Bono fell asleep in White House Lincoln Bedroom after dinner and drinks with Barack Obama
Bono once woke up in the White House's Lincoln Bedroom after a meal and drinks with Barack Obama.
The 62-year-old U2 rocker visited the White House during Obama's time in office, and he and his wife Ali Hewson had dinner and drinks with the 44th President of the United States.
Writing in his memoir 'Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story', Bono explained that his allergy to salicylic acid - which is found in wine as well as some foods and over-the-counter prescription medication - meant he fell asleep.
He said while Obama had cocktails, the U2 frontman opted for a glass or two of wine with the meal.
He wrote: "As I started to fall asleep, I excused myself, and what happened next is a little blurry, but, according to Ali, it took about ten minutes before the leader of the free world asked her, 'Bono's been gone awhile. Is he okay?' "
Ali apparently told Obama he didn't need to worry, but the then-president wanted to find Bono and remembered him asking about the Gettysburg Address, which led the search to the Lincoln bedroom.
The singer continued: "Good instinct. They walked into the Lincoln Bedroom, and there I was, out cold, head in the bosom of Abraham Lincoln, on his very bed.
"'Falling asleep in the comfort of our freedoms,' as I spun it afterward."
Meanwhile, the 'With or Without You' hitmaker joked the politician doesn't believe "for a minute" that he has a salicylate intolerance.
He quipped: "He thinks Ali made this up to cover for me. He tells people he can drink me under the table. Rubbish. But he does make a strong martini."
Bono has admitted it's not the first time he's dropped off in an unusual place.
He told Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2: "I’ve fallen asleep in really awkward spots; the lighting desk of Sonic Youth – they mixed around me and couldn’t be nicer.
“I’ve slept on the street, on car bonnets and indeed I did fall asleep at the White House and they were very, very good about it actually.”
