Bono: Stories of Surrender (2025)- 5 Personal Revelations from the Soul-Baring new Documentary

In Bono: Stories of Surrender 2025, the legendary U2 frontman steps away from the explosive energy of stadium tours and into the spotlight of an intimate stage. 

Directed by Andrew Dominik — best known for his films on Nick Cave — the documentary is a stylized, black-and-white adaptation of Bono’s one-man theatrical memoir. It’s a raw, poetic performance filled with stripped-down renditions of U2 hits, candid reflections, and a few empty chairs representing key figures in his life — from his bandmates to his late parents and devoted wife, Ali.

Accompanied by a small ensemble of mostly classical musicians, Bono offers a riveting mix of humor, grief, humility, and theatrical storytelling. Here's what Stories of Surrender reveals about the man behind the sunglasses — including loss, survival, fatherhood, and the punk spirit that built one of the biggest bands in history.

5. U2’s First hit came from two Strings and two Chords

Bono’s punk roots shine through in one of the documentary’s most charming stories. In an early rehearsal, he grabbed The Edge’s Gibson Explorer and started hammering out what he calls the “sound of an electric drill on the brain.” The rest of the band joined in, and I Will Follow — U2’s first big hit — was born. Despite early doubts and a desire to quit after one album, Bono says the band stuck together and became the biggest band in the world.

4. He Nearly died at Christmas in 2016

In a harrowing story told with stunning clarity, Bono recounts collapsing during Christmas 2016 with his “lifeline” — his aorta — about to burst. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York for emergency surgery. As surgeons worked frantically to save him, he stared up at the ceiling, unsure if he’d live to see another day. He said that it turns out a rock ’n’ roll lifestyle can catch up with you.

3. His Father didn’t Believe in him — even when Pavarotti Called

Bono’s complicated relationship with his father is a central theme in the Bono: Stories of Surrender 2025 doc. Bob Hewson resented his son for chasing a musical dream that he himself had long abandoned. The film captures their dynamic with both humor and poignancy. “You’re a baritone who thinks he’s a tenor!” Bob once snapped. Even when Pavarotti personally called asking for a song, his father scoffed. “I craved my father’s attention,” Bono admits in the film.

2. Adam and Larry once hid from Pavarotti in a Cupboard

The documentary doesn’t shy away from poking fun at Bono’s misadventures — including a surreal moment involving the world’s greatest tenor. When Luciano Pavarotti showed up to a recording session with a full film crew, only Bono and The Edge were brave enough to greet him. The other two members of U2 — Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. — reportedly hid in a cupboard to avoid the spectacle.

1. Bono lost his mum at 14 — and Never Visited her Grave

With devastating candor, Bono recalls the trauma of losing his mother, Iris, to an aneurysm on the same day as his grandfather’s funeral. He was just 14. The grief was compounded by his father’s silence — Bob Hewson never spoke of his wife again. Bono confesses that he never visited her grave. These memories are delivered with heartbreaking honesty (and lashings of Irish charm).

From childhood grief to global fame, Stories of Surrender paints a portrait of a man who has never stopped searching — for his voice, his father’s approval, and the soul behind the spectacle.

Bono: Stories of Surrender documentary is now streaming on Apple TV+.