Bono Wrote Fan Letters to 60 of His Musical Heroes for His 60th Birthday and it’s Great

Bono, the man known as Paul David Hewson in another life, celebrated his 60th birthday on May 10 — and boy, did the man known for bombast and passion with his music with U2 over the years find a unique way to celebrate.

Via the U2 website, Bono began publishing fan letters written to his musical heroes, a toast to those who inspired him over the years. Before the letters, this group of inspirational music existed as 60 Songs That Saved My Life, a Bono-curated playlist that went live on May 10:

Said Bono of the playlist concept, as well as the fan letters that followed:

These are some of the songs that saved my life…. the ones I couldn’t have lived without… the ones that got me from there to here, zero to 60… through all the scrapes, all manner of nuisance, from the serious to the silly… and the joy, mostly joy…

‘I wanted to thank the artists and everyone who helped make them… They were doing the same for me… I am writing a fan letter to accompany each song to try and explain my fascination…’

Among the artists included in Bono’s heartfelt appreciations are Elton John, Sex Pistols, Kanye West, the Beatles, the Beatles, David Bowie, Billie Eilish, Ramones, John Lennon, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Daft Punk, Madonna, Talking Heads, Lou Reed and so on. We can’t list all 60 here — but you can read all 60 of Bono’s letters at this link.

The fan letters have been posted on U2’s social media pages and Rolling Stone all week:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAATi6Ng1qv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CANOn1BArpW/

All in all, this was a pretty innovative and entertaining way for one of the world’s most iconic musicians to say thank you to those who shaped his music and career. Plus, it’s inspired some warm reactions from those honored:

Dear Bono,
I had heard you guys played my song early on. Your letter of confirmation, mentioning our meeting in Cincinnati is so great to read. Many thanks. @U2

Be well and safe with love,
pfhttps://t.co/1LPWzPtps4

— Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) May 15, 2020