Who is Gavin Friday?
Gavin Friday was born Fionan Hanvey, October 8, 1959, and grew up a few blocks down the road from Bono. They met and became friends in their teens, and Bono describes Gavin as his “friend for life, drinking buddy on weekdays, and some sort of musical diviner.” Gavin formed the Virgin Prunes, while Bono began working with U2. In 1986, the Virgin Prunes ended, and after a brief stint painting, Gavin embarked on a solo career, signing to Island Records. His third solo album, Shag Tobacco, released in 1995, features an appearance by the Edge and Bono on backing vocals. On the Zoo TV and Zooropa tours, Friday’s possible influence on U2 became more apparant to the media, NME going so far as naming him Bono’s “confidant and advisor”. Many believe his presence was strongly felt in Bono’s new stage character, MacPhisto, but Friday claims he “only put the horns on him”. In 1993, Friday, his pianist Maurice Seezer and Bono collaborated on the soundtrack for In the Name of the Father, writing thre
