Ten Things You Never Knew About Bono

U2 frontman Bono Vox is one of the most recognisable rock 'n' roll stars on the planet. The Irish singer's penchant for political activism and cosy cups of tea with George Bush, Tony Blair and the Pope has helped his band become one of the most successful acts of the last 30 years. The group's 12th studio album No Line On The Horizon is released next week and to celebrate, we've gathered up ten intriguing tidbits about the frontman. Read on if you want to know why he always wears those blooming sunglasses!

1. Bono was born on May 10, 1960 in Glasnevin, Dublin. His real name is Paul David Hewson.

2. Before getting the nickname Bono, friends called him 'Steinvic von Huyseman', 'Huyseman', 'Bon Murray' and 'Bono Vox of O'Connell Street'. Pal Gavin Friday came up with the Bono Vox idea after spotting a hearing aid shop in Dublin with the name.

3. Why does Bono rarely leave the house without sunglasses? "[I have] very sensitive eyes to light. If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day... So it's part vanity, it's part privacy and part sensitivity."

4. Bono's list of collaborators reads like a Who's Who of popular music. The singer's teamed up with stars as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Luciano Pavarotti, Green Day, Bruce Springsteen, Kylie and Jennifer Lopez. Not bad!

5. Not just a singer, political activist and charity worker, Bono has also very occasionally tried his hand at movies. He appeared as Dr Robert in musical Across The Universe and filmed cameos in Million Dollar Hotel and Ronnie Drew: September Song.

6. He may come across like a rock 'n' roll superstar, but Bono's just as susceptible to everyday mistakes as the rest of us, such as forgetting his wife Ali Hewson's birthday. To make up for the error, he dedicated the track 'The Sweetest Thing' to her and gave all her all the sale proceeds. Oi Bono! We think you forgot our birthday as well!

7. If the singing career hadn't worked out, Bono may have taken up chess. "At 12 I studied the grandmasters, and I was fascinated," said the U2 star.

8. Bono holds the impressive title of being the only person to have been nominated for an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, and the Nobel Prize. Flipping show off!

9. He may come across as a do-gooder, but Bono wasn't an angel at school. He was allegedly thrown out of Dublin's cathedral school St Patrick's for "throwing dog turds" at the Spanish teacher.

10. At U2's earliest gigs, Bono encouraged the band to do Bay City Rollers covers because he enjoyed hearing females fans getting excited. "We weren't really playing that kind of music but we noticed that if we played the first few chords of this particular Bay City Rollers song all the girls would scream - and we liked that."