Larry Mullen Jr.

Mullen, the middle child and only son of Larry and Maureen Mullen, was born 31 October 1961, and raised in Artane, on the north side of Dublin, Ireland. Mullen began drumming in 1971, at the age of 10, under the instruction of Irish drummer Joe Bonnie and later, Bonnie's daughter Monica. Mullen's younger sister, Mary, died in 1973, and his mother died in an auto accident in 1976, the same year U2 was founded.

Before founding U2, Mullen was involved in a Dublin marching band called the Artane Boys Band, contributing to the martial beats common in Mullen's work, such as the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Mullen founded U2 in the fall of 1976 by placing a now-infamous notice on the Mount Temple Comprehensive School bulletin board, saying something to the effect of "drummer seeks musicians to form band." The band, originally consisting of Mullen, Paul "Bono" Hewson, David "The Edge" Evans, his brother Dick Evans, Adam Clayton, and Mullen's friends Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin, was originally known as the "Larry Mullen Band", but the name quickly changed to "Feedback", as that was one of the few musical terms they knew, and subsequently "The Hype". Soon after the band formed, McCormick and Martin left, and the band, by then known as The Hype was a 5-piece. Just before they won a Limerick, Ireland talent contest, they changed their name again, for the final time, to U2, formally done at a farewell concert for Dick Evans, becoming the 4-piece band they are today.

As U2 grew more popular, Mullen added the "Junior" suffix to his name to stop confusion with his father (also Larry Mullen), who was receiving large tax bills meant for his son. Mullen is unmarried, but has lived with his girlfriend Ann Acheson for more than 20 years. They have three children, Aaron Elvis (born 1995), Ava (born 1998), and Ezra (2001). He is known to be the "brakes of the band", and prefers to let the other band members take the spotlight at interviews. Mullen has made two rare backing vocal appearances, once on 1993's "Numb", and once on 2004's "Miracle Drug". Mullen has also played synthesizer or keyboards on several songs, including "United Colours" from 1995's Original Soundtracks 1, an album that Mullen has always disliked.