and disease in developing countries.

Bono continues to encourage Americans to support this campaign and contact their local representatives to see what more can be done.

On December 2, 2004, U2 performed in London, England for BBC Television. Bono used the opportunity to speak in the U.K. about his passion other than music.

During the show, the U2 band was interviewed coinciding Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' program on BBC1.

Bono told BBC One's Ross that he wanted the current generation to be "remembered for something other than the Internet".

It should be "the first generation to eradicate extreme poverty," he said.

"I want to spend the rest of my life doing that."

Other causes Bono has taken up over the years include an effort toward debt cancellation in Third World nations and HIV/AIDS relief for Africa.

The BBC reported:

His bandmates complained but supported his causes he said, adding it still felt great to be in U2.

Bono has been a high-profile campaigner on issues including third world debt and Aids, and has a close relationship with some of the world's most important politicians.

He said 1985's Live Aid concert, raising money for the starving in Africa, made him see what could be achieved.

"That day changed my life and started me on this incredible adventure," he said.

World leaders looked at him "like I'm some sort of exotic plant", he told Ross.

"But I've found them to be very respectful. When I met [Bill] Clinton, I looked like our road crew and he burst out laughing.

"I don't feel nervous, I feel they should be nervous because they're the ones who have to be held accountable."

Bono's past efforts have included an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. During this event, Bono spoke to the American people about that which he is so passionate.

Bono said to Oprah's audience of 20 million people, "This is an emergency," he said. "We can throw pennies at the problem, but God doesn't want alms, God wants action."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and comedian Chris Tucker, who traveled to Africa, also appeared on the program to express their support for Bono's efforts.

In his latest meeting with President Bush, Bono asked Bush to set aside an additional $5 billion in aid for Africa.

Congress approved a $1 billion increase.

The $1 billion increase includes $400 million toward new appropriations for HIV/AIDS. A $500 million increase for the Millennium Challenge, a challenge designed to reward democratic countries that are fighting corruption and investing in the health and education of their people, is $1 billion less than the amount Bush requested. In addition, a net increase of approximately $80 million will go for other key accounts that provide funding for debt relief, child and maternal health, water, and education.

To learn more about Bono's efforts, go to:

If you are an American, Bono asks you to watch a slideshow from Brad Pitt's visit to South Africa.

Bono and Pitt hope you will join them as others like Michael W. Smith, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Michael Stipe of REM, Jars of Clay members, Dave Matthews, Danny Glover, John Cusack and others sign a petition.

This petition, driven by The One Campaign, hopes to inspire our leaders to give more aid to the 12 million children in Africa who have lost their parents due to AIDS.

To sign the petition, go to:

One way Bono could get people to take off their rose colored glasses and see eye-to-eye with what he has seen in Africa is to get them to put on a pair of his wrap-around blue shades. I know I'd buy a few Bvlgaris and even sell them in our marketplace, if the proceeds went toward raising greater "pro" Bono poverty awareness. Too bad Apple didn't offer the same with the U2 iPod.

Bono's Other Passion: Music

Since the release of U2's, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb their 11th studio album has gone to number one in 34 countries.

In addition, Apple Computer is selling a special edition U2 iPod. Apple is heavily marketing the red and black signature iPod with TV commercials of U2 playing one of their hit songs Vertigo.

Bono has been one of world's biggest rock stars since U2 rose to superstar status in the early 1980s.

U2 formed in their native Dublin in 1978 and remains intact with its four original band members: Bono (vocals), Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums), Adam Clayton (bass) and David "The Edge" Evans (guitar).

The band has sold more than 130 million records worldwide in an extraordinary career that has firmly established them as one of the world's greatest rock n' roll bands.

Along the way, U2 has earned a phenomenal 14 Grammy Awards, seven of which were for their last studio album, the October 2000 release of All That You Can't Leave Behind."

In 2005, U2 will be among the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Set your TiVo's to CNN on December 19th. Bono will be interviewed on Paula Zahn's "People in the News" at 7:30pm ET.

The band plans to kick off an extensive world tour on March 1 in Miami. U2 plans to travel to more than 100 cities. Word on the street is that U2 has lined up a show at the Pepsi Arena in Albany on March 28, 2005. Hopefully, they'll make San Francisco a stop along the way.

Apple 20 GB iPod U2 Special Edition

For U2's Special Edition iPod and a collection of 20 CDs spanning over 24 years, go to:

Or go to iTunes and for $149.99 you can download 446 U2 songs including Vertigo called "The Complete U2."

And for an additional $301.55 (at the time of this story post), you can get the Special Edition 20 GB iPod to hold all these songs and 4,600 more.

The Edge, Bono, Larry and Adam, you've touched these ol' forty-something year-olds' lives for more than twenty years, and now you're touching the lives of a new generation.

In this household, they are six and nine! For one minute, I wish you could have seen the smiles on our faces as the three of us rocked out to Vertigo in the back of our Jeep on the way to school every day last week.

Thank you for your music and for using your stardom to ensure that youth less fortunate than your own, can not only survive but potentially thrive, some day.

God bless all four of you. May the luck of the Irish remain with you, forever.

Inspire & Be Inspired (R).

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, poverty-ridden living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King