OCTOBER 12: "October" is released / Brighton / special "People Get Ready" / U2 album hits Napster and the web 18 days before release / U2 and APPLE: ORIGINALS OF THE SPECIES / pregnant fan / Bono, Christy and Bush / Bono and Oprah in Michigan Avenue with a thunderbird: it´s RED / Bono onstage today to tape Friday´s televised U.S. launch of Product RED iPod nano!

"October" tour - october 12, 1981. U2's second album "October" is released. It enters the British charts at #11. U2 perform in Brighton, England at the Top Rank.

"LoveTown" tour - october 12, 1989. U2 perform in Melbourne, Australia at the National Tennis Centre. The seven shows orginally started as two, and then an additonal three were added. Another two were added when ticket sales for the additional three were extremely quick. This fourth night features a few improvised lines in "People Get Ready": "Faith is the key, you gotta look to the future, don't look back, you can never look back!" Instead of inviting a man up on stage, Bono asks for a female guitarist. A girl gets on stage but is unable to learn the chords--Bono tells the crowd, "I ask a woman up on stage, and she tells me she can't play...I thought Melbourne was buzzing with music! I think we better get you a harmonica...just don't play it in the microphone allright? Now I'm looking for someone who can play the electric guitar..." Another girl is selected, but is too excited to play the guitar--she is returned to the audience, and finally Bono relents and picks a male guitarist who promptly attempts a Jimi Hendrix impersonation. Bono comments, "Man...this is like watching paint dry...you know what I mean? Play it man! Play it!" Bono looks at his two hapless guests and asks the crowd if they two should "stick together". "Yeaaaahhhh!" the crowd reply loudly. Champagne is brought out during "Party Girl" to end the seven nights in Melbourne. Support for all seven shows is "Weddings Parties Anything" and B.B. King.

"U2 album hits Napster and the web 18 days before release" - october 12, 2000. The full set of tracks from U2's forthcoming album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, becomes available for free download via Napster and various web sites. The album is not due for official release for another 18 days.

"Elevation" tour - october 12, 2001 / Montreal PQ, Canada - Molson Centre - Garbage. After a big shakeup in South Bend, tonight's setlist reverts back to the familiar 1st and 2nd leg order. Bono brings a pregnant fan up on stage tonight and kisses her belly when she lifts her shirt to show him. Lyrics in 'New York' are again changed througout the song, similarly to the Notre Dame show two nights ago. Edge wears blue-adidas shirt, this night.

U2 and APPLE: ORIGINALS OF THE SPECIES - October 12, 2005 - Apple and U2 have teamed up again today. This time it's Apple's new Video iPod and the announcement includes a new TV commercial featuring U2 performing "Original of the Species" live. Photos, here

Bono, Christy and Bush - October 12, 2006 - When President Bush arrived in Marine One at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, he was greeted by rock star Bono, model Christy Turlington and Bobby Shriver, who runs an organization called DATA -- or Debt, AIDS and Trade in Africa. The three were in Chicago to attend an AIDS event. Turlington and Bono, who has been active in raising awareness of poverty and AIDS, climbed the stairs of Air Force One with the president. Bono flashed a peace sign before the group went in the plane for a 10-minute conversation with Bush about AIDS. suntimes

Bono and Oprah in Michigan Avenue with a thunderbird: it´s RED - October 12, 2006 - Talk show host Oprah Winfrey and rock star Bono of U2 caused quite a stir at the Michigan Avenue Gap Thursday morning. The two helped launch a new line of clothing and accessories that will raise money to fight AIDS in Africa. A huge crowd gathered to see the duo arrive around 11 a.m. Bono rode shotgun and then jumped out of the bright red Thunderbird to open the door for Oprah, who drove. The two shopped inside Gap, which was closed to the public, for about 15 minutes and left with bags filled with items from Product Red. They will be available to the public Friday at Gap stores. The pair then walked down Michigan Avenue to the Apple Store and picked up a new red I-Pod, which Winfrey calls "amazing." That's where ABC7 caught up with Bono. He spoke about the projects that help in the fight against AIDS in Africa. "It is Gap, Armani, Apple, Motorola. These red phones are beautiful," said Bono. Minutes later they hopped back in the Thunderbird and took off. abclocal * appleinsider. "Kids, just like you, they can't get the medicines that we can get over here" ... "So we're going to get them the medicines. Is that good?" (Bono to a little 6 years-old girl) suntimes
Bono with Bush, Oprah:


Bono onstage today to tape Friday´s televised U.S. launch of Product RED iPod nano - October 12, 2006 - Proclaiming "Shop until it stops," U2 singer and activist Bono will join Oprah onstage today to tape Friday's televised U.S. launch of Product RED, an effort to enlist consumers in the war on global AIDS.