Editing Larry Mullen Jr.

{{short description|Irish rock musician, drummer of U2}}
{{distinguish|text = multi-instrumentalist [[Larry Mullins (musician)|Larry Mullins]]}}
{{Good article}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{use Hiberno-English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Larry Mullen Jr.
| image               = U2 in San Jose (41983985982) (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Mullen in 2018
| background          = solo_singer
| birth_name          = Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr.
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1961|10|31}}
| birth_place         = [[Artane, Dublin]], Ireland
| origin              = [[Dublin]], Ireland
| death_date          =
| death_place         =
| instrument          = {{hlist|Drums|percussion}}
| genre               = {{flatlist|
* [[Rock music|Rock]]
* [[alternative rock]]
* [[pop rock]]
* [[post-punk]]
}}
| label               = {{flatlist|
* [[Island Records|Island]]
* [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
* [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
* {{nowrap|[[CBS Records International|CBS Ireland]]}}
}}
| occupation          = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter}}
| years_active        = 1976–present
| current_member_of     = [[U2]]
}}

'''Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr.''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ʌ|l|ə|n}}; born 31 October 1961) is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the [[rock music|rock]] band [[U2]].<ref name="bio1">{{cite web |url=http://www.atu2.com/band/larry|title=Larry Mullen Jr. profile at atu2.com|access-date=15 September 2007|last=Colombaro|first=Sherry|publisher=U2 Online}}</ref> A member of the band since its inception, he has recorded 15 studio albums with U2. Mullen's distinctive, almost military drumming style developed from his playing [[Martial music|martial]] beats in childhood marching bands.

Mullen was born in Dublin, where he attended [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]]. In 1976, he co-founded U2 after posting a message on the school's notice board in search of musicians.  Mullen has worked on numerous side projects during his career. In 1990, he produced the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Ireland national football team]]'s song "[[Put 'Em Under Pressure]]" for the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]]. In 1996, he worked with U2 bandmate [[Adam Clayton]] on a dance re-recording of the "[[Theme from Mission: Impossible|Theme from ''Mission: Impossible'']]". He has also collaborated with musicians such as [[Maria McKee]], [[Nanci Griffith]], [[Emmylou Harris]], and [[Alice Cooper]]. Mullen has sporadically acted in films, most notably in ''[[Man on the Train (2011 film)|Man on the Train]]'' (2011) and ''[[A Thousand Times Good Night]]'' (2013).

Mullen has received 22 [[Grammy Award]]s and has been inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. In 2016, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked Mullen the 96th-greatest drummer of all time.

==Early life==
Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr., the middle child and only son of Laurence Joseph Mullen Sr. and Maureen (née Boyd) Mullen, was born on 31 October 1961 in [[Artane, Dublin]], Ireland, and lived there, on Rosemount Avenue, until his twenties. His father was a [[civil servant]] and his mother a [[homemaker]]. He has an elder sister, Cecilia, and had a younger sister, Mary, who died in 1973.<ref name="U2 by U2">McCormick (2006), pp. 25–27</ref> He attended the School of Music in Chatham Row to learn [[piano]] at the age of eight and then began drumming in 1971<ref name="U2 by U2" /> at the age of 9, under the instruction of Irish drummer [[Joe Bonnie]]. After Bonnie's death, his daughter Monica took over for him,<ref name="bio1" /> but Mullen gave up the lessons and started playing by himself.<ref name="U2 by U2" />

Before founding [[U2]], Mullen joined a Dublin marching band called the [[Artane Band|Artane Boys Band]] at the suggestion of his father. Mullen said that the band focused more on learning to [[Musical notation|read sheet music]], whereas he wanted to spend more time playing the drums. He was asked by the band to cut his shoulder-length hair, and despite acquiescing and cutting a few inches off, he was asked to shorten it further. Mullen refused and quit the band after just three weeks.<ref name="U2 by U2" />

Mullen used the money he had saved and with his father's help bought a [[drum kit]], made by a Japanese toy company, which his sister Cecilia's friend was selling. He set up the kit in his bedroom and his parents allotted him certain times to practice. His father then got him into the Post Office Workers Band, which played orchestral melodies with percussion, along with marching band standards.<ref name="U2 by U2" /> Mullen spent approximately two years in the Post Office Workers Band, overlapping with his time in U2.<ref name="larry85-mod-drum">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/august-1985-u2s-larry-mullen-jr-2/|title=Larry Mullen, Jr.|magazine=[[Modern Drummer]]|first=Connie|last=Fisher|date=August 1985|volume=9|issue=8|pages=8–13, 38, 42, 44, 48, 50–52|access-date=17 June 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He attended [[Scoil Colmcille, Dublin|Scoil Colmcille]], [[Marlborough Street, Dublin|Marlborough Street]], Dublin. He took the exams for [[Chanel College (Dublin)|Chanel College]] and St. Paul's, two Catholic schools his father wanted his son to attend. After the accidental death of Larry's younger sister in 1973, his father gave up the idea of pushing his son into those schools and sent Larry to [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]], the first interdenominational school in Ireland.<ref name="U2 by U2" /> His mother died in a car accident in November 1978.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 70</ref>

==Musical career==
===U2===
{{Main|U2}}
[[File:U2 in Melbourne (49094332793).jpg|thumb|left|Mullen performing in Melbourne on [[the Joshua Tree Tour 2019]]]]
Mullen's father suggested that he place a notice on the Mount Temple bulletin board,<ref name="U2 by U2" /> saying something to the effect of "drummer seeks musicians to form band".<ref name="review">{{cite news|title=True Blue to U2|last=Conner|first=Thomas|author-link=:de:Thomas Conner|date=17 December 2006|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> U2 was founded on 25 September 1976 in Mullen's kitchen in Artane.<ref name="U2 by U2" /> Attending the first meeting were Mullen, [[Bono|Paul "Bono" Hewson]], [[The Edge|David "The Edge" Evans]] and his brother [[Dik Evans|Dik]], [[Adam Clayton]], and Mullen's friends Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin. Mullen later described it as "'The Larry Mullen Band' for about ten minutes, then Bono walked in and blew any chance I had of being in charge."<ref name="mccorm30">McCormick (2006), pp. 30, 34</ref> McCormick and Martin soon left,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/news/THE-UNBELIEVABLE-BOOK/1488562.html|title=The Unbelievable Book|magazine=[[Hot Press]]|first=Neil|last=McCormick|date=3 December 1987|issue=11|volume=23|access-date=16 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/U240-U2-It-was-40-Years-Ago-Today/18931799.html|title=#U240 U2: It was 40 Years Ago Today|website=Hot Press|first=Colm|last=O'Hare|date=25 September 2016|access-date=16 December 2016}}</ref> and the group settled on the name "Feedback" because it was one of the few technical terms they knew.<ref name="mccorm30"/> The band later changed their name to "The Hype", and again to "U2" for a 1978 talent contest in [[Limerick]], Ireland, that they entered and won as a four-piece. Days after the competition, the band's reduction to a four-piece lineup became permanent after they parted ways with Dik.<ref name="biou2">{{cite web|url=http://www.atu2.com/band/bio.html|title=U2 biography|access-date=15 September 2007|author=Matt McGee|publisher=@U2}}</ref>

During the recording of the album ''[[Pop (U2 album)|Pop]]'' in 1996, Mullen suffered from severe back problems. Recording was delayed due to surgery.<ref name="ubu-262">McCormick (2006), p. 262</ref> When he left the hospital, he arrived back in the studio to find the rest of the band experimenting more than ever with electronic drum machines, something driven largely by the Edge's interest in [[dance music|dance]] and [[hip-hop music]], and, given his weakness after the operation, he relented, allowing The Edge to continue using drum machines, which contributed heavily to the album's electronic feel.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/jul97/flood_u2.html |title=Flood & Howie B: Producing U2's Pop |magazine=[[Sound on Sound]] |date=July 1997 |first=Paul |last=Tingen |volume=12|issue=9|access-date=29 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607055529/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/jul97/flood_u2.html|archive-date=7 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In order to recuperate from surgery, Mullen did not perform during U2's concert residency [[U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere|U2:UV ''Achtung Baby'' Live at Sphere]], which ran for 40 shows from September 2023 to March 2024 at [[Sphere (venue)|Sphere]] in the Las Vegas Valley. Dutch drummer [[Bram van den Berg]] from the band [[Krezip]] filled in for him.<ref name="variety-sb-u2uv">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/u2-achtung-baby-concerts-without-larry-mullen-1235520643/|title=U2 Announces 'Achtung Baby' Concerts at New Las Vegas Venue – Without Drummer Larry Mullen Jr.|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Jem|last=Aswad|date=12 February 2023|access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref> It was the first time that Mullen missed a U2 show since 1978, when he broke his foot in a motorcycle accident.<ref name="motorcycle">{{cite news|url=
https://apnews.com/article/the-edge-bono-concerts-las-vegas-d1b80ac30f309c05b30b1982c48cfd3d|title=U2 returning to stage in Las Vegas, minus one of quartet|work=[[Associated Press News]]|first=David|last=Bauder|date=13 February 2023|access-date=13 February 2023}}</ref>

===Other projects===
[[File:LarryMullenJr.jpg|thumb|Mullen in 2006]]
Mullen has worked on many musical projects outside of U2 in his career, including collaborations with [[Maria McKee]]. Mullen contributed to U2 producer [[Daniel Lanois]]'s 1989 album ''[[Acadie (album)|Acadie]]''. In 1990, Mullen co-wrote and arranged an official [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Ireland national team]] song "[[Put 'Em Under Pressure]]" for the [[1990 FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup]].<ref>McGee (2008), p. 131</ref> He and Clayton collaborated with [[Mike Mills]] and [[Michael Stipe]] from [[R.E.M.]] to form the one-performance group Automatic Baby, solely for the purpose of performing "[[One (U2 song)|One]]" for [[MTV]]'s 1993 inauguration ball for US President [[Bill Clinton]]; the group's name refers to the titles of both latest bands' albums at the time, ''[[Achtung Baby]]'' and ''[[Automatic for the People]]''. For [[Nanci Griffith]]'s 1994 album ''[[Flyer (album)|Flyer]]'', he and Clayton performed in the rhythm section on several songs, while Mullen also mixed three songs.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nanci Griffith charms with new material|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|first=Steve|last=Morse|date=6 August 1994|page=72}}</ref> Mullen played drums on many of the songs on [[Emmylou Harris]]' 1995 album ''[[Wrecking Ball (Emmylou Harris album)|Wrecking Ball]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wyep.org/node/15774|title=Discumentary: Emmylou Harris "Wrecking Ball" – WYEP|access-date=2 January 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104608/http://www.wyep.org/node/15774|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Mullen and Clayton contributed to [[Mission: Impossible (soundtrack)|the soundtrack]] of the 1996 film ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'', which included reworking the "[[Theme from Mission: Impossible|Theme from ''Mission: Impossible'']]", whose time signature was changed from the original {{music|time|5|4}} time signature to an easier and more danceable [[Time signature#Compound time signatures|{{music|time|4|4}} time signature]]. The song reached number&nbsp;8 on the U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot&nbsp;100]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-QsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA25|magazine=Billboard|author=Flick, Larry|title=Mission: Impossible Theme Mixes Suspense, Funk|date=27 April 1996|volume=108|issue=17|page=25|access-date=8 September 2007}}</ref> and was nominated for the [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pumpkins a smash with 7 Grammy nominations|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|first=Greg|last=Kot|author-link=Greg Kot|date=8 January 1997|at=sec. 1, p. 4}}</ref>

Mullen performed on [[Underworld (band)|Underworld's]] song "[[Boy, Boy, Boy]]" from their 2007 album, ''[[Oblivion with Bells]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/lary.html|title=Larry Mullen Solo Projects Listing|work=u2wanderer.org|year=2013|access-date=16 July 2013}}</ref> In 2017, he appeared on [[Alice Cooper]]'s album ''[[Paranormal (Alice Cooper album)|Paranormal]]''.

Mullen has played synthesiser or keyboards on several songs, including "United Colours" from Passengers' 1995 album ''[[Original Soundtracks 1]]'', an album that Mullen has always disliked.<ref name="U2 by U2" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/alb011.html|title=Original Soundtracks 1 information|access-date=5 August 2010|publisher=U2wanderer.org}}</ref>

==Musical style and techniques==
[[File:U2 in Dublin, Nov 28 2015 (22768391794).jpg|thumb|left|Mullen's martial drumming style was influenced by his experience in marching bands as an adolescent, during which he focused on the [[snare drum]].]]
Mullen's drumming style is influenced by his experience in marching bands during his adolescence,<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/><ref name="larry-prop22-int">{{cite magazine|title=The Larry Mullen Jr. Interview|magazine=Propaganda|publisher=U2 World Service|last=Cunningham|first=Mark|date=Spring–Summer 1995|issue=22}}</ref> which helped contribute to the militaristic beats of songs such as "[[Sunday Bloody Sunday]]".<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 130, 135</ref> Author [[Bill Flanagan]] said that he plays "with a martial rigidity but uses his kit in a way a properly trained drummer would not"; he tends to transition from the [[snare drum]] onto [[tom-tom drum|tom-toms]] positioned on either side of him, contrasting with how they are traditionally used.<ref name="flan208">Flanagan (1996), pp. 208–209</ref> Mullen occasionally rides a tom-tom the way other drummers would play a cymbal, or rides the [[hi-hat]] how others would play a snare.<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/> He admitted his [[bass drum]] technique is not a strength, as he mostly played the snare in marching bands and did not learn to properly combine the separate elements together on a full [[drum kit|kit]]. As a result, he uses a [[floor tom]] to his left to create the effect of a bass drum, an arrangement he began to use while recording "[[Pride (In the Name of Love)]]" in 1984 at the influence of producer Daniel Lanois. He said, "I couldn't do what most people would consider a normal beat for the song, so I chose alternatives."<ref name="larry-prop22-int" /> Flanagan said that his playing style perfectly reflects his personality: "Larry is right on top of the beat, a bit ahead—as you'd expect from a man who's so ordered and punctual in his life.<ref name="flan208"/>

Mullen was heavily influenced by [[glam rock]] acts of the 1970s when first learning to play drums.<ref name="larry-prop22-int" /> In the early days of U2, he had what Bono called a "florid" drumming style, before he eventually adopted a philosophy of simplicity and pared down his rhythms.<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://usa.yamaha.com/artists/l/larry-mullen-jr.html|title=Larry Mullen Jr.|website=[[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]]|access-date=14 August 2020}}</ref> His drumming leaves open space, owing to what ''[[Modern Drummer]]'' described as his understanding of "when to hit and when not to hit".<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/> As he matured as a timekeeper, he developed a preternatural sense of rhythm; Eno recounted one occasion when Mullen noticed that his [[click track]] had been set incorrectly by just six milliseconds.<ref name="eno">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/04/25/the-possibilian|title=The Possibilian|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|first=Burkhard|last=Bilger|date=25 April 2011|access-date=24 June 2020}}</ref> Under the tutelage of Lanois, Mullen learned more about his musical role as the drummer in filling out the band's sound, while producer [[Flood (producer)|Flood]] helped Mullen learn to play along with electronic elements such as [[drum machine]]s and [[sampling (music)|samples]].<ref name="larry-prop22-int"/> His kit has a tambourine mounted on a cymbal stand,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theblackpage.net/articles/the-almighty-tambourine|title=The Almighty Tambourine|website=TheBlackPage.net|first=Jayson|last=Brinkworth|date=2 March 2010|access-date=24 June 2020}}</ref> which he uses as an accent on certain beats for songs such as "[[With or Without You]]".<ref name="larry85-mod-drum"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://reverb.com/news/spicing-up-songs-with-hand-percussion|title=Spicing Up Songs with Hand Percussion|website=[[Reverb.com]]|first=Sam|last=Hill|date=3 March 2016|access-date=24 June 2020}}</ref>

{{quote box|width=25em | align=right| quote=People say, 'Why don't you do interviews? What do you think about this? What do you think about that?' My job in the band is to play drums, to get up on stage and hold the band together. That's what I do. At the end of the day that's all that's important. Everything else is irrelevant.|source=—Larry Mullen Jr.<ref name=book2>Flanagan (1996), p. 15</ref>}}
Mullen has had [[tendinitis]] problems throughout his career. As a means to reduce inflammation and pain, he began to use specially designed Pro-Mark drumsticks.<ref name="bio1" /> He uses Yamaha drums and Paiste cymbals. Although he occasionally plays keyboards and synthesiser in concerts, Mullen rarely sings during performances. He contributed backing vocals to the songs "[[Numb (U2 song)|Numb]]", "[[Get On Your Boots]]", "[[Moment of Surrender]]", "[[Elevation (song)|Elevation]]", "[[Miracle Drug]]", "Love and Peace or Else", "[[Unknown Caller]]", "[[Zoo Station (song)|Zoo Station]]" and "[[Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car]]" (only during [[Zoo TV Tour]]), and others. He occasionally performed a [[cover version]] of "[[Dirty Old Town]]" on the Zoo TV Tour.<ref>[http://www.u2radio.com/2014/04/let-larry-sing-2/ Let Larry Sing!], ZooStation</ref> During live performances of "[[I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight]]" on the [[U2 360° Tour]], Mullen walked around the stage, playing a large [[djembe]] strapped around his waist.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2009/09/17/review-u2-360-tour-toronto-night-one-sept-16-2009/ |title=Review – U2 360 Tour – Toronto – Night One – Sept. 16, 2009 |first=Steve |last=Austin |work=[[CityNews]] |date=17 September 2009 |access-date=26 September 2009}}</ref>

==Film projects==
Mullen's film debut was in a film by [[Phil Joanou]] called ''Entropy'' where he played himself alongside bandmate Bono.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} He played a thief in ''[[Man on the Train (2011 film)|Man on the Train]]'' (2011), which starred [[Donald Sutherland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/09/watch-its-u2s-larry-mullen-jr-in-the-man-on-the-train-remake-51960/|title=Watch: It's U2's Larry Mullen, Jr. in the "Man on the Train" Remake|first1=Nigel M.|last1=Smith|date=26 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/u2s-larry-mullen-said-filming-man-on-a-train-with-don-sutherland-was-one-of-his-hardest-gigs-video-186494351-237558221.html|title=U2's Larry Mullen said filming 'Man on a Train' with Don Sutherland was one of his hardest gigs – VIDEO|date=11 January 2013|website=IrishCentral.com}}</ref> Mullen also appeared in ''[[A Thousand Times Goodnight]]'' (2013), starring [[Juliette Binoche]].<ref>{{cite news
 | last =Scheib
 | first =Ronnie
 | title =Montreal Film Review: 'A Thousand Times Goodnight'
 | newspaper =[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]
 | date =16 September 2013
 | url =https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/a-thousand-times-goodnight-review-montreal-1200614112/
 | access-date = 30 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/12/marrakech-fest-review-a-thousand-times-good-night-starring-juliette-binoche-nikolaj-coster-waldau-91129/|title=Marrakech Fest Review: 'A Thousand Times Good Night' Starring Juliette Binoche & Nikolaj Coster-Waldau|first1=Jessica|last1=Kiang|date=2 December 2013}}</ref> On 3 September 2013, the film won Special Grand Prix of the Jury at [[Montreal World Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|title=A Thousand Times Goodnight wins Special Grand Prix of the Jury at Montreal World Film Festival|url=http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/irish_film_industry/news/A_Thousand_Times_Goodnight_wins_Special_Grand_Prix_of_the_Jury_at_Montreal_World_Film_Festival/2264|publisher=Irish Film Board|date=3 September 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129145217/http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/irish_film_industry/news/A_Thousand_Times_Goodnight_wins_Special_Grand_Prix_of_the_Jury_at_Montreal_World_Film_Festival/2264|archive-date=29 January 2016}}</ref>

In July 2020, Mullen was invited to join the [[Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/u2s-larry-mullen-among-invitees-as-oscar-body-seeks-to-drum-up-more-diverse-membership-h3p82slf6|title=U2's Larry Mullen among invitees as Oscar body seeks to drum up more diverse membership|website=[[The Times]]|first=Pavel|last=Barter|date=5 July 2020|access-date=28 August 2020}}</ref>

Mullen co-produced the 2024 documentary film ''Left Behind'', which covers efforts by mothers to open the first public school in New York City for dyslexic children. Mullen, whose son is dyslexic, also contributed two songs to the project:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/11/u2-larry-mullen-documentary-dyslexia-1236170271/|title=U2's Larry Mullen Jr. & 'Left Behind' Creatives on Dyslexia Documentary, Abramorama Acquisition & Why Parents Sometimes Just Don't Understand|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Dominic|last=Patten|date=8 November 2024|access-date=9 November 2024}}</ref> "Between the Lines", co-written by Reed Berin, David Baron, and [[Gayle (singer)|Gayle]]; and "One of Us", co-written by Baron and sung by [[Donna Lewis]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/u2-larry-mullen-gayle-between-the-lines-left-behind-dyslexia-documentary-1235826568/|title=U2's Larry Mullen and GAYLE on Writing Feisty 'Between the Lines' for 'Left Behind' Documentary: Premiere|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Melinda|last=Newman|date=12 November 2024|access-date=13 November 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life==
{{quote box|width=25em | align=right | quote=We all have views on what our Irishness means to us. Two members of the band were born in England and were raised in the Protestant faith. Bono's mother was Protestant and his father was Catholic. I was brought up Catholic. U2 are a living example of the kind of unity of faith and tradition that is possible in Northern Ireland.|source=—Larry Mullen Jr.<ref name="U2 by U2" />}}

Mullen met his partner, Ann Acheson, in their first year at Mount Temple Comprehensive School.<ref name="bio1" /> The two have been together for over 40 years and they have three children. He is a first cousin of Irish actor [[Conor Mullen]].{{cn|date=April 2025}}

Mullen was in a motorcycle accident in 1978.<ref name="motorcycle" />

As U2 became increasingly successful, Mullen had to add the suffix "Junior" to his surname to avoid confusion with his father, who was receiving large tax bills meant for his son.<ref name="bio1" /> Mullen and Clayton own houses near Bono and the Edge in [[Southern France]] to make it easier to record with U2 in the area.<ref name="U2 by U2" />

Mullen has [[tendinitis]] <ref name="bio1" /> In 1995, he had surgery on his back to address an injury he had been carrying since The Joshua Tree Tour.<ref name="U2 by U2" /> In 2009, Mullen underwent knee surgery, an operation that was performed by [[Richard Steadman]]. Mullen subsequently joined the board of directors for his foundation, the Steadman Philippon Research Institute.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/kats/u2s-mullen-to-be-sidelined-sphere-plans-unchanged-2685189/|title=U2's Mullen to be sidelined; Sphere plans unchanged|website=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]|first=John|last=Katsilometes|date=30 November 2022|access-date=20 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://drmillett.com/u2-drummer-larry-mullen-jr-discusses-his-experience-with-dr-peter-millett-at-the-steadman-clinic/|title=U2 Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Discusses His Experience with Dr. Peter Millett and Others at The Steadman Clinic|website=drmillett.com|date=Fall 2009|access-date=20 December 2022}}</ref> Mullen underwent neck surgery in 2023.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/u2-drummer-larry-mullen-jr-attends-sphere-penultimate-vegas-concert-8603588 | title=Ailing U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Attends penultimate Sphere Vegas concert | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] }}</ref>

In December 2024, Mullen revealed that he has [[dyscalculia]], affecting his ability to add and count numbers. He compared counting musical [[Bar (music)|bars]] to "climbing [[Mount Everest|Everest]]" and said that it is the reason for his pained expression while performing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/larry-mullen-jr-u2-dyscalculia-mxlwq5swz|title=U2's Larry Mullen Jr: my dyscalculia makes 'counting like climbing Everest'|website=[[The Times]]|first=Debbie|last=White|date=12 December 2024|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>

==Musical equipment==
[[File:U2 performing in Manchester 10-20-18 (44790299214).jpg|thumb|Mullen performing in Manchester in 2018]]
* [[Paiste]] Signature cymbals:
** 16" power crash
** 17" power crash
** 18" power crash
** 18" full crash
** 22" power ride
** 14" heavy hi-hat/sound-edge hi-hat.
* [[Yamaha drums|Yamaha Phoenix (PHX) in Silver Sparkles]]: (Since the U2360 tour. Previously he used [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]]'s Maple Custom and Beech Custom drums in the same sizes).<ref name=rhythm/>
* On the video of Get On Your Boots, Larry uses a Yamaha Oak Custom, with the same sizes as the Birch Custom
** 12" × 9" rack tom
** 16" × 16" floor toms and 16" × 14" (one left of the [[Hi-hat (instrument)|hi-hat]], one right of the snare drum for the Vertigo tour). For previous tours, he used an 18" × 16" floor tom to the left of the hats. 
** 14" × 6.5" Ludwig Black Beauty (Since 360 Tour)
** 14" x 6.5" Ludwig Black Magic (Since Innocence Experience tour) backup snare 
** 14" × 7" [[Brady Drum Company|Brady]] Sheoak Block&nbsp;— primary snare drum on the Vertigo tour. For ZooTV and Elevation tours, he used a 12" × 7" Sheoak block snare. For Popmart, a 14" × 6.5" Jarrah block primarily. Depending on the gig, he sometimes used a 14" × 6.5" Jarrah ply snare instead of the block snare.
** 24" × 16" kick drum. 22" × 16" Kick on the b-stage during Zoo TV only.<ref name="larry-prop22-int"/>
** [[Pro-mark]] 5A Wood tip [[Percussion mallet|drumsticks]].<ref name=rhythm/>
** [[Remo]] drumheads<ref name=rhythm>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/u2s-drum-setup-in-pictures-larry-mullen-jrs-360-tour-kit-revealed-481314/10|title=U2's drum setup in pictures: Larry Mullen Jr's 360° Tour kit revealed|work=Rhythm magazine|date=18 July 2011|access-date=2 January 2016}}</ref>
** [[Latin Percussion]] and Toca percussion<ref name=rhythm/>
** DW 5000 kick drum pedal 
** DW 9000 hi hat stand

==Awards and recognition==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by U2}}
[[File:U2 memorabilia in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (48781322386).jpg|thumb|Mullen's snare drum, on display in the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]]]
Mullen and U2 have won more than 60 awards, including 22 [[Grammy Award]]s.<ref name="grammy">{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/u2/7858|title=U2 <nowiki>|</nowiki> Artist|website=[[Grammy Awards|Grammy.com]]|access-date=26 February 2022}}</ref> At the Grammy Awards, the band has won [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|Best Rock Duo or Group with Vocal]] seven times, [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] twice, [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]] twice, [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]] twice, and [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Album|Best Rock Album]] twice.<ref name="grammy" /> In March 2005, Mullen was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of U2, in their first year of eligibility.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/03/15/u2_leads_newest_members_into_rocks_hall_of_fame/|title=U2 leads newest members into rock's hall of fame|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|first=Steve|last=Morse|date=15 March 2005|page=C2|access-date=6 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/arts/arts-briefly-u2-others-to-join-rock-hall-of-fame.html|title=Arts, Briefly; U2, Others to Join Rock Hall of Fame|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Jeff|last=Leeds|date=14 December 2004|at=sec. E, p. 2|edition=National|access-date=6 January 2017}}</ref> In 2016, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked Mullen the 96th-greatest drummer of all time.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-20160331/larry-mullen-jr-20160329|title=100 Greatest Drummers of All Time|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first1=Matt|last1=Diehl|first2=Jon|last2=Dolan|first3=Richard|last3=Gehr|date=31 March 2016|access-date=31 March 2016|display-authors=etal}}</ref> He was placed at number 21 on ''[[Stylus Magazine]]''{{'}}s list of the 50 Greatest Rock Drummers.<ref name="stylus">{{cite web|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/stylus-magazines-50-greatest-rock-drummers.htm|title=Stylus Magazine's 50 Greatest Rock Drummers|access-date=16 September 2007|archive-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802004448/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/stylus-magazines-50-greatest-rock-drummers.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, Yamaha honoured Mullen with an award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Excellence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.u2.com/news/title/lifetime-achievement-larry-mullen-jr/|title=Lifetime Achievement, Larry Mullen Jr.|website=U2.com|publisher=[[Live Nation Entertainment]]|date=24 January 2017|access-date=5 August 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of drummers]]
* [[List of people on the postage stamps of Ireland]]
* [[Timeline of U2]]

==References==
'''Footnotes'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Flanagan|first=Bill|author-link=Bill Flanagan|title=U2 at the End of the World|publisher=Delacorte Press|location=New York|year=1995|isbn=978-0-385-31154-0|url=https://archive.org/details/u2atendofworld00flan}}
* {{cite book|last=McGee|first=Matt|title=U2: A Diary|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|location=London|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84772-108-2}}
* {{cite book|author=U2|editor1-first=Neil|editor1-last=McCormick|editor1-link=Neil McCormick|title=U2 by U2|url=https://archive.org/details/u2byu200u2ne|url-access=registration|publisher=HarperCollins|location=London|year=2006|isbn=0-00-719668-7}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.u2.com/ Official U2 website]
* [http://www.atu2.com/band/larry Larry Mullen Biography from @U2]
* {{IMDb name|0611979}}

{{U2}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by U2|Awards for Larry Mullen Jr.]]
|list =
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song}}
{{Grammy Award for Song of the Year}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Rock Song}}
{{2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{WSA for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:People educated at Mount Temple Comprehensive School]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Golden Globe Award–winning musicians]]
[[Category:Ivor Novello Award winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish drummers]]
[[Category:21st-century Irish drummers]]
[[Category:Irish rock drummers]]
[[Category:Post-punk musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:U2 members]]
[[Category:People from Artane, Dublin]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]
[[Category:Irish musicians with disabilities]]
[[Category:1970s in Irish music]]
[[Category:1980s in Irish music]]
[[Category:1990s in Irish music]]
[[Category:2000s in Irish music]]
[[Category:2010s in Irish music]]
[[Category:2020s in Irish music]]