In 2000, Bono suffered a health scare that threatened U2’s future. Then came the comeback of their career
In the late 1990s, Bono’s voice had been weakening for years, and while recording U2’s 2000 album *All That You Can’t Leave Behind*, he feared he might have throat cancer. He kept that concern from the rest of the band, and the possibility that he could lose his voice raised questions about U2’s future.
The article presents the album as a comeback shaped by that uncertainty, with its success resting on the songs rather than Bono’s vocal power. It highlights the delayed guitars on “Beautiful Day” and the ballad “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”, while noting that Bono traced his vocal decline to after the Zoo TV tour and said it had lasted about five years.
In short
- Bono feared throat cancer while recording U2’s 2000 album.
- His voice had been weakening for about five years.
- The album’s songs helped mark a comeback for the band.
Explained simply
U2 are an Irish rock band whose singer, Bono, is also known for his distinctive, powerful voice. By the late 1990s, he believed his voice had been weakening for several years and worried that a throat problem might be cancer; he did not share that fear with the other band members.
The band were making All That You Can’t Leave Behind, released in 2000, as they faced uncertainty about whether Bono could keep singing. Its songs, including “Beautiful Day” and “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”, became central to U2’s return to wide commercial success and showed how the group’s future depended on more than vocal force alone.