The Edge - Biography

Last Editor: beautifulgirl				The Edge Biography -   Name : The Edge Profession : guitarist Birth Details : born August 8, 1961, Barking, East London, England

The Edge Trivia -

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The Edge Detailed Biography -

David Howell Evans (born August 8, 1961, Barking, East London, England) stage name The Edge, is the lead guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. Dave Evans, who was known as a loner in high school, took piano and guitar lessons and often performed with his brother Dik Evans before they both answered an ad posted by Larry Mullen, Jr. seeking musicians to form a rock band. This band would go through several incarnations before emerging as U2 in March 1978 (Dik Evans left the band just before the name change). The Edge married his high school girlfriend Aislinn O'Sullivan. The couple had three daughters together: Hollie, Arun and Blue Angel. The Edge and O'Sullivan separated in 1991 but could not divorce because of Irish law. They were divorced in 1996, after divorce was legalized in 1995. In October 1997, The Edge had a fourth daughter, Sian Beatrice Echo, with Morleigh Steinberg, a dancer from U2's early 1990s Zoo TV Tour. Their son Levi was born in September 1999. The couple married in June 2002. People continue to speculate how Evans received his nickname "The Edge". While his bandmate Bono has joked that he got the name because of his sharp mind, most U2's biographers attribute the nickname to the sharp profile of his face and nose. As a guitar player, The Edge is recognised as having a trademark sound typified by understatement, extensive use of digital delay effects, and a focus on texture and melody. 1987's The Joshua Tree is probably the best example of the 'U2 sound', with songs like "With or Without You" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" being amongst the band's most critically acclaimed and best loved work. The album was recorded at the height of the 80's "shred-metal" era, but The Edge's guitar playing on it could not be further from the emphasis of the time on technique and speed (for example, Edge has suggested that With or Without You could easily have gone off into a huge guitar solo, a la November Rain, but instead resolves after a brief drum interlude to a relaxed and "chilled out" strummed guitar part, which he cites as his favorite from the album). The album showcases The Edge's approach to the guitar – rather than trying to push his guitar to the front of the mix and make his contributions obvious, The Edge focuses on the song and the mood, often contributing just a few simple lead lines given depth and richness by an ever-present digital delay. The intro riff to "Where the Streets Have No Name" is simply a repeated 4-note arpeggio, broadened by two different delays. Much like his contemporary, Tom Morello, The Edge has stated that many of his guitar parts are based around guitar effects. This is especially true from the Achtung Baby era onwards, although many of the band's 80's material made heavy use of echo. His influence as a guitarist can be seen on many bands still active such as Radiohead, Coldplay, and much of the indie/alternative scene. The Edge also supplies the backing vocals for U2's singer Bono, and whilst he may not have as great a voice as some, The Edge's backing vocals (often taking the form of a repeated cry) add much to songs like "Beautiful Day". The Edge sings the lead vocal on "Van Diemen's Land" (Rattle and Hum), "Numb" (Zooropa), the first half of the song "Seconds" from (War), and sings the occasional lead vocal in live renditions of other songs (such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during the Popmart Tour). Instruments: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Bass (on "40"), Lap Steel Guitars Used; Gibson Explorer, Fender Stratocaster (with custom bridge pick-up), Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, Fender Telecaster, Rickenbacker 330-12, Gretsch Country Gentleman