Bono opened up about his Central Park bike crash in November 2014 in an A to Z post on New Year’s Day on U2’s website.
“On the day of my 50th birthday I received an injury because I was over indulging in exercise boxing and cycling, which was itself an overcompensation for overindulging on alcohol coming up to the big birthday,” he wrote. “I promised myself I would be more mindful of my limits, but just four years on, it happened again – a massive injury I can’t blame on anyone but myself, mainly because I blanked out on impact and have no memory of how I ended up in New York Presbyterian with my humerus bone sticking through my leather jacket. Very punk rock as injuries go.”
The 54-year old singer underwent multiple surgeries, the first of which lasted five hours.
“The elbow was washed out and debrided, a nerve trapped in the break was moved and the bone was repaired with three metal plates and 18 screws,” said orthopedic trauma surgeon Dean Lorich. And while the doctor anticipated a full recovery, Bono is not so sure.
Under I for Irish Pride, he writes, “Recovery has been more difficult than I thought … 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 civilization are depending on this.
“I personally would very much miss fingering the frets of my green Irish falcon or my (RED) Gretsch. Just for the pleasure, aside from writing tunes. But then does the Edge, or Jimmy Page, or any guitarist you know have a titanium elbow, as I do now? I’m all elbows, I am.”
This was certainly sad news to read, and we wish Bono the best. We also encourage any U2 fans to read the full A to Z post as it touches on his family, bandmates, religion, iTunes, Jimmy Fallon and more.