Larry Mullen Jr.

Lawrence Joseph Mullen, Jr. (born October 31, 1961 in Artane, Dublin, Ireland) is the drummer for the Irish rock band U2.

Early years

Larry Mullen Jr. was born and raised in Artane, Dublin, Ireland, located on the north side of Dublin. Mullen had a tragic childhood, losing his sister Mary when she was six and his mother, Maureen, in a 1978 automobile accident.

Mullen's parents, Larry Senior and Maureen, thought it was a good idea if their son learned to play an instrument, and so at the age of eight, he began to take piano lessons. It did not take long for him to discover that he preferred to play drums, and so in 1970, his sister Cecilia bought him his first drum kit for £17. In 1971, Mullen began taking drumming classes with Ireland's best-known drummer, Joe Bonnie and afterward with his daughter Monica. In the mid-70s Mullen began his signature military-drumming style and became a member of the Artane Boys' Band, a military-style fife and drum band. The marching military sound made him develop a drumming style that to this day is characteristic for the music of U2. He was forced to leave the band for refusing to cut his long hair. Mullen next turned his interests to jazz music and began to learn how to play it.

In 1976, Mullen posted a note on the message board of Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, looking for fellows to form a band with him. Amongst the teenagers congregating in his kitchen were Paul Hewson (Bono), Dave Evans (The Edge), and Adam Clayton - U2 was born.

Style and techniques

After forming U2, Mullen’s drumming style and techniques began to evolve. At the beginning his contribution to the band was often limited to filling in and adding drum rolls, but as time went on he became more involved in the writing of the songs, particularly in conjunction with Adam Clayton, his partner in the rhythm section. Mullen’s drumming is now an integral part of U2 songs and his is credited as being the band’s backbone. His drumming style and leadership have come a long way after being described in the late 70s as the band's “weak link” by CBS Ireland, who point-blank refused to sign the band initially, unless they got rid of him.

During the recording of the album “Pop” in 1996, Mullen suffered from severe back problems and was forced to take a back seat while he underwent surgery. As a result he experimented much more with electronic drum machines and contributed heavily to the more techno feel of the album. Throughout his career Mullen has been plagued with a battle with tendonitis, which has been curbed by specially-designed drumsticks from Pro-Mark. He also performs with special Yamaha drums and Paiste cymbals.

Personal life

As U2's popularity increased, Mullen adopted the 'Junior' suffix to his name, to avoid being confused with his father, Larry Sr. At the time, his father was receiving some unexpectedly huge tax demands which were intended for his son.

Mullen has always been the quiet member of U2, preferring to let the other band members take centre stage at press conferences, etc. He is also well known for being the level-headed member of the band, and is most likely to put the brakes on any elaborate and expensive plans the band might have for complex stage sets, etc. Despite the fame that success has brought, he is still content to remain largely in the background.

Mullen lives with his long-time partner, Ann Acheson, with whom he has three children: son Aaron Elvis (born October 4, 1995), daughter Ava (born December 23, 1998) and a son (born February 8, 2001) whose name is unreleased. The family lives in Howth, Dublin and in New York. He’s also known as a dog lover, thanking his Yellow Labrador Retrievers JJ and Missy on past U2 albums.

He is well-known for his love for Elvis Presley and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Mullen is also a big fan of the Irish football team for whom he wrote the song "Put 'Em Under Pressure" in 1990. He also is a regular spectator at Lansdowne Road, Dublin for Ireland rugby Test matches.

Collaborations

In addition to his job playing drums for U2, Mullen has also recorded with artists like Maria McKee, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, B. B. King, Daniel Lanois, and others. He also worked with fellow band mate Adam Clayton on the theme to the film “Mission: Impossible” for the in 1996. The two also teamed up with Mike Mills and Michael Stipe from REM to form the group "Automatic Baby" for Bill Clinton's Inauguration in 1993 at MTV's Inaugural Ball.

This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Larry Mullen Jr.".