U2 guitarist The Edge turns 65

Dave Howell Evans, known as The Edge, celebrated his 65th birthday on 8 August 2026. Born in Barking, England in 1961 and raised in Dublin, he co‑founded U2 in 1976 after answering Larry Mullen Jr.’s advert. The band evolved from early names such as Feedback and The Hype into U2, with The Edge developing a distinctive, atmospheric guitar style that relies on sparse riffs, delays and digital effects rather than traditional soloing. He briefly considered leaving the group in 1982 for religious reasons but stayed, contributing to landmark tracks like “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “With or Without You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name”. Beyond U2, he has collaborated with Johnny Cash, B. B. King, Tina Turner, Ron Wood and producers Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Michael Brook, and was named one of the greatest guitarists by Rolling Stone in 2011. The Edge also remains active in humanitarian campaigns alongside bandmate Bono, focusing on poverty alleviation and human‑rights issues.