Q100 host Bert Weiss’ weeklong plot to meet U2’s Bono for his wife, Stacey, succeeded, but in the end, it didn’t involve any covert operations.

Weiss had received a boatload of tips from listeners, so he knew which hotel the band was at, where the late-night party was going to be, and even where Bono was going to eat breakfast Saturday morning. The plan was to "accidentally" show up at one of these locales to get a photo and exchange words with the singer. "It was sickly weird," Weiss said on air Monday, speaking of his own obsession. Instead, Trey Feazell, bookings vice president for Philips Arena, hooked them up to a pre-show hospitality party Friday night. There, backstage, Stacey said, "I started chickening out."

But Weiss, determined not to let this moment slip away, nabbed Bono so they could get the coveted photo. As Bono turned away, Weiss offered this odd platitude: "Thanks for the music you’ve brought to my family." He said Bono looked at him curiously, then turned to leave. Stacey then came up with a more touching thought: "I really admire your wife." Bono, looking surprised, responded, "That’s really, really cool. Thanks."

Speaking of U2 . . . Philips spokeswoman Katie McLennan noted the celebrities who showed up to the Irish band’s two sold-out shows, including Mike Mills of R.E.M. and Rick Wright of Pink Floyd on Friday night, and birthday boy Ted Turner, producer and ATL’s theme song writer Dallas Austin, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and members of Third Day on Saturday night. How do you know you’re really somebody? When Bono interrupts a concert to sing you "Happy Birthday." The frontman urged the sold-out crowd Saturday night to join him in wishing a "great American" a happy birthday, then led them in a singalong for Turner. (The Atlanta media mogul turned 67 Saturday.)

-Atlanta Journal 

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