DUBLIN (Reuters) - The father of U2 lead singer Bono has died, a spokeswoman for the Irish supergroup's publicists said Tuesday.

Bob Hewson, who was in his 70s, had been ill with cancer for some time, and the singer had been flying back to Dublin each night during the band's current Elevation 2001 Tour to spend time with him.

"I can confirm that Bono's father has died. We don't have any more details at this stage," a spokeswoman for U2's Dublin-based publicists told Reuters.

At U2's weekend concert in London the singer -- whose real name is Paul Hewson -- dedicated the song "Kite" to his father, a retired postal worker.

U2, one of the world's most successful rock bands, is due to play the first of two dates at Ireland's Slane Castle on Saturday. The gigs will be their first stadium concerts on home soil since 1997.