Larry Mullen Jr. has always had a hard time understanding arithmetic, and now he knows why.
After years of struggling with numeracy skills such as addition and counting, the U2 drummer, 63, was diagnosed with dyscalculia, a learning disorder that makes it difficult to understand numbers and do math.
The musician first revealed his diagnosis in an interview with Times Radio published on Thursday, December 12.
“I always knew there was something wrong with the way I handled numbers. I have number problems,” he said. “And I recently realized that I have dyscalculia, which is a sub-version of dyslexia. So I can’t count [and] I can’t add.”
In fact, the condition is the reason for the faces he often makes while behind the drum kit.
“When people watch me play sometimes, they say, ‘You look hurt,'” Mullen told the newspaper. “It hurts because I’m trying to count bars. I had to find ways to do it – and counting bars is like climbing Everest.”
Larry Mullen Jr. (center) and The Edge (left) perform with U2 at Gocheok Sky Dome on December 8, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty
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Dyscalculia is a learning disability that affects three to seven percent of adults and children, according to a study cited by Healthline. People who have dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression or anxiety are more likely to be diagnosed with dyscalculia, doctors say.
Several other acclaimed musicians have spoken openly about being diagnosed with dyscalculia.
Cher struggled throughout school, while Robbie Williams previously revealed on Instagram that he can’t read phone numbers unless they’re spaced apart.
Murder on the dance floor signatory Sophie Ellis-Bextor has two sons with learning disabilities and serves as an ambassador for the UK Dyscalculia Network.
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Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, Bono and The Edge of U2 pose at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the cause of dyscalculia is unknown, but there is evidence to suggest that it can run in families.
Mullen’s own son, one of three children he shares with wife Ann Acheson, has dyslexia. This is one of the reasons why the drummer produced and wrote the music for the new documentary Left behindwhich follows five mothers who work to found New York’s first public school for children with dyslexia.
“Making music through the eyes of my dyslexic son felt personal and visceral,” he said during the film’s premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival in October.
Mullen is one of the founding members of U2, along with singer Bono, guitarist The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton. All bandmates were at school in Dublin at the time, and within four years they signed a record deal and released their debut album in 1980.
Left behind opens in select theaters on January 17, 2025.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education