U2's The Edge The First Rock Artist To Play Sistine Chapel

(Radio.com) U2 guitarist The Edge has become the first rock artist ever to play the historic Sistine Chapel in Italy. On Saturday (April 30), The Edge performed an unplugged set backed by Irish teenagers. The concert included U2's "Yahweh," "Ordinary World," and "Walk On," as well as a cover of Leonard Cohen's "If it Be Your Will."

"When I was asked to perform in the Sistine Chapel I didn't know what to say, because usually there's 'this other guy' who sings," he told the audience. "So it took me at least, well, 30 seconds to agree to it."

The Edge was invited to play the chapel as a benefit for participants of a conference on regenerative medicine. It's a cause he could relate to since his daughter was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006. In 2007, The Edge joined the board of the Angiogenesis Foundation.

"I can tell this is a really cool audience, because normally when I mention angiogenesis people's eyes glaze over," he said during the show. "But you all understand what I am talking about." Read more here.

Radio.com is an official news provider for antiMusic.com.
Copyright Radio.com/CBS Local - Excerpted here with permission.

Related Stories