Drummer Larry Digs Back into Band's Keepsakes for Major American Exhibition

8.7.02 - The Express

Hall of Fame Sets Up U2 Showcase

By Mark Jagasia

Millionaire U2 drummer Larry Mullen is digging out the band's secret history for a major exhibition to be staged in the US next year.

Larry has been sent a four-page "wish list" of band memorabilia by the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame which plans to launch the new show in the spring.

He has already donated several items to the famous music museum in Cleveland, Ohio. U2 visited the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame while they were in Cleveland last year for their Elevation Tour.

"The chief curator Jim Henke collared the band and talked to them about doing a major exhibition, " said a source.

"The band was open to the idea and work is now progressing."

Larry is widely known as the collector of the group and has held on to crateloads of material relating to the band's career.

His U2 memorabilia collection dates back to the days in the late 70s when they came together at Dublin's Mount Temple School. He has held on to all the band's early concert posters, handwritten notes and lyrics, backstage passes, items from when the group called themselves The Hype and the first-ever U2 T-shirt made in a school art class.

Larry has already donated two record company rejection letters which are on display in the museum's U2 exhibit.

RSO records bosses fired off one letter to Bono - or more correctly "Mr P Hewson" - in May 1979 informing him that the demo tape he sent to the label was "not suitable for us at present".

The RSO letter coincidentally bears the same date as Bono's 19th birthday and was signed by the label's unfortunate A&R man, Alexander Sinclair.

Larry also donated a brief, standard rejection letter from Arista Records from around the same time.

Just a year later, U2 signed up with Island Records and went on to become one of the biggest selling bands in the world.

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