U2's Bono breaks silence on shock near-death experience: 'It was physical for me'

BONO opened up about his life-affirming brush with death.

By Olivia-anne Cleary /

The U2 frontman has revealed a near-death encounter inspired the band's hotly-anticipated new album Songs of Experience.

In a candid interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Bono — real name Paul David Hewson — referred to the incident as an "extinction event".

And while he admitted the health scare was physical in nature, the 57-year-old declined to give any exact details on what threatened to take his life.

Explaining his outlook, the Dublin-born star said: "People have these extinction events in their lives — it could be psychological or it could be physical.

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"And, yes, it was physical for me, but I think I have spared myself all that soap opera."

Revealing he wants to leave fans to reach their own conclusions, Bono continued: "Especially with this kind of celebrity obsession with the minutiae of peoples' lives - I have got out of that...

"I want to speak about the issue in a way that lets people fill in the blanks of what they have been through, you know?"

Despite the scary experience, the City Of Blinding Lights singer — who cites mortality as an influence on his latest music — is aware of his privileged position.

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    CLOSE PALS: Bono's bandmate The Edge has also spoken about the star's mystery health scare

    “People have these extinction events in their lives... it was physical for me”

    Bono

    Detailing his approach to life, he mused: "I am the f***** luckiest man on Earth. I didn't think that I had a fear of a fast exit."

    Bono's U2 bandmate The Edge — real name David Howell Evan — has also spoken of the frontman's dice with death.

    Making sure to protect his friend's privacy, the 56-year-old told Rolling Stone last month: "He [Bono] definitely had a serious moment, which caused him to reflect on a lot of things.

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      Bono Getty

      FEELING LUCKY: Bono expressed gratitude for the life he leads

      "But where that brought him to as a writer was an amazing place."

      This isn't the first time Bono's health has been a cause of concern, with the main main describing his scares as "shocks to the system".

      In 2000, the celebrated talent was tested for throat cancer by a specialist.

      Luckily, much to the relief of the singer and his worldwide fanbase, the scare turned out to be a false alarm.

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