Adam Clayton
Clayton playing a Lakland bass on 2 July, 2005 in Vienna, Austria (Vertigo Tour)
Background information
Born	13 March 1960 (1960-03-13) (age 48) Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England
Genre(s)	Rock, post-punk, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Bass guitar, guitar, synthesizer
Years active	1976–present
Label(s)	Island Interscope
Associated acts	U2 = passengers
Website	http://www.u2.com/
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Precision Bass Fender Jazz Bass Lakland Bass

Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960 in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England), is the bassist of the rock band U2.^[1] A British citizen, Clayton has resided in Dublin county since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965. Clayton is well-known for his bass playing on songs such as "New Year's Day" and "With or Without You".^[2][3] He has worked on several solo projects throughout his career, such as his work with fellow band member Larry Mullen Jr. on the theme of 1996's Mission: Impossible.^[4] Clayton, as a part of U2, has won 22 Grammy awards.^[5] Image File history File linksMetadata Adam_Clayton_2005_Wien_v1. ... Lakland Musical Instruments, LLC, produces bass guitars. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... The Vertigo Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in 2005 and 2006 in support of the groups 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... Alternative music redirects here. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Synth redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Interscope Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears no little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination. ... The Fender Precision Bass, known as P-bass for short, is the first model of the electric bass designed by Clarence Leonidas Fender and brought to market in 1951. ... The Jazz Bass (or J-Bass) was the second model of electric bass guitar created by Leo Fender. ... Lakland Musical Instruments, LLC, produces bass guitars. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... The United Kingdom has arguably the worlds most complex nationality laws, because of its former status as an imperial power. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference O225462 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Elevation: sea level Population (2002) 11,596  Website: www. ... New Years Day is the third song and lead single from U2s 1983 album, War. ... The Joshua Tree track listing I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For (2) With or Without You (3) Bullet the Blue Sky (4) The Best of 1980-1990 track listing New Years Day (2) With or Without You (3) I Still Havent Found What I... Lawrence Joseph Larry Mullen, Jr. ...

Biography

Clayton is the eldest child of Brian and Jo Clayton, born on 13 March 1960 in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England. When Clayton was five years old, his family moved from Oxfordshire to Malahide, near Dublin, where Clayton's sister Sindy and his brother Sebastian were born.^[6] The Clayton family became friends with the Evans family, with their sons Dick and Dave (more commonly known as The Edge), who were both in the original group, Feedback, that spawned U2.^[6] is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Dick or Dik Evans is the brother of David The Edge Evans, U2 guitarist. ... For other subjects called The Edge, see The Edge (disambiguation). ...

Clayton attended boarding school at St. Columba's in Rathfarnham.^[6] He later changed school to Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, where he met fellow bandmates Paul "Bono" Hewson and Larry Mullen Jr., and was reunited with this boyhood friend Dave "The Edge" Evans. Mullen had posted an advertisement on the school bulletin board for musicians to form a band with him; Clayton showed up at the first practice, which also included Dick Evans, Dave Evans's older brother, Ivan McCormick, and Peter Martin, who were two of Mullen's friends. McCormick and Martin left the band soon after its conception. While the band was a five-piece (consisting of Bono, The Edge, Mullen, Evans, and Clayton), it was known as Feedback. The name was subsequently changed to The Hype, but changed to "U2" soon after Evans left the band.^[7] Clayton also served as the band's first manager before Paul McGuinness, a more experienced manager, was hired, because Clayton had left school earlier. St. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference O144289 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Elevation: 54 m Population (2006) 17,333  Website: www. ... Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school located in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, originally notable as the first non-sectarian public (state funded) school to open in Dublin. ... For other uses, see Bono (disambiguation). ... Lawrence Joseph Larry Mullen, Jr. ... For other subjects called The Edge, see The Edge (disambiguation). ... Paul McGuinness is the main shareholder and founder of Principle Management Limited: an artist management company based in Dublin, Ireland, which has managed U2 from the start of their successful career. ...

In 1981, around the time of U2's second, spiritually charged album, October, a rift was created in the band between Clayton and McGuinness, and the three other band members. Bono, The Edge, and Mullen had joined a Christian group, and were questioning the compatibility of rock music with their spirituality.^[7] However, Clayton, with his more ambiguous religious views, was less concerned, and so was more of an outsider, until Bono's wedding to Alison Hewson (Neé Stewart), in which Clayton was the best man.^[3] October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1981. ... Ali Hewson also known as Ali Stewart (born Alison Stewart on March 23, 1961 in Dublin, Ireland) is an activist and best known as the wife of U2 front man Paul Bono Hewson. ...

In August 1989, Clayton made newspapers around the world when he was arrested in Dublin carrying a small amount of marijuana. However, he avoided conviction by making a large donation to charity, and has later been regretful, saying "It was my own fault. And I'm sure I was out of my head — emotionally apart from anything else. But it is serious because it is illegal."^[3] Clayton has also had alcohol problems, which came to a head on 26 November 1993 when he was so hung over that he was unable to play that night's show in Sydney. However he gave up alcohol after that incident.^[8] Cannabis, also known as marijuana[1] or ganja (Hindi: गांजा),[2] is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ...

In 1993, after the groundbreaking Zoo TV Tour and Zooropa album, Clayton headed to New York with bandmate Mullen to receive formal training in the bass; until then Clayton had been entirely self-taught.^[8] During that period, he worked on U2's experimental album, released under the pseudonym "Passengers", entitled Original Soundtracks 1. That album features one of the few instances where Clayton has appeared as a vocalist; he spoke the last verse of "Your Blue Room", the album's second single. Prior to this Clayton had only provided live backing vocals to tracks such as Out of Control, I Will Follow, Twilight and Bullet the Blue Sky. Since 1998's Popmart tour Clayton has not sung live in any capacity for the band. For the fan club-exclusive album released from this tour, see Zoo TV Live. ... Zooropa is the eighth studio album by the Irish rock band U2. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see Alias. ... Original Soundtracks 1 is a 1995 album recorded by U2 and Brian Eno (see 1995 in music). ... Your Blue Room is the third track on the Passengers album, Original Soundtracks 1. ... Nickelodeons Out of Control was a comedy series series that ran from 1984-1985, and the first series produced for that channel. ... I Will Follow is a song by the rock band U2 and is the first track on their debut album Boy. ... For other uses, see Twilight (disambiguation). ... Bullet the Blue Sky is a song on U2s 1987 album The Joshua Tree. ... See Popmart Tour U2s 1997-1998 world tour to promote their POP album. ...

In 1996, whilst still in New York, Clayton collaborated with Mullen to re-record the Mission: Impossible theme.^[4] Mission: Impossible is the name of an American television series which aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to September 1973. ...

Clayton was the only bachelor member of U2 for many years. During the early 1990s he was involved in a relationship with, and at one point engaged to, British supermodel Naomi Campbell. More recently, he was engaged to marry Suzanne Smith, whom he was planning to marry in the summer of 2007, but broke up in February 2007.^[9] Naomi Campbell (born May 22, 1970) is an English supermodel, actress, singer, and author. ...

Style

Clayton (right) performing with U2 at Madison Square Garden on 21 November, 2005 on the Vertigo tour.

As a bass player, Adam Clayton is recognized for his unique playing style and rhythms that are apparent in many songs, most notably "New Year's Day", which evolved out of an attempt to play Visage's song "Fade to Grey", and "With or Without You".^[6][10] His style has been influenced by many different styles, such as Motown and reggae, and has evolved over his years in U2.^[11] He cites artists such as Paul Simonon of The Clash as influences on his musical style.^[10] When Clayton first joined the fledgling U2, he did not have any formal training in the bass.^[6] Consequently, his style developed without any formal training whatsoever until 1995.^[6] In the early years of U2, his bass was generally a simple part in 4/4 time.^[10] Bono said of Clayton's early bass playing, "Adam used to pretend he could play bass. He came round and started using words like action and fret and he had us baffled. He had the only amplifier so we never argued with him. We thought this guy must be a musician, he knows what he's talking about and then one day we discovered he wasn't playing the right notes, that's what's wrong, y'know?"^[12] However, as the group grew and evolved, his bass became more complicated, as is the case on 1987's The Joshua Tree and 1988's Rattle and Hum.^[10] He has continued to use these simple parts over the years, for example, 2000's "Beautiful Day", with a simple 8th-note part.^[10] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 835 KB) Author: Zachary Gillman Zachary Gillman gave me permission through e-mail to use this image on Wikipedia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 835 KB) Author: Zachary Gillman Zachary Gillman gave me permission through e-mail to use this image on Wikipedia. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ... New Years Day is the third song and lead single from U2s 1983 album, War. ... Visage was a New Romantic band that began life in 1978, mainly to provide some danceable music to be played on Steve Stranges and Rusty Egans Billys London nightclub. ... Fade to Grey is the second single by British New Romantic group Visage. ... The Joshua Tree track listing I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For (2) With or Without You (3) Bullet the Blue Sky (4) The Best of 1980-1990 track listing New Years Day (2) With or Without You (3) I Still Havent Found What I... Motown Records, Inc. ... Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. ... Paul Simonon (born December 15, 1955 in Brixton, London, England) is best known as the bass guitarist and vocalist for punk rock band The Clash. ... This article is about the English punk rock band. ... The time signature (also known as meter signature) is a notational device used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each bar and which note value (minim, crotchet, eighth note and so on) constitutes one beat. ... For other uses, see Joshua tree (disambiguation). ... Rattle and Hum refers to both a motion picture about the band U2 and its companion album, documenting the bands 1987 Joshua Tree Tour of the United States and its exploration into American music. ... Beautiful Day is the lead single from U2s 2000 album, All That You Cant Leave Behind. ...

Clayton has sung on several occasions, for example, on the song "Endless Deep", the B-side to the single "Two Hearts Beat As One" from 1983, he made an appearance singing. He also spoke the last verse of the aforementioned "Your Blue Room". Clayton can be heard speaking on "Tomorrow ('96 Version)" (a rerecording of "Tomorrow" that he arranged) a song from U2's 1981 album October.^[13] He plays the guitar on a few occasions, most notably the song "40", where he and guitarist The Edge switch instruments. He also plays the introduction to "City of Blinding Lights" on the keyboard. Alternate Cover 12 vinyl War track listing The Refugee (6) Two Hearts Beat as One (7) Red Light (8) Two Hearts Beat as One is the seventh track on U2s 1983 album, War. ... Your Blue Room is the third track on the Passengers album, Original Soundtracks 1. ... October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1981. ... War track listing Surrender (9) 40 (10) N/A Under a Blood Red Sky track listing New Years Day (7) 40 (8) N/A 40[1] is the tenth and final track from U2s 1983 album, War. ... For other subjects called The Edge, see The Edge (disambiguation). ... How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb track listing Love and Peace or Else (Track 4) City of Blinding Lights (Track 5) All Because of You (Track 6) City of Blinding Lights is the third single from U2s 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. ...

Musical equipment

Clayton has used many different basses, but his most-often used basses are listed:

• Fender Precision Bass
• Fender Jazz Bass
• Gibson Thunderbird Bass
• Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass
• Gibson Les Paul 70's Recording Bass, unknown model
• Lakland Joe Osborne Signature Bass
• Lakland Darryl Jones Signature Bass
• Auerswald Custom Bass

Throughout his career, Clayton has used both Precision and Jazz basses. His first bass, however, was a dark brown Ibanez copy.^[6] He uses Ashdown amplifiers and blue Herdim picks, as does bandmate The Edge.^[13] Clayton's Precision bass is modified with a Fender Jazz neck; in an interview with Bass Player magazine, he said that he prefers the Jazz bass neck because it is more "lady-like" and is a better fit in his left hand.^[10] It has been suggested that Fender Amplifier History be merged into this article or section. ... The Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars. ... The Gibson Les Paul is a popular solidbody electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s. ... Lakland Musical Instruments, LLC, produces bass guitars. ... This article is about the guitar manufacturer. ... For other subjects called The Edge, see The Edge (disambiguation). ...

Solo projects

Clayton has worked on several solo projects throughout his career. He played on Robbie Robertson's self-titled album from 1987, and has also performed with Maria McKee.^[14][15] He joined U2 producer Daniel Lanois and bandmate Larry Mullen Jr. on Lanois's 1989 album Acadie, playing the bass on the songs "Still Water" and "Jolie Louise".^[16] In 1994, Clayton played bass along with bandmate Larry Mullen Jr. on Nanci Griffith's album Flyer, playing on the songs "These Days in an Open Book", "Don't Forget About Me", "On Grafton Street" and "This Heart".^[17] Clayton and Mullen also re-recorded the Mission: Impossible soundtrack for the 1996 movie remake, including the theme song, which was changed from the original 5/4 time signature to the simpler 4/4 signature.^[4] They recorded the soundtrack while both Mullen and Clayton were in New York City for musical training.^[6] The "Theme from Mission: Impossible" was nominated for the "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" Grammy in 1997, also reaching #8 on the US Billboard chart.^[4][18][19] Robbie Robertson (born Jaime Robert Robertson, 5 July 1943, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known for his membership in The Band. ... Robbie Robertson is the self-titled solo debut by Robbie Robertson, released in 1987. ... Cover of self-titled debut album. ... Daniel Lanois (born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Québec) is a Canadian record producer and singer-songwriter. ... Lawrence Joseph Larry Mullen, Jr. ... Acadie is the debut album by record producer Daniel Lanois. ... Depiction of Nanci Griffith on the cover of her album Flyer Nanci Caroline Griffith, (born July 6, 1953 in Seguin, Texas) is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas. ... Flyer may refer to: Flyer (pamphlet), single page leaflet Aviator, someone who flies an aircraft, a pilot Wright Flyer, the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright Brothers Philadelphia Flyers, a National Hockey League team Kangaroo, a female kangaroo is sometimes called a flyer Dayton Flyers, University of... Mission: Impossible is the name of an American television series which aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to September 1973. ... The time signature (also known as meter signature) is a notational device used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each bar and which note value (minim, crotchet, eighth note and so on) constitutes one beat. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ...

Awards

Main article: List of U2 awards

Clayton and U2 have won numerous awards in their career, including 22 Grammy awards, including those for Best Rock Duo or Group seven times, Album of the Year twice, Record of the Year twice, Song of the Year twice, and Best Rock Album twice.^[5] This is a comprehensive list of major music awards received by U2, an Irish rock band that formed in 1976, and whose members are Adam Clayton, Bono, The Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1980. ... The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category. ... The Record of the Year is an award created by record producer Jonathan King voted for by the UK public. ... The Song of the Year is one of the two most prestigious awards in the Grammies, if not in all of the music industry. ... The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album has been awarded since 1995. ...

See also

• List of bass guitarists
• U2 discography
• List of U2 awards

This is a list of bass guitarists. ... This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by the Irish rock band U2. ... This is a comprehensive list of major music awards received by U2, an Irish rock band that formed in 1976, and whose members are Adam Clayton, Bono, The Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Bono (disambiguation). ... For other subjects called The Edge, see The Edge (disambiguation). ... Lawrence Joseph Larry Mullen, Jr. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• U2.com, official U2 website
• Adam Clayton @U2 Biography