U2 Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Faces Condition That Makes Counting Bars as Challenging as Climbing Everest
Larry Mullen Jr., the drummer who co-founded the iconic Irish band U2, has disclosed a personal challenge: a learning difficulty that transforms counting musical bars into an arduous task akin to scaling Mount Everest. .
"I've always sensed something amiss in my numerical processing," the acclaimed Grammy-winning artist shared with Britain's Times Radio, in an interview set to air this Friday. . The Times newspaper offered a sneak peek of the conversation on Thursday. .
"Recently, I've come to recognize that I suffer from dyscalculia, a variant of dyslexia. . Numbers elude me—I can't count or add," he confessed. .
The British Dyslexia Association states that approximately 6% of the UK's populace grapples with dyscalculia, which manifests as a persistent and specific struggle with numerical comprehension. . A comparable statistic is observed among American students, as noted by the Learning Disabilities Association of America. .
"Observers sometimes comment that I appear distressed while playing. . They're right—I'm contending with the challenge of counting bars," Mullen remarked. .
"I've had to devise strategies to manage—counting bars is like conquering Everest," he elaborated. .
At 63, Mullen discussed his diagnosis while speaking about his forthcoming documentary, "Left Behind," which delves into the narrative of resolute mothers who unite to establish the first public school for dyslexic students in New York City. .
His eldest son also deals with dyslexia, a learning difficulty that impedes reading, writing, and spelling, as noted on the film's website. .
Mullen shot to international stardom in the 1980s with U2, a band he formed with high school friends Bono, Adam Clayton, and The Edge in Dublin in 1977. . Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, U2 is celebrated for chart-topping tracks such as "With or Without You," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "Beautiful Day." .
