Alison Hewson

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Ali Hewson also known as Ali Stewart (born Alison Stewart on March 23, 1961 in Dublin, Ireland) is an activist and best known as the wife of U2 front man Paul "Bono" Hewson.

1 Biography
2 Career
3 Criticism
4 Trivia
5 External links

[edit] Biography

A daughter of Terry and Joy Stewart, Alison studied at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin where she met Paul Hewson. They began dating in November 1975. Soon after his mother's death, which so devastated him, Stewart became more of a mother to him, taking care that he had clean clothes to wear to school and making sure he made it there, and cooking food for him to eat. Notorious for having such a bad sense of direction, she also organizes search parties for Bono whenever he is late coming home.

They married on August 21, 1982. U2 bass player Adam Clayton was Bono's best man. They have four children: two daughters, Jordan (May 10, 1989) and Memphis Eve (July 7, 1991), and two sons: Elijah (August 18, 1999) and John Abraham (May 21, 2001).

They live in Killiney, in south County Dublin, Ireland with their family, and share a villa in Èze in the Alpes-Maritimes in the South of France with The Edge, as well as an apartment at The San Remo in Manhattan.^[1]

[edit] Career

Although her professed lifelong dream was to become a nurse, Alison gave it up to foster her relationship with her new husband. She said that it would have been too much for the relationship to take because she would have had to stay in school and do clinicals for four years full time. It would not have allowed her to travel with the band. Instead, she got a Bachelor's degree in sociology and political science from the University College Dublin (UCD) in 1989, shortly after giving birth to her first daughter. Before that, she worked in a motor insurance company, and with her father, in his electrical business.

As a political activist, Hewson is perhaps best known for her work campaigning on nuclear issues. She joined in Greenpeace protests against the Sellafield reprocessing plant and presented the Irish-made film Black Wind, White Land which highlighted the plight of victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. She has travelled and appeared with Bono extensively when participating in activist events such as campaigning against third world poverty.

She is also the driving force behind the EDUN fashion label, which encourages fair trade with third world nations and the abolishment of sweatshops and child labour.

[edit] Criticism

Along with Bono, critics have pointed out that Ali Hewson's commitment to poverty alleviation is not reflected in her personal life. Several luxury houses around the world, private jets, tax avoidance and other aspects of the Bono/Hewson family lifestyle have all come under scrutiny. (See Criticisms of Bono)

[edit] Trivia

The Cranberries' song "Time is Ticking Out" is dedicated to her work with Chernobyl Children's Project International.
The U2 song "The Sweetest Thing" was given to her as a present because Bono forgot Ali's birthday while writing and recording with the band. She appears in the song's music video and received all the proceeds of its sale. She gave them to a charity for victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. ^[2]
Her favourite car is the Volkswagen Golf. She had driven one for years and used it as the family car.