JUNE 26: last Elvis performance / "War" album is gold / bye to Ellen Durst / Bono meets the press / U2 to donate millions to Africa / Exclusive interview of U2 to Fantastico !

"Elvis Presley" - june 26, 1977. Elvis Presley performs his last concert in Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana.

"War" album is gold - june 26, 1983. U2's "War" sells 500,000 copies, and goes Gold in the US.

"ZOOTV-Zooropa" tour - june 26, 1993. U2 perform in Paris, France at the Hippodrome De Vincennes. During a show in Paris, Bono dedicates "Satellite of Love" to Ellen Darst, a longtime member of U2's management team who has decided to quit working for the band.

Bono meets the press - june 26, 2005. Bono is interviewed by Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press" news program. They discuss issues related to 3rd world poverty and the upcoming Live 8 concerts. The interview is done by satellite with Bono sitting in a studio in Dublin, though it's unclear if the interview is live or on tape.

U2 to donate millions to Africa - june 26, 2005 - It's noticed that Irish rockers U2 will donate $6 million (GBP3.3 million, about one million euro [$1,200,000/GBP665,000] each) of their own money towards eliminating poverty in Africa. BONO, ADAM CLAYTON, THE EDGE and LARRY MULLAN, who will be performing at the London leg of next Saturday's (02JUL05) LIVE 8 in Hyde Park, will each make a donation from profits of their current VERTIGO tour. Source: contactmusic.

Exclusive interview of U2 to Fantastico - june 26, 2005: U2 will play in Brazil / maybe play in the middle of the ocean to TV / the video of "Vertigo" from Chicago -
Exclusive: the four musicians of the U2 speak to the Fantastico!
Very relaxed, in Chicago, in the backstage of the new tour, Bono and his friends remember the visits for Brazil and guarantee that they will be back. Backstage of a presentation of U2 in Chicago for 20.000 people. It´s almost the moment the band up on stage. But, before this, they have a mission: to speak with the Fantastico.
The musicians arrive separately. First the drummer Larry Mullen and the bassist Adam Clayton. After that, The Edge, the man of the guitar, he appears alone. And, finally, after the biggest suspense, he arrives, the singer Bono, much relaxed. And it won´t be long until to the start of the show (less than 30 minutes).
In common, the members of U2 has good memories of Brazil: the show of January 1998 and the special to Fantastico, in November 2000.
Adam has the good impression with the people singing together in the stadiums. "And the English nor is the first language of you," he says.
In the same way, The Edge remembers: "In 2000, we amuse a lot in Rio. We were to the beach, we recorded a video. It was excellent ".
Bono, also, has, only good memeories:
"We adore that show for the Fantastico. It made much time that we didn´t prepare nothing similar. And it was a sweet sensation, cause, in the early times U2 made shows exactly as this one: in TV programs ".
Since, Bono give the key, we asked: the actual tour, "Vertigo", has possibility to come to Brazil?
"If it won´t be, I will be very upset. We are trying 'to set'. It´s funny, cause, in my memory, some of the best shows of our lives had been in the South America. And Brazil is, really, very special ", declares the singer.
U2 again in Brazil. Who knows this history exactly is a super-powerful figure, not much known: Paul McGuinness, the manager of U2 since the start, a rare case in the Rock. It´s with authority of who takes care of the band during 27 years which he affirms: "I have that give a way to take this show for Brazil. I want a lot to set a special event, in a different place, to air in the TV. There it would be interesting ", the manager dreams.
Paul McGuinness asks if, in Brazil, somebody already had constructed a stage in the sea, inside water. To play in the middle of ocean would be one more bold-attitude of U2, that released the first record in 1979 and has the same members until today. Although as much time in the road, it seems they never get tired themselves:
"This comes of our origin ' punk '. We are not as those cool bands of years 70, that believed the audience had much luck for being in a show. We believe that we have the luck of the audience want to see us", Bono confesses.
Anther question to the vocalist. When on stage, it is amusement or work?
"When everything functions it is an incredible sensation. It is as if I disappeared inside the songs. But when it doesn´t give certain, we are the worse band of the world. You didn´t want that we played nor in your marriage ".
Modesty, of course. At 45 years-old, Bono is much more of that a singer. He´s an activist, a defender of humanitarian causes. He´s also one of the most known faces of the planet. In the name of the rock and of the good causes, he does anything. Not one: to pass hours in a record studio.
"I am very impatient. It doesn´t give. The guys, until, are happy when I disappear of the studio ", Bono says.
The four already had many fights. But now, "40´", they seem serene and focused in the music. But still ambitious.
"We dont´t make question of being the biggest band of the world. We want be the best", explains the drummer Larry Mullen.
To the bassist Adam Clayton, it´s necessary to keep the way to search new features, different things. Already the guitarist The Edge affirms that U2 still is in the height.
"Bono is singing as never, we are playing as never and the musics continue very good ".
It arrives the hour of the show and we say goodbye. However, the vocalist Bono, that one who is "singing as never", has more a message for the people who attends the Fantastico:
"We loved play in Brazil. It was very good. And we´ll play again!", he promises.
-read the whole interview (Brazilian Portuguese language) on: Fantastico - Globo