(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) In a blog post the 54-year-old rocker described how he blanked out on impact during the cycling accident in New Yorks Central Park.
Bono the frontman of the Irish rock group U2 who was injured in a cycling accident last year said on Friday his recovery has not been easy and he may never play guitar again. He took to the blogosphere to ring in the New Year on Thursday posting a 6000-word reflection on his year entitled ‘Little Big Book of a Big Year: Bono’s A to Z of 2014’ including notes on the hubbub around the free iTunes release of their latest album and the bicycle accident in November that left him with a broken arm.
In the post the 54-year-old rocker said he broke his hand shoulder elbow and face and described how he “blanked out on impact” during the cycling accident in New York’s Central Park which he said he could not blame on anyone but himself.
“Recovery has been more difficult than I thought” he said in the message written from his home in Dublin. “As I write this it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again. The band have reminded me that neither they nor Western civilisation are depending on this.”
The tongue-in-cheek tone runs throughout the post which given Bono’s humanitarian efforts also touches on serious topics including ISIS international poverty and the loss of artists including Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman. He also addressed the much-maligned release of U2’s latest album which was automatically downloaded onto millions of iOS devices whether people wanted it or not.
“Our album was to be like a bottle of milk dropped at the door of anyone interested in music and iTunes. As I understand it the journey from the front door to the fridge and into what to some people felt was their bowl of cereal has something to do with a switch called ‘automatic download’ — if you turn it on you sign up for being pushed stuff.” He went on to praise iTunes for the service’s willingness to provide the music for free and also to point out that there was not in fact any violation of human rights in the process.
FREAK ACCIDENT
Bono who included an X-ray of his elbow in the blog said he did not remember how he ended up in hospital with the bone in his upper arm sticking through his leather jacket.
“Very punk rock as injuries go” he added.
Bono’s arm was shattered in six places. Doctors inserted three metal plates and 18 screws to repair the injury. He required hours of surgery and has had extensive therapy. But he is expected to make a full recovery.
Bono described the cycling spill as a “freak accident” and said the pain it caused did not compare with his disappointment in having to cancel U2’s weeklong appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
He added that he will have to concentrate hard to be ready for the U2 tour that begins in Vancouver in May.
“We have some extraordinary ideas up our sleeve for this tour I’ve just got to be rebuilt by 14th May.”
Bono also referred to revelations he made last year when he told a British talk show host that the reason he always wears his trademark sunglasses was that he has suffered from the eye disease glaucoma for two decades.
He said the announcement was completely unintentional but added that if not treated glaucoma can cause blindness.
“I think anyone who reaches 40 should have their eyes properly checked” he added.
The cycling accident was not the only harrowing event for the rock star in 2014. In November a private plane in which he was travelling from Ireland to Germany lost its rear hatch but the pilot managed to land it safely.