courtesy Charles Marshall
HEAR
N.C. Senator Jesse Helms with Bono, circa 2001.
by CHARLES MARSHALL
U2’S JOSHUA TREE 30 years later, the record’s lasting impressions are evident
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AS IRISH ROCK BAND U2 CELEBRATES THE 30-YEAR anniversary of its blockbuster album The Joshua Tree this year, the record’s impact on the Triangle can be felt even today in our music, political, and faith communities.
If you recall, the record catapulted U2 into global stardom in 1987 with songs like Where the Streets Have No Name and With or Without You, breaking alternative rock onto mainstream radio stations previously dominated by the likes of Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and John Cougar Mellencamp. Those who were teenagers when The Joshua Tree was released are forty-somethings now, but their initial introductions to the record made lasting impressions, leading some into careers in the music business, others to use music to spread the word of God, and still others to bridge political divides to champion global health.
MAY 2017 | 111
