Bruce Springsteen

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"Springsteen" redirects here. For other uses, see Springsteen (disambiguation).
Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen performing at the Roskilde Festival 2012.
Background information
Birth name Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen
Also known
as
The Boss
Born September 23, 1949 (age 64)
Long Branch, New Jersey, United States
Genres Rock, heartland rock, folk rock,hard rock, roots
rock, Jersey Shore sound, folk punk
Occupations Musician, singer, songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano
Years active 1965present
Labels Columbia
Associated
acts
E Street Band, Warren Zevon,Steel Mill, Tom
Morello, Miami Horns, The Sessions Band,Southside
Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, The Gaslight
Anthem,Dropkick Murphys, Gary U.S. Bonds,
Website www.brucespringsteen.net
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster
Fender Esquire
Takamine Guitars
Gibson J-45
Hohner Marine Band Harmonica
Gibson J-200
Gibson ES-335
Gibson Hummingbird
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American musician
and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his work with the E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Boss",
Springsteen is widely known for his brand of poetic lyrics,Americana working class, sometimes
political sentiments centered on his native New Jersey and his lengthy and energetic stage
performances, with concerts from the 1970s to the present decade running over three hours in
length.
Springsteen's recordings have included both commercially accessible rock albums and more somber
folk-oriented works. His most successful studio albums, Born in the U.S.A. and Born to Run,
showcase a talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life; he has sold more than
64 million albums in the United States (making him the fifteenth highest selling artist of all-time) and
more than 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all
time.
[1][2]
Springsteen has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards,
two Golden Globes and an Academy Award as well as being inducted into both the Songwriters Hall
of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Contents
[hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
o 2.1 19641972: Early years
o 2.2 19721974: Initial struggle for success
o 2.3 19751983: Breakthrough
o 2.4 19841991: Commercial and popular phenomenon
o 2.5 19921998: Artistic and commercial ups and downs and soundtrack work
o 2.6 19992007: Return to success
o 2.7 20082011: Deaths of Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons
o 2.8 20122013: Wrecking Ball
o 2.9 2014present: High Hopes
3 Musical style
4 Lyrical themes
5 Personal life
6 Bands
7 Discography
8 Awards, recognition and rankings
o 8.1 Grammy Awards
o 8.2 Golden Globe Awards
o 8.3 Academy Awards
o 8.4 Other recognition
9 See also
10 Notes
o 10.1 Footnotes
o 10.2 Citations
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Early life[edit]
Springsteen was born September 23, 1949
[3]
in Long Branch, New Jersey, and spent his childhood
and high school years in Freehold Borough. He lived on South Street in Freehold Borough and
attended Freehold Borough High School. His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, was of Dutch
and Irish ancestry (his surname in Dutch means jumping stone)
[4]
and worked as a bus driver,
among other vocations, although he was mostly unemployed, and according to Springsteen's
account, his mother was the main breadwinner.
[5]
His mother, Adele Ann (ne Zerilli), was a legal
secretary and was of Italian ancestry.
[6]
His maternal grandfather was born in Vico Equense, a town
near Naples.
[7]
He has two younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela. Pamela had a brief film career, but
left acting to pursue still photography full-time; she took photos for his Human Touch, Lucky
Town and The Ghost of Tom Joad albums.
Raised a Roman Catholic,
[8]
Springsteen attended the St. Rose of Lima Catholic school in Freehold
Borough, where he was at odds with the nuns and rejected the strictures imposed upon him, even
though some of his later music reflects a Catholic ethos and included a few rock-influenced,
traditional Irish-Catholic hymns.
[9]
In a 2012 interview, he explained that it was his Catholic
upbringing rather than political ideology that most influenced his music. He noted in the interview
that his faith had given him a "very active spiritual life," although he joked that this "made it very
difficult sexually." He added: "Once a Catholic, always a Catholic."
[10]

In ninth grade, he transferred to the public Freehold Regional High School, but did not fit in there
either. Former teachers have said he was a "loner, who wanted nothing more than to play his guitar."
He completed high school, but felt so uncomfortable that he skipped his own graduation
ceremony.
[11]
He briefly attended Ocean County College, but dropped out.
[9]

Career[edit]
19641972: Early years[edit]
"This was different, shifted the lay of the land. Four guys, playing and singing, writing their own material ... Rock 'n'
roll came to my house where there seemed to be no way out ... and opened up a whole world of possibilities."
Bruce Springsteen, on the impact of the Beatles
[12]

Springsteen had been inspired to take up music at the age of seven after seeing Elvis
Presley on The Ed Sullivan Showin 1956. At 13, his mother bought him his first guitar for $18. The
next year, in 1964, a major turning point for Springsteen occurred with the Beatles' appearance
on The Ed Sullivan Show.
[12]
Thereafter he started playing for audiences, first at a trailer park
on New Jersey Route 34 and then at a local Elks Lodge. In 1965, Springsteen's mother took out a
loan to buy her 16-year-old son a $60 Kent guitar, an act he subsequently memorialized in his song
"The Wish".
In the same year, he went to the house of Tex and Marion Vinyard, who sponsored young bands in
town. They helped him become the lead guitarist and subsequently the lead singer of The Castiles.
The Castiles recorded two original songs at a public recording studio in Brick Township and played a
variety of venues, including Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. Marion Vinyard said that she believed
the young Springsteen when he promised he would make it big.
[13]

Called for induction when he was 18, Springsteen failed his physical examination and did not serve
in Vietnam. In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine in 1984, he said, "When I got on the bus to go
take my physical, I thought one thing: I ain't goin'." He had suffered a concussion in a motorcycle
accident when he was 17, and this together with his "crazy" behavior at induction and not taking the
tests was enough to get him a 4F.
[14]

In the late 1960s, Springsteen performed briefly in a power trio known as Earth, playing in clubs in
New Jersey. Springsteen acquired the nickname "The Boss" during this period as when he played
club gigs with a band he took on the task of collecting the band's nightly pay and distributing it
amongst his bandmates.
[15]
Springsteen is not fond of this nickname, due to his dislike of
bosses,
[15]
but seems to have since given it a tacit acceptance. Previously he had the nickname
"Doctor".
[16]



New Jersey beach towns such asAsbury Park inspired the themes of ordinary life in Bruce Springsteen's music.
From 1969 through early 1971, Springsteen performed with Steel Mill, which also featured Danny
Federici, Vini Lopez, Vinnie Roslin and later Steve Van Zandt and Robbin Thompson. They went on
to play the mid-Atlantic college circuit, and also briefly in California. In January 1970 well-known San
Francisco Examiner music critic Philip Elwood gave Springsteen credibility in his glowing
assessment of Steel Mill: "I have never been so overwhelmed by totally unknown talent." Elwood
went on to praise their "cohesive musicality" and, in particular, singled out Springsteen as "a most
impressive composer". During this time Springsteen also performed regularly at small clubs
in Canton, Massachusetts; Richmond, Virginia; and Asbury Park and other points along the Jersey
Shore, quickly gathering a cult following.
Other acts followed over the next two years, as Springsteen sought to shape a unique and genuine
musical and lyrical style: Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom (early- to mid-1971), Sundance Blues Band
(mid-1971), and the Bruce Springsteen Band (mid-1971 to mid-1972). With the addition of
pianist David Sancious, the core of what would later become the E Street Band was formed, with
occasional temporary additions such as horn sections, "The Zoomettes" (a group of female backing
vocalists for "Dr. Zoom") and Southside Johnny Lyon on harmonica. Musical genres explored
included blues, R&B, jazz, church music, early rock 'n' roll, and soul. His prolific songwriting ability,
with "More words in some individual songs than other artists had in whole albums", as his future
record label would describe it in early publicity campaigns, brought his skill to the attention of several
people who were about to change his life: new managers Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos,
and Columbia Records talent scout John Hammond, who, under Appel's pressure, auditioned
Springsteen in May 1972.
Even after Springsteen gained international acclaim, his New Jersey roots showed through in his
music, and he often praised "the great state of New Jersey" in his live shows. Drawing on his
extensive local appeal, he routinely sold out consecutive nights in major New
Jersey, Philadelphia and New York venues. He also made many surprise appearances at The Stone
Pony and other shore nightclubs over the years, becoming the foremost exponent of the Jersey
Shore sound.
19721974: Initial struggle for success[edit]
Springsteen signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 1972 with the help of John Hammond,
who had signed Bob Dylan to the same label a decade earlier. Springsteen brought many of his New
Jerseybased colleagues into the studio with him, thus forming the E Street Band (although it would
not be formally named as such for several more years). His debut album Greetings from Asbury
Park, N.J., released in January 1973, established him as a critical favorite
[17]
though sales were
slow.
Because of Springsteen's lyrical poeticism and folk rockrooted music exemplified on tracks like
"Blinded by the Light"
[A]
and "For You", as well as the Columbia and Hammond connections, critics
initially compared Springsteen to Bob Dylan. "He sings with a freshness and urgency I haven't heard
since I was rocked by 'Like a Rolling Stone'" wroteCrawdaddy magazine editor Peter Knobler in
Springsteen's first interview/profile in March 1973. Photographs for that original profile were taken by
photographer Ed Gallucci.
[18][19]
Crawdaddy discovered Springsteen in the rock press and was his
earliest champion. Knobler profiled him in Crawdaddy three times, in 1973, 1975 and
1978.
[20]
(Springsteen and the E Street Band acknowledged by giving a private performance at
the Crawdaddy 10th Anniversary Party in New York City in June 1976.)
[21]
Music critic Lester
Bangs wrote inCreem in 1975 that when Springsteen's first album was released "... many of us
dismissed it: he wrote like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, sang like Van Morrison and Robbie
Robertson, and led a band that sounded like Van Morrison's".
[22]
The track "Spirit in the Night"
especially showed Morrison's influence, while "Lost in the Flood" was the first of many portraits
of Vietnam veterans, and "Growin' Up", his first take on the recurring theme of adolescence.
In September 1973 his second album The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle was released,
again to critical acclaim but no commercial success. Springsteen's songs became grander in form
and scope, with the E Street Band providing a less folky, more R&B vibe, and the lyrics often
romanticized teenage street life. "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Incident on 57th Street"
would become fan favorites, and the long, rousing "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" continues to rank
among Springsteen's most beloved concert numbers.
In the May 22, 1974 issue of Boston's The Real Paper music critic Jon Landau wrote, after seeing a
performance at the Harvard Square Theater, "I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce
Springsteen. And on a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music
for the very first time."
[23]
Landau subsequently became Springsteen's manager and producer,
helping to finish the epic new album Born to Run. Given an enormous budget in a last-ditch effort at
a commercially viable record, Springsteen became bogged down in the recording process while
striving for a "Wall of Sound" production. But, fed by the release of an early mix of "Born to Run"
to progressive rock radio, anticipation built toward the album's release.
The album took more than 14 months to record, with six months alone spent on the song "Born To
Run". During this time Springsteen battled with anger and frustration over the album, saying he
heard "sounds in [his] head" that he could not explain to the others in the studio. It was during these
recording sessions that "Miami" Steve Van Zandt would stumble into the studio just in time to help
Springsteen organize the horn section on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out". Van Zandt, who would
eventually join the E Street Band, had been a long-time friend of Springsteen, as well as a
collaborator on earlier musical projects, and understood where he was coming from, which helped
him to translate some of the sounds Springsteen was hearing. Still, by the end of the grueling
recording sessions Springsteen was not satisfied, and upon first hearing the finished album, threw
the record into the alley and told Jon Landau he would rather just cut the album live at The Bottom
Line (a place he often played).
[24]

19751983: Breakthrough[edit]
On August 13, 1975, Springsteen and the E Street Band began a five-night, 10-show stand at New
York's Bottom Line club. The engagement attracted major media attention and was broadcast live
on WNEW-FM. (Decades later, Rolling Stone magazine would name the stand as one of the 50
Moments That Changed Rock and Roll.)
[25]
Oklahoma City rock radio station WKY, in association
with Carson Attractions, staged an experimental promotional event that resulted in a sold out house
at the (6000 seat) Civic Center Music Hall. With the release of Born to Run on August 25, 1975,
Springsteen finally found success. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and while
reception at U.S. top 40 radio outlets for the album's two singles was not overwhelming ("Born to
Run" reached a modest No. 23 on the Billboard charts, and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" peaked at
#83), almost every track on the album received album-oriented rock airplay, especially "Born to
Run", "Thunder Road", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Jungleland", all of which remain perennial
favorites on many classic rock stations.
With its panoramic imagery, thundering production and desperate optimism, Born to Run is
considered to be among the best rock and roll albums of all time and Springsteen's finest work.
Springsteen appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek in the same week, on October 27
of that year. So great did the wave of publicity become that Springsteen eventually rebelled against it
during his first venture overseas, tearing down promotional posters before a concert appearance in
London.
A legal battle with former manager Mike Appel kept Springsteen out of the studio for nearly a year,
during which time he kept the E Street Band together through extensive touring across the
U.S. Despite the optimistic fervor with which he often performed, his new songs had taken a more
somber tone than much of his previous work. Reaching settlement with Appel in 1977, Springsteen
returned to the studio, and the subsequent sessions produced Darkness on the Edge of
Town (1978). Musically, this album was a turning point in Springsteen's career. Gone were the raw,
rapid-fire lyrics, outsized characters and long, multi-part musical compositions of the first three
albums; now the songs were leaner and more carefully drawn and began to reflect Springsteen's
growing intellectual and political awareness. The cross-country 1978 tour to promote the album
would become legendary for the intensity and length of its shows.
[26]



Springsteen at Flix Houphout-Boigny International Airport in Ivory Coast during Amnesty International's
1988 Human Rights Now! Tour.
By the late 1970s, Bruce Springsteen had earned a reputation in the pop world as a songwriter
whose material could provide hits for other bands. Manfred Mann's Earth Band had achieved a U.S.
No. 1 pop hit with a heavily rearranged version of Greetings' "Blinded by the Light" in early
1977. Patti Smith reached No. 13 with her take on Springsteen's unreleased "Because the Night"
(with revised lyrics by Smith) in 1978, while The Pointer Sisters hit No. 2 in 1979 with Springsteen's
also unreleased "Fire". Although not a critical success, long time friendSouthside Johnny recorded
"The Fever" in early 1976, "Talk to Me" in 1978, both contributions from Springsteen. The two of
them along with Steve Van Zandt collaborated to produce "Trapped Again" in 1978.
In September 1979, Springsteen and the E Street Band joined the Musicians United for Safe
Energy anti-nuclear power collective atMadison Square Garden for two nights, playing an
abbreviated set while premiering two songs from his upcoming album. The subsequentNo Nukes live
album, as well as the following summer's No Nukes documentary film, represented the first official
recordings and footage of Springsteen's fabled live act, as well as Springsteen's first tentative dip
into political involvement.
Springsteen continued to consolidate his thematic focus on working-class life with the 20-song
double album The River in 1980, which included an intentionally paradoxical range of material from
good-time party rockers to emotionally intense ballads, and finally yielded his first hit Top Ten single
as a performer, "Hungry Heart". Like the previous two albums, musical styles on The River were
derived largely from rock music of the Fifties and Sixties, but with a more explicit pop-rock sound
than earlier albums. This is apparent in the stylistic adoption of Eighties pop-rock hallmarks like the
reverberating-tenor drums, very basic percussion/guitar and repetitive lyrics apparent in many of the
tracks. The title song pointed to Springsteen's intellectual direction, while a couple of the lesser-
known tracks presaged his musical direction. The album sold well, becoming his first topper on the
Billboard Pop Albums chart, and a long tour in 1980 and 1981 followed, featuring Springsteen's first
extended playing of Europe and ending with a series of multi-night arena stands in major cities in the
U.S.
The River was followed in 1982 by the stark solo acoustic Nebraska. Recording sessions had been
held to expand on a demo tape Springsteen had made at his home on a simple, low-tech four-track
tape deck. However during the recording process Springsteen and producer Jon Landau realized the
songs worked better as solo acoustic numbers than full band renditions and the original demo tape
was released as the album. Although the recordings of the E Street Band were shelved, other songs
from these sessions would later be released, including "Born in the U.S.A." and "Glory Days".
According to the Marsh biographies, Springsteen was in a depressed state when he wrote this
material, and the result is a brutal depiction of American life. While Nebraska did not sell as well as
Springsteen's three previous albums, it garnered widespread critical praise (including being named
"Album of the Year" by Rolling Stone magazine's critics) and influenced later significant works by
other major artists, including U2's album The Joshua Tree. It helped inspire the musical genre known
as lo-fi music, becoming a cult favorite among indie-rockers. Springsteen did not tour in conjunction
with Nebraska's release.
19841991: Commercial and popular phenomenon[edit]
Springsteen is probably best known for his album Born in the U.S.A. (1984), which sold 15 million
copies in the U.S., 30 million worldwide, and became one of the best-selling albums of all time with
seven singles hitting the Top 10. The title track was a bitter commentary on the treatment of Vietnam
veterans, some of whom were Springsteen's friends and bandmates. The lyrics in the verses were
entirely unambiguous when listened to, but the anthemic music and the title of the song made it hard
for many, from politicians to the common person, to get the lyricsexcept those in the chorus, which
could be read many ways.
[27]

The song was widely misinterpreted as jingoistic, and in connection with the 1984 presidential
campaign became the subject of considerable folklore. Springsteen also turned down several million
dollars offered by the Chrysler Corporation to use the song in a car commercial. In later years, to
eliminate the bombast and make the song's original meaning more explicitly clear, Springsteen
performed the song accompanied only by acoustic guitar, thus returning to how the song was
originally conceived. The original acoustic version of the song, recorded in 1982 during
the Nebraska sessions appeared on the 1998 archival release Tracks.
"Dancing in the Dark" was the biggest of seven hit singles from Born in the U.S.A., peaking at No. 2
on the Billboard music charts. The music video for the song featured a youngCourteney Cox dancing
on stage with Springsteen, an appearance which helped kickstart the actress's career. The song
"Cover Me" was written by Springsteen for Donna Summer, but his record company persuaded him
to keep it for the new album. A big fan of Summer's work, Springsteen wrote another song for her,
"Protection". Videos for the album were made by noted film directors Brian De Palma and John
Sayles. Springsteen was featured on the "We Are the World" song and album in 1985. His live single
"Trapped" from that album received moderate airplay on U.S. Top 40 stations as well as reaching
No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.
[28]

During the Born in the U.S.A. Tour, Springsteen met actress Julianne Phillips, whom he would marry
in 1985.


Springsteen performing on the Tunnel of Love Express Tour at the Radrennbahn Weiensee in East Berlin on July
19, 1988.
The Born in the U.S.A. period represented the height of Springsteen's visibility in popular culture and
the broadest audience demographic he would ever reach (aided by the release of Arthur
Baker's dance mixes of three of the singles). Live/197585, a five-record box set (also on three
cassettes or three CDs), was released near the end of 1986 and became the first box set to debut at
No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. It is one of the most commercially successful live albums of all time,
ultimately selling 13 million units in the U.S. Live/197585 summed up Springsteen's career to that
point and displayed some of the elements that made his shows so powerful to his fans: the switching
from mournful dirges to party rockers and back; the communal sense of purpose between artist and
audience; the long, intense spoken passages before songs, including those describing Springsteen's
difficult relationship with his father; and the instrumental prowess of the E Street Band, such as in
the long coda to "Racing in the Street". Despite its popularity, some fans and critics felt the album's
song selection could have been better. Springsteen concerts are the subjects of frequent bootleg
recording and trading among fans.
During the 1980s, several Springsteen fanzines were launched, including Backstreets magazine,
which started in Seattle and continues today as a glossy publication, now in communication with
Springsteen's management and official website.
After this commercial peak, Springsteen released the much more sedate and contemplative Tunnel
of Love album (1987), a mature reflection on the many faces of love found, lost and squandered,
which only selectively used the E Street Band. It presaged the breakup of his marriage to Julianne
Phillips and described some of his unhappinesses in the relationship. Reflecting the challenges of
love in "Brilliant Disguise", Springsteen sang:

I heard somebody call your name from underneath our willow/I saw something tucked in shame
underneath your pillow/ Well I've tried so hard baby, but I just can't see/ What a woman like you
is doing with me.

The subsequent Tunnel of Love Express Tour shook up fans with changes to the stage layout,
favorites dropped from the set list, and horn-based arrangements. During the European leg in 1988,
Springsteen's relationship with backup singer Patti Scialfa became public. Phillips and Springsteen
filed for divorce in 1988.
[29]

On July 19, 1988, Springsteen held a concert in East Germany that attracted 300,000 spectators.
Journalist Erik Kirschbaum has called the concert "the most important rock concert ever, anywhere,"
in his 2013 book Rocking the Wall. Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert That Changed the World.
It had been conceived by the Communist Party's youth arm in an attempt to placate the youth of
East Germany, who were hungry for more freedom and the popular music of the West. However, it is
Kirschbaum's opinion that the success of the concert catalyzed opposition to the regime in the DDR,
and helped contribute to the fall of the Berlin Wall the following year.
[30]

Later in 1988, Springsteen headlined the worldwide Human Rights Now! tour for Amnesty
International. In late 1989 he dissolved the E Street Band, and he and Scialfa relocated to California,
marrying in 1991.
19921998: Artistic and commercial ups and downs and soundtrack work[edit]
In 1992, after risking fan accusations of "going Hollywood" by moving to Los Angeles (a radical move
for someone so linked to the blue-collar life of the Jersey Shore) and working with session
musicians, Springsteen released two albums at once. Human Touch and Lucky Town were even
more introspective than any of his previous work and displayed a newly revealed confidence. As
opposed to his first two albums, which dreamed of happiness, and his next four, which showed him
growing to fear it, at points during the Lucky Town album, Springsteen actually claims happiness for
himself.
An electric band appearance on the acoustic MTV Unplugged television program (later released
as In Concert/MTV Plugged) was poorly received and further cemented fan dissatisfaction.
Springsteen seemed to realize this a few years hence when he spoke humorously of his late father
during his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acceptance speech:

I've gotta thank him becausewhat would I conceivably have written about without him? I
mean, you can imagine that if everything had gone great between us, we would have had disaster.
I would have written just happy songsand I tried it in the early '90s and it didn't work; the
public didn't like it.
[31]


A multiple Grammy Award winner, Springsteen also won an Academy Award in 1994 for his song
"Streets of Philadelphia", which appeared on the soundtrack to the filmPhiladelphia. The music video
for the song shows Springsteen's actual vocal performance, recorded using a hidden microphone, to
a prerecorded instrumental track. This technique was developed on the "Brilliant Disguise" video.
In 1995, after temporarily re-organizing the E Street Band for a few new songs recorded for his
first Greatest Hits album (a recording session that was chronicled in the documentary Blood
Brothers), he released his second (mostly) solo guitar album, The Ghost of Tom Joad, inspired
by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and by Journey to Nowhere: The Saga of the New
Underclass, a book by Pulitzer Prize-winners author Dale Maharidge and photographer Michael
Williamson. This was generally less well-received than the similar Nebraska, due to the
minimal melody, twangy vocals, and political nature of most of the songs, although some praised it
for giving voice to immigrants and others who rarely have one in American culture. The lengthy,
worldwide, small-venue solo acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour that followed successfully featured
many of his older songs in drastically reshaped acoustic form, although Springsteen had to explicitly
remind his audiences to be quiet and not to clap during the performances.
In April 1996, Springsteen gave a very forward-looking interview to The Advocate LGBT magazine's
Judy Wieder, in which he spoke of the importance of fighting for gay marriage. "You get your license,
you do all the social rituals. It's part of your place in society, and in some way part of society's
acceptance of you." It seemed like a natural extension of the support that began with his
1994 Academy Award for "Streets of Philadelphia" which showed the saga of a dying gay man
struggling with AIDS.
[32]

Following the tour, Springsteen moved back to New Jersey with his family.
[33]
In 1998, Springsteen
released the sprawling, four-disc box set of out-takes, Tracks. Subsequently, Springsteen would
acknowledge that the 1990s were a "lost period" for him: "I didn't do a lot of work. Some people
would say I didn't do my best work."
[34]

19992007: Return to success[edit]


The scene outside the Giants Stadium parking lot for banner-marked, record-setting, 10-night stand of The Rising
Tour during July 2003.
Springsteen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 by Bono of U2, a favor he
returned in 2005.
In 1999, Springsteen and the E Street Band reunited and began their extensive Reunion Tour,
lasting over a year. Highlights included a record sold-out, 15-show run at Continental Airlines
Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and a ten-night, sold-out engagement at New York
City's Madison Square Garden, which ended the tour. The final two shows were recorded for HBO,
with corresponding DVD and album releases as Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in
New York City. A new song, "American Skin (41 Shots)", about the police shooting of Amadou Diallo,
which was played at these shows proved controversial.
In 2002, Springsteen released his first studio effort with the full band in 18 years, The Rising,
produced by Brendan O'Brien. The album, mostly a reflection on the September 11 attacks, was a
critical and popular success. (Many of the songs were influenced by phone conversations
Springsteen had with family members of victims of the attacks who in their obituaries had mentioned
how his music touched their lives.) The title track gained airplay in several radio formats, and the
record became Springsteen's best-selling album of new material in 15 years. Kicked off by an early-
morning Asbury Park appearance on The Today Show, The Rising Tour commenced, barnstorming
through a series of single-night arena stands in the U.S. and Europe to promote the album in 2002,
then returning for large-scale, multiple-night stadium shows in 2003. While Springsteen had
maintained a loyal hardcore fan base everywhere (and particularly in Europe), his general popularity
had dipped over the years in some southern and midwestern regions of the U.S. because of his
vocal endorsement of leftist, liberal politics. But it was still strong in Europe and along the U.S.
coasts, and he played an unprecedented 10 nights in Giants Stadium in New Jersey, a ticket-selling
feat to which no other musical act has come close.
[35]
During these shows Springsteen thanked
those fans who were attending multiple shows and those who were coming from long distances or
another country; the advent of robust Springsteen-oriented online communities had made such
practices more common. The Rising Tour came to a final conclusion with three nights in Shea
Stadium, highlighted by renewed controversy over "American Skin" and a guest appearance by Bob
Dylan.
During the early 2000s, Springsteen became a visible advocate for the revitalization of Asbury Park,
and played an annual series of winter holiday concerts there to benefit various local businesses,
organizations, and causes. These shows were explicitly intended for the devoted fans, featuring
numbers such as the E Street Shuffle outtake "Thundercrack", a rollicking group-participation song
that would mystify casual Springsteen fans. He also frequently rehearses for tours in Asbury Park;
some of his most devoted followers even go so far as to stand outside the building to hear what
fragments they can of the upcoming shows. The song "My City of Ruins" was originally written about
Asbury Park, in honor of the attempts to revitalize the city. Looking for an appropriate song for
the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon broadcast, he selected "My City of Ruins", which was
immediately recognized as an emotional highlight of the broadcast, with its gospel themes and its
heartfelt exhortations to "Rise up!" The song became associated with post-9/11 New York, and he
chose it to close The Rising album and as an encore on the subsequent tour.
At the Grammy Awards of 2003, Springsteen performed The Clash's "London Calling" along
with Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, and E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt and No Doubt's
bassist, Tony Kanal, in tribute to Joe Strummer; Springsteen and the Clash had once been
considered multiple-album-dueling rivals at the time of the double The Riverand the
triple Sandinista!. In 2004, Springsteen and the E Street Band participated in the Vote for
Change tour, along with John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, the Dixie Chicks, Pearl
Jam, R.E.M., Bright Eyes, the Dave Matthews Band, Jackson Browne, and other musicians. All
concerts were to be held in swing states, to benefit the progressive political organization
group America Coming Together and to encourage people to register and vote. A finale was held in
Washington, D.C., bringing many of the artists together. Several days later, Springsteen held one
more such concert in New Jersey, when polls showed that state surprisingly close. While in past
years Springsteen had played benefits for causes in which he believed against nuclear energy,
for Vietnam veterans, Amnesty International, and the Christic Institutehe had always refrained
from explicitly endorsing candidates for political office (indeed he had rejected the efforts of Walter
Mondale to attract an endorsement during the 1984 Reagan "Born in the U.S.A." flap). This new
stance led to criticism and praise from the expected partisan sources. Springsteen's "No Surrender"
became the main campaign theme song for John Kerry's unsuccessful presidential campaign; in the
last days of the campaign, he performed acoustic versions of the song and some of his other old
songs at Kerry rallies.


An acoustic guitar number during the solo Devils & Dust Tourperformance at the Festhalle Frankfurt, June 15, 2005.
Devils & Dust was released on April 26, 2005, and was recorded without the E Street Band. It is a
low-key, mostly acoustic album, in the same vein as Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad although
with a little more instrumentation. Some of the material was written almost 10 years earlier during, or
shortly after, the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, with a few having been performed then but not
released.
[36]
The title track concerns an ordinary soldier's feelings and fears during the Iraq
War. Starbucks rejected a co-branding deal for the album, due in part to some sexually explicit
content but also because of Springsteen's anti-corporate politics. The album entered the album
charts at No. 1 in 10 countries (United States, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy,
Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ireland). Springsteen began the solo Devils &
Dust Tour at the same time as the album's release, playing both small and large venues. Attendance
was disappointing in a few regions, and everywhere (other than in Europe) tickets were easier to get
than in the past. Unlike his mid-1990s solo tour, he performed on piano, electric piano, pump
organ, autoharp, ukulele, banjo, electric guitar, and stomping board, as well as acoustic guitar and
harmonica, adding variety to the solo sound. (Offstage synthesizer, guitar, and percussion were also
used for some songs.)
In November 2005, Sirius Satellite Radio started a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week radio station called E
Street Radio. This channel featured commercial-free Bruce Springsteen music, including rare tracks,
interviews, and daily concerts of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band recorded throughout their
career.


Springsteen and The Sessions Band performing on their tour at the Fila Forum, Milan, Italy on May 12, 2006.
In April 2006, Springsteen released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, an American roots
music project focused around a big folk sound treatment of 15 songs popularized by the radical
musical activism of Pete Seeger. It was recorded with a large ensemble of musicians including only
Patti Scialfa, Soozie Tyrell, and The Miami Horns from past efforts. In contrast to previous albums,
this was recorded in only three one-day sessions, and frequently one can hear Springsteen calling
out key changes live as the band explores its way through the tracks. A tour began the same month,
featuring the 18-strong ensemble of musicians dubbed The Seeger Sessions Band (and later
shortened to The Sessions Band). Seeger Sessions material was heavily featured, as well as a
handful of (usually drastically rearranged) Springsteen numbers. The tour proved very popular in
Europe, selling out everywhere and receiving some excellent reviews,
[37]
but newspapers reported
that a number of U.S. shows suffered from sparse attendance.
[38][39][40]
By the end of 2006, the
Seeger Sessions tour toured Europe twice and toured America for only a short span. Bruce
Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin, containing selections from three nights of
November 2006 shows at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, was released the following June.
Springsteen's next album, titled Magic, was released on October 2, 2007. Recorded with the E
Street Band, it featured 10 new Springsteen songs plus "Long Walk Home", performed once with the
Sessions band, and a hidden track (the first included on a Springsteen studio release), "Terry's
Song", a tribute to Springsteen's long-time assistant Terry Magovern, who died on July 30,
2007.
[41]
Magic debuted at No. 1 in Ireland and the UK. Greatest Hits reentered the Irish charts at
No. 57, and Live in Dublin almost cracked the top 20 in Norway again. Sirius Satellite Radio also
restarted E Street Radio on September 27, 2007, in anticipation of Magic.
[42]
Radio
conglomerate Clear Channel Communications was alleged to have sent an edict to its classic rock
stations to not play any songs from the new album, while continuing to play older Springsteen
material. However, Clear Channel Adult Alternative (or "AAA") station KBCO did play tracks from the
album, undermining the allegations of a corporate blackout.
[43]

The Springsteen and E Street Band Magic Tour began at the Hartford Civic Center with the album's
release and continued through North America and Europe.
It was announced on November 21, 2007, that Springsteen's longtime friend and founding E Street
Band member, Danny Federici, would be taking a leave of absence from theMagic Tour to pursue
treatment for melanoma. Charles Giordano filled in as Federici's replacement.
[citation needed]

20082011: Deaths of Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons[edit]
Springsteen at a rally for the presidential candidate Barack Obama



Cleveland, Ohio, on November 2, 2008
Federici returned to the stage on March 20, 2008, when he appeared for portions of a Springsteen
and E Street Band performance at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Less than one month later,
on April 17, 2008, Federici died at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City,
having suffered for three years with melanoma.
[44][45]

Springsteen supported Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, announcing his endorsement
in April 2008
[46]
and going on to appear at several Obama rallies as well as performing several solo
acoustic performances in support of Obama's campaign throughout 2008,
[47]
culminating with a
November 2 rally at which he debuted the song "Working on a Dream" in a duet with Scialfa.
[48]
At an
Ohio rally, Springsteen discussed the importance of "truth, transparency and integrity in government,
the right of every American to have a job, a living wage, to be educated in a decent school, and a life
filled with the dignity of work, the promise and the sanctity of home...
[49]

Following Obama's electoral victory on November 4, Springsteen's song "The Rising" was the first
song played over the loudspeakers after Obama's victory speech in Chicago'sGrant Park.
Springsteen was the musical opener for the Obama Inaugural Celebration on January 18, 2009,
which was attended by over 400,000 people.
[50]
He performed "The Rising" with an all-female choir.
Later he performed Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" with Pete Seeger.
On January 11, 2009, Springsteen won the Golden Globe Award for Best Song for "The Wrestler",
from the Mickey Rourke film by the same name.
[51]
After receiving a heartfelt letter from Rourke,
Springsteen supplied the song for the film for free.
[52]

Springsteen performed at the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009,
[53]
agreeing to
do it after many previous offers.
[54]
A few days before the game, Springsteen gave a rare press
conference at which he promised a "twelve-minute party."
[55][56]
His 12-minute 45-second set, with
the E Street Band and the Miami Horns, included abbreviated renditions of "Tenth Avenue Freeze-
Out"", "Born to Run", "Working on a Dream", and "Glory Days", the latter complete with football
references in place of the original baseball-themed lyrics. The set of appearances and promotional
activities led Springsteen to say, "This has probably been the busiest month of my life."
[57]

Springsteen's Working on a Dream album, dedicated to the memory of Danny Federici, was
released in late January 2009
[55]
and the supporting Working on a Dream Tour ran from April 2009
until November 2009. The tour featured few songs from the new album, with set lists dominated
instead by classics and selections reflecting the ongoing late-2000s recession.
[58]
The tour also
featured Springsteen playing songs requested by audience members holding up signs, a practice
begun during the final stages of the Magic Tour.
[58]
Drummer Max Weinberg was replaced for some
shows by his 18-year-old son Jay Weinberg, so that the former could serve his role as bandleader
on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
[58]
During this tour, Springsteen and the band made their
first real foray in the world of music festivals, headlining nights at the Pinkpop Festival in the
Netherlands,Festival des Vieilles Charrues in France, the Bonnaroo Music Festival in the United
States and the Glastonbury Festival
[59]
and Hard Rock Calling in the UK.
[60]
Several shows on the
tour featured full-album presentations of Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, or Born in the
U.S.A.
[61]
The band performed a stretch of five final shows at Giants Stadium, opening with a new
song highlighting the historic stadium, and Springsteen's Jersey roots, named "Wrecking Ball".
[62]
A
DVD from the Working on a Dream Tour entitledLondon Calling: Live in Hyde Park was released in
2010.


Fireworks go off at the conclusion of the "E! Street! Band!" exhortation during the final shows at Giants Stadium.
Springsteen was among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, an annual award to figures
from the world of arts for their contribution to American culture, in December 2009.
[63]
President
Obama gave a speech in which he talked about how Springsteen has incorporated the life of regular
Americans in his expansive palette of songs and how his concerts are beyond the typical rock-and-
roll concerts, how, apart from being high-energy concerts, they are "communions". He ended the
remark "while I am the president, he is the Boss". Tributes were paid by several well-known
celebrities including Jon Stewart (who described Springsteen's "unprecedented combination of lyrical
eloquence, musical mastery and sheer unbridled, unadulterated joy"). A musical tribute
featured John Mellencamp,Ben Harper, Jennifer Nettles, Melissa Etheridge, Eddie Vedder,
and Sting.
The 2000s ended with Springsteen being named one of eight Artists of the Decade by Rolling
Stone magazine
[64]
and with Springsteen's tours ranking him fourth among artists in total concert
grosses for the decade.
[65]
His 2010 tour included venues in the UK and Ireland.
In September 2010, a documentary about the making of Springsteen's 1978 album Darkness on the
Edge of Town premiered at theToronto International Film Festival. The film, The Promise: The
Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, was included in a box set reissue of the album,
entitled The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, released in November 2010. Also
airing on HBO, the documentary explored Springsteen's making of the album and his role in the
production and development of the tracks.
Clarence Clemons, the E Street Band's saxophonist and founding member, died on June 18, 2011,
of complications from a stroke. "Clarence lived a wonderful life," Springsteen said in a statement.
"He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and
extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he
stepped on stage."
[66]

20122013: Wrecking Ball[edit]


Springsteen performing with drummer Max Weinberg behind him, on the Magic Tour stop at Veterans Memorial
Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, August 15, 2008.
Springsteen's 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball, was released on March 6, 2012. The album consists
of eleven tracks plus two bonus tracks. Three songs previously only available as live versions
"Wrecking Ball", "Land of Hope and Dreams", and "American Land"appear on the
album.
[67]
Wrecking Ball became Springsteen's tenth No. 1 album in the United States, tying him
with Elvis Presley for third most No. 1 albums of all-time. Only the Beatles (19) and Jay-Z (12) have
more No. 1 albums.
[68]

Following the release of the album, Springsteen and the E Street Band announced plans for
the Wrecking Ball Tour, which began on March 18, 2012. As tickets for the first U.S. dates went on
sale, many fans were unable to obtain tickets, much like for the 2009 Working on a Dream Tour,
allegedly due to a heavy volume of ticket scalpers. Shows sold out within minutes and many tickets
appeared, at much higher prices, on resale websites such as StubHub less than an hour after the
onsale time. Ticketmaster said web traffic was 2.5 times the highest level of the past year during the
online sales and suggested that scalpers played a big role.
On July 31, 2012, in Helsinki, Finland, Springsteen performed his longest concert ever at 4 hours
and 6 minutes and 33 songs. Not included in this total time is a thirty-minute, five-song, solo
acoustical set he did about two hours prior to the beginning of the show.
[69]

Springsteen was honored with the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year award in recognition of his
creative accomplishments as well as his charitable work and philanthropic activities. A ceremony
was held on February 8, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, two days before
the Grammy Awards.
[70]

Despite saying he would sit out the 2012 presidential election, Springsteen campaigned for
President Barack Obama's re-election in Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, Pittsburgh, andWisconsin. At the
rallies, Springsteen briefly spoke to the audience and performed a short acoustic set that included a
newly-written song titled "Forward".
[71][72][73]
Obama also used "We Take Care of Our Own" as one of
his top campaign songs. Use of the song helped boost sales of the song by 409%.
[74]

On October 29, 2012, the New Jersey area was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Two days following the
storm, Springsteen dedicated his performance at the Blue Cross Arena inRochester, New York, to
those affected by the storm and those helping to recover. Springsteen and the E Street Band
performed "Land of Hope and Dreams" at a one-hour televised telethon called Hurricane Sandy:
Coming Together on November 2, 2012, which aired on NBC and at the same time many other
channels. Springsteen also joined Billy Joel, Steven Tyler and Jimmy Fallon for a performance of
"Under the Boardwalk". All money was donated to the American Red Cross.
[75]
Springsteen and the
E Street Band, along with many top names in the music industry, performed at Madison Square
Garden on December 12, 2012, for 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.
At year's end, the Wrecking Ball Tour was named Top Draw for having the top attendance out of any
tour by the Billboard Touring Awards. The tour finished second to Roger Waters, who had the top
grossing tour of 2012.
[76]
Springsteen finished second only to Madonna as the top money maker of
2012 with $33.44 million.
[77]
The Wrecking Ballalbum, along with the single "We Take Care of Our
Own", was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Performance and Best Rock
Song for "We Take Care of Our Own" and Best Rock Album.
[78][79]
Rolling Stone named Wrecking
Ball the number one album of 2012 on their Top 50 albums of 2012 list.
[80]

In March 2013, and for the first time since re-uniting with Springsteen in 1999, Steven Van
Zandt was forced to miss the Australian leg of the band's tour due to acting commitments on his
television show Lilyhammer. Van Zandt was replaced by guitarist Tom Morello for the leg.
[81]

In late July 2013, director Baillie Walsh's documentary, Springsteen & I, was released
simultaneously via a worldwide cinema broadcast in over 50 countries and in over 2000 movie
theaters.
The Wrecking Ball Tour, which came to an end in September 2013, was one of Springsteen's most
successful tours ever. A week after the tour ended, Springsteen announced a2014 tour that would
include dates in Australia and New Zealand.
[82]

Springsteen, along with friend and mentor Pete Seeger, as well as Herbie Hancock, Sally
Field and Robert De Niro, were among a total of 198 class of 2013 inductees into theAmerican
Academy of Arts and Sciences. The induction ceremony was held at the Academy's headquarters
in Cambridge, Massachusetts in October 2013.
Springsteen released a letter in October 2013 through his website thanking fans of all ages for their
support throughout the Wrecking Ball World Tour. A highlight video of the tour was also released
featuring a new studio recording of the Suicide song, "Dream Baby Dream".
[83]

2014present: High Hopes[edit]
Springsteen released his eighteenth studio album, High Hopes, on January 14, 2014. The first single
and music video was a newly recorded version of the song "High Hopes", which Springsteen had
previously recorded in 1995. The album was the first by Springsteen in which all songs are either
cover songs, newly recorded outtakes from previous records, or newly recorded versions of songs
previously released. The 2014 E Street Band touring lineup, along with deceased E Street Band
members Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, appears on the album along with guitarist Tom
Morello.
[84]

On December 16, 2013, the E Street Band were named 2014 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame. They will be given a special Award for Musical Excellence. Springsteen was previously
inducted in 1999 as a solo artist.
[85]

On January 15, 2014, it was announced that Springsteen would start making professional recordings
of all of his live shows available following each performance on his upcoming tour via download to a
special USB wristband.
[86]
In addition to the wristbands, shows will also be offered through
Springsteen's website.
[87]

High Hopes became Springsteen's eleventh No. 1 album in the United States.
[88]
It was his tenth No.
1 in the UK, tying him for fifth all-time the Rolling Stones and U2.
[89]
On April 4, 2014, HBO will
air Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes a 30 minute documentary on the recording of High Hopes.
[90]

On April 10, 2014, Springsteen inducted past and present members of the E Street Band into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with each member giving speeches and Springsteen and the band
performing a three song set of "The E Street Shuffle", "The River" and "Kitty's Back".
[91]

On April 19, 2014, Springsteen released American Beauty, a limited edition four song EP on 12-inch
vinyl that was released exclusively for Record Store Day. The EP contains four unreleased songs
from the High Hopes sessions.
[92]

Musical style[edit]


Bruce Springsteen (second from right) was among the five recipients of the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors
Bruce Springsteen draws on many musical influences from the reservoir of traditional American
popular music, folk, blues and country. From the beginning, rock and roll has been a dominant
influence and Springsteen's musical and lyrical evocations, as well as public tributes, of artists such
as Dylan, Presley, Roy Orbison, Gary "U.S." Bonds, and many others helped to rekindle interest in
their music. Springsteen's other preferred musical style is American folk, evident on his debut
album, Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey, and more strongly on Nebraska and The Ghost of
Tom Joad. Springsteen songs such as "This Hard Land" demonstrate the lyrical and musical
influence of Woody Guthrie.
Elements of Latin American music, jazz, soul, and funk influences can be heard on Springsteen's
second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle; the song "New York City Serenade" is
even reminiscent of the music of George Gershwin. These two records prominently featured
pianist David Sancious, who left the band shortly into the recording of Springsteen's third
album, Born To Run. This album, however, also emphasized the piano, the responsibility now of Roy
Bittan.
Subsequently in his career, Springsteen focused more on the rock elements of his music. He initially
compressed the sound and developedDarkness on the Edge of Town just as straightforward as
concise musical idiom, for the simple riffs, hard rock guitar solos and clearly recognizable song
structures are dominant. He also drew upon a few influences from punk rock on the album, as can
be heard on the heavy rhythm following the bridge solo on 'Candy's Room'. His music has been
categorized as heartland rock, a style typified by Springsteen, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Bob Seger,
and John Mellencamp. This music has a lyrical reference to the U.S. everyday and the music is kept
rather simple and straightforward. This development culminated with Springsteen's hit album Born in
the U.S.A., the title song of which has a constantly repeating, fanfare-like keyboard riff and a
pounding drum beat. These sounds fit with Springsteen's voice: it cries to the listener the
unsentimental story of a disenchanted angry figure. Even songs that can be argued to be album
tracks proved to be singles that enjoyed some chart success, such as "My Hometown" and "I'm on
Fire", in which the drum line is formed from subtle hi-hat and rim-clicks-shock (shock at the edge of
the snare drum) accompanied by synthesizer and Springsteen's soft guitar line. The album, along
with some previous records such as "Cadillac Ranch" showed clear rockabilly influences as is
evident from his guitar solos, in-fills and vocal styles on these. Another clear influence of early rock n
roll on Springsteen's music is evident on the song "Light of Day".
In recent years, Springsteen has changed his music further. There are more folk elements up to the
gospel to be heard. His last solo album, Devils and Dust, drew rave reviews not only for
Springsteen's complex songwriting, but also for his expressive and sensitive singing.
On the album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Springsteen performed folk classics with a
folk band, rather than his usual E Street Band. On his ensuing tour he also interpreted some of his
own rock songs in a folk style.
His 2012 album, Wrecking Ball, incorporated a variety of styles including rock, gospel, folk, punk and
even sampling and loops.
Lyrical themes[edit]
"I spent most of my life as a musician measuring the distance between the American dream and American reality."
Bruce Springsteen
[93][B]

Often described as cinematographic in their scope, Springsteen's lyrics frequently explore highly
personal themes such as individual commitment, dissatisfaction and dismay with life in a context of
every day situations.
[94]

It has been recognized that there was a shift in his lyrical approach starting with the album Darkness
on the Edge of Town, in which he focused on the emotional struggles of working class life.
[95][96]

Personal life[edit]


Springsteen family greets Obama family on stage at rally in Cleveland, Ohio on November 2, 2008.
In the early 1980s, Springsteen met Patti Scialfa at The Stone Pony, a bar in New Jersey where
local musicians perform regularly. On that particular evening she was performing alongside one of
Springsteens pals, Bobby Bandiera, with whom she had written "At Least We Got Shoes"
for Southside Johnny. Springsteen liked her voice and after the performance, introduced himself to
her. Soon after that, they started spending time together and became friends.
[97]

Early in 1984 Springsteen asked Scialfa to join the E Street Band for the upcoming Born in the
U.S.A. Tour. According to the book Bruce Springsteen on Tour 19692005 by Dave Marsh, it looked
like Springsteen and Scialfa were on the brink of becoming a couple through the first leg of the tour.
But before that could happen, Barry Bell introduced Julianne Phillips to Springsteen and on May 13,
1985, they got married. The two were opposites in background, had an 11-year age difference and
his traveling took its toll on their relationship. In 1987, Springsteen wrote his next album, Tunnel of
Love, on which many of the songs described his unhappiness in the relationship with Phillips.
In 1988 the Tunnel of Love Express Tour began and Springsteen convinced Scialfa to join the tour
again. She was reluctant at first, since she wanted to start recording her first solo album, but after
Springsteen told her that the tour would be short, she agreed to postpone her own solo
record.
[98]
Phillips and Springsteen separated in the spring of 1988, but it wasnt made known to the
press. Springsteen and Scialfa fell in love with each other during the Tunnel of Love Express Tour
and started living together soon after his separation from Phillips. On August 30, 1988, Julianne filed
for divorce. The Springsteen/Phillips divorce was finalized on March 1, 1989. Springsteen received
press criticism for the hastiness in which he and Scialfa took up their relationship. In a 1995
interview with The Advocate, Springsteen told Judy Wieder about the negative publicity the couple
subsequently received. "It's a strange society that assumes it has the right to tell people whom they
should love and whom they shouldn't. But the truth is, I basically ignored the entire thing as much as
I could. I said, 'Well, all I know is, this feels real, and maybe I have got a mess going here in some
fashion, but that's life.'" He also told Wieder that, "I went through a divorce, and it was really difficult
and painful and I was very frightened about getting married again. So part of me said, 'Hey, what
does it matter?' But it does matter. It's very different than just living together. First of all, stepping up
publiclywhich is what you do: You get your license, you do all the social ritualsis a part of your
place in society and in some way part of society's acceptance of you ... Patti and I both found that it
did mean something."
[32]

Springsteen and Scialfa initially lived in New Jersey and for a short while in New York, before
deciding to move to Los Angeles where they decided to start a family.
[99]
On July 25, 1990, Scialfa
gave birth to the couple's first child, Evan James Springsteen.
[99][100]
On June 8, 1991, Springsteen
and Scialfa married at their Los Angeles home in a very private ceremony, only attended by family
and close friends.
[99][100]
Their second child, Jessica Rae Springsteen, was born on December 30,
1991;
[99][100]
and their third child, Samuel Ryan Springsteen, was born on January 5, 1994.
[100][101]

When the children reached school-going age in the early 1990s, Springsteen and Scialfa moved
back to New Jersey specifically to raise a family in a non-paparazzi environment. The grounds of his
New Jersey home include a large swimming pool. The family owns and lives on a horse farm
in Colts Neck, New Jersey. They also own homes in Wellington, Florida, a wealthy horse community
near West Palm Beach, Los Angeles and Rumson, New Jersey.
Their eldest son, Evan, graduated from Boston College. He writes and performs his own songs and
won the 2012 Singer/Songwriter Competition held during the Boston College's Arts
Festival.
[102]
Their daughter Jessica is a nationally ranked champion equestrian,
[103]
and
attends Duke University. Their youngest son, Sam, is a firefighter.
[104]

It has been reported that the press conference regarding the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII half-time show
was Springsteen's first press conference for more than 25 years.
[105]
However, he has appeared in a
few radio interviews, most notably on NPR and BBC. 60 Minutes aired his last extensive interview on
TV
[106]
before his tour to support his album, Magic.
Springsteen is also an activist for gay rights and has spoken out many times as a strong supporter
of gay marriage. In 2009, he posted the following statement on his website: "I've long believed in and
have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Governor
Corzine when he writes that 'The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly isa
civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the
law.'"
[107]
In 2012, he lent his support to an ad campaign for gay marriage called "The Four 2012".
Springsteen noted in the ad, "I couldn't agree more with that statement and urge those who support
equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now."
[108]

Bands[edit]


Springsteen playing at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, UK, June 21, 2012
Bruce Springsteen has been a member of, or has been backed by, several bands during his career,
most notably The E Street Band.
Prior to signing his first record deal in 1972, Springsteen was a member of several bands
including Steel Mill. In October 1972 he formed a new band for the recording of his debut
album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., which became known as The E Street Band, although the
name was not officially introduced until September 1974.
[109][110]
The E Street Band performed on all
of Springsteen's recorded works from his debut until 1982's Nebraska, a solo album on which
Springsteen himself played all the instruments. The full band returned for the next album Born in the
USA, but there then followed a period from 1988 to 1999 in which albums were recorded
with session musicians. The E Street Band were briefly reunited in 1995 for new contributions to
the Greatest Hits compilation, and on a more permanent basis from 1999, since which time they
have recorded four albums together (The Rising, Magic, Working on a Dream and Wrecking Ball)
and performed a number of high profile tours.
The 2005 album Devils & Dust was largely a solo recording, with some contribution from session
musicians and the 2006 folk rock We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions album was recorded
and toured with another band, known as The Sessions Band.
Earlier Bands:
[111]
The Castiles, Earth, Child, Steel Mill, Sundance Blues Band, Dr Zoom and the
Sonic Boom, Bruce Springsteen Band.
Discography[edit]
Main article: Bruce Springsteen discography
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Born to Run (1975)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
The River (1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Tunnel of Love (1987)
Human Touch (1992)
Lucky Town (1992)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising (2002)
Devils & Dust (2005)
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
Magic (2007)
Working on a Dream (2009)
Wrecking Ball (2012)
High Hopes (2014)
Awards, recognition and rankings[edit]


Banner honoring Springsteen's sellouts in Philadelphia at the Spectrumand Wells Fargo Center.
Grammy Awards[edit]
Springsteen has won 20 Grammy Awards, as follows (years shown are the year the award
was given for, not the year in which the ceremony was held):
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, 1984, "Dancing in the Dark"
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, 1987, "Tunnel of Love"
Song of the Year, 1995, "Streets of Philadelphia"
Best Rock Song, 1995, "Streets of Philadelphia"
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo, 1995, "Streets of Philadelphia"
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, 1995, "Streets of
Philadelphia"
Best Contemporary Folk Album, 1996, The Ghost of Tom Joad
Best Rock Album, 2002, The Rising
Best Rock Song, 2002, "The Rising"
Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, 2002, "The Rising"
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, 2003, "Disorder in the House"
(with Warren Zevon)
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, 2004, "Code of Silence"
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, 2005, "Devils & Dust"
Best Traditional Folk Album, 2006, The Seeger Sessions: We Shall Overcome
Best Long Form Music Video, 2006, Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born to Run
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, 2007, "Radio Nowhere"
Best Rock Song, 2007, "Radio Nowhere"
Best Rock Instrumental Performance, 2007, "Once Upon a Time in the West"
Best Rock Song, 2008, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, 2009, "Working on a Dream"
In addition to these twenty Grammy Award wins, Bruce Springsteen was honored as MusiCares
Person of the Year on February 8, 2013.
[112]

Golden Globe Awards[edit]
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Streets of Philadelphia" in 1994.
[51]

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "The Wrestler" in 2009.
[51]

Academy Awards[edit]
Academy Award for Best Original Song, 1994, "Streets of Philadelphia"
from Philadelphia.
[113]

Other recognition[edit]
October 27, 1975: Bruce Springsteen appears simultaneously on the covers
of Newsweek and Time
Polar Music Prize in 1997
[114]

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1999
[115]

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City won two Emmy Awards in
2001
[116]

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, 1999
[117]

Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, 2007
[118]

"Born to Run" named "The unofficial youth anthem of New Jersey" by the New Jersey state
legislature;
[119]
something Springsteen always found to be ironic, considering that the song
"is about leaving New Jersey"
The minor planet 23990, discovered September 4, 1999, by I. P. Griffin at Auckland, New
Zealand, was officially named in his honor.
[120]

Ranked No. 23 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All
Time
[121]

Ranked No. 36 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time
Made Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the Year 2008 list
[122]

Won Critic's Choice Award for Best Song with "The Wrestler" in 2009
[123]

Performed at the Super Bowl XLIII half time show
Kennedy Center Honors, 2009
Rolling Stone magazine also ranked 8 out of 16 Springsteen's studio albums in their 500
Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Rolling Stone ranked "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road" in its 500 Greatest Songs Of All
Time list, in 21st and 86th, respectively.
Forbes ranked him 6th in The Celebrity 100 in 2009
[124]

John Steinbeck Award, 1996
Devils & Dust Tour named Top Small Venue Tour of 2005 by Billboard Touring Awards
Magic Tour named Top Tour and Top Draw of 2008 by Billboard Touring Awards
Wrecking Ball Tour named Top Draw for most attendance for a tour at the 2012 Billboard
Touring Awards
Named 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year
[125]

Wrecking Ball named best album of 2012 by Rolling Stone on their Top 50 Albums of 2012
list
2013 inductee to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
See also[edit]

Book: Bruce Springsteen
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart
List of best-selling music artists
Music of New Jersey
Notes[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
A. ^ "Blinded by the Light" would later be a hit for Manfred Mann and reach No. 1, making it the
only time Springsteen had a No. 1 single as a songwriter.
B. ^ This quote is an extract from Springsteen's speech from the stage at a rally for presidential
candidate Barack Obama on November 2, 2008.
Citations[edit]
1. Jump up^ "Top Selling Artists - December 04, 2013". RIAA. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
2. Jump up^ Boyd, Brian (2014-01-10). "Springsteen has high hopes for radical marketing
wheeze". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
3. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen - Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 3,
2014.
4. Jump up^ The Dutch word "spring" literally means 'jump', but jumping stone is the correct
translation.
[citation needed]

5. Jump up^ Martin, Gavin (February 24, 2012). "Why Bruce Springsteen is still attacking the
'fat bankers' and 'robber barons'". Daily Mirror. UK. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
6. Jump up^ "Italian American Contributions". National Italian American Foundation. Retrieved
June 21, 2013.
7. Jump up^ Di Marzio, Stefano (January 24, 2013). "Bruce Springsteen, tu vu fa o
napoletano".Rolling Stone (in Italian). Retrieved February 3, 2013.
8. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 21,
2010.
9. ^ Jump up to:
a

b
Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. Dave Marsh, 1987, pg. 8889.
10. Jump up^ Editors, "Boss Talk," THE TABLET, February 25, 2012.
11. Jump up^ Springsteen. Robert Hilburn, 1985, p. 28.
12. ^ Jump up to:
a

b
Crandall, Bill. "10 musicians who saw the Beatles standing there". CBS
News, February 6, 2014.
13. Jump up^ "Musicians' best friends to be honored in Freehold". News Transcript. New
Jersey. April 17, 2002. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
14. Jump up^ Loder, Kurt (December 6, 1984). "The Rolling Stone Interview: Bruce
Springsteen".Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved March
21, 2010.
15. ^ Jump up to:
a

b
Brett, Oliver (January 15, 2009). "What's in a nickname?". BBC News.
Retrieved January 21, 2009.
16. Jump up^ "Backstage With Bruce: Springsteen On His Early Work". Fresh Air (NPR).
January 30, 2009 [original date: November 15, 2005]. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
17. Jump up^ Bangs, Lester (July 5, 1973). "Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ". Rolling Stone.
Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
18. Jump up^ "Ed Gallucci Photography". Ed Gallucci Photography. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
19. Jump up^ "''Glory Days: A Bruce Springsteen Symposium''. Monmouth University". Usi.edu.
Retrieved 2014-03-17.
20. Jump up^ "History of Crawdaddy". crawdaddy.com. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
21. Jump up^ Rockwell, John (May 9, 1976). "Crawdaddy Party Mirrors Magazine". The New
York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
22. Jump up^ Bangs, Lester (November 1975). "Hot Rod Rumble in the Promised
Land". Creem. Archived from the original on August 4, 2002. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
23. Jump up^ Landau, Jon (May 22, 1974). "Growing Young With Rock and Roll". The Real
Paper. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
24. Jump up^ Cf. Marsh, David, (2003), pp.14, 203, & various.
25. Jump up^ "The Moments". Rolling Stone. June 24, 2004. Archived from the original on
December 4, 2007.
26. Jump up^ Metcalf, Stephen (May 2, 2005). "Faux Americana, Why I still love Bruce
Springsteen.". Slate. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
27. Jump up^ Guterman, Jimmy. Runaway American Dream. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press,
2005. 153. Print.
28. Jump up^ Billboard. Google Books. May 11, 1985. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
29. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen biography". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on
February 16, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
30. Jump up^ Crossland, David (June 19, 2013). "Chimes of Freedom: How Springsteen
Helped Tear Down the Wall". Der Spiegel. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
31. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen's Speech After Being Inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of
Fame".
32. ^ Jump up to:
a

b
Wieder, Judy (1995). "Bruce Springsteen: The Advocate
Interview" (doc). The Advocate. brucespringsteen.hu. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
33. Jump up^ Tyrangiel, Josh; Kate Carcaterra (August 5, 2002). "Bruce Rising". Time. pp. 2 of
6. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
34. Jump up^ Fricke, David (February 5, 2009). "Bringing It All Back Home" (PDF). Rolling
Stone. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
35. Jump up^ Wiederhorn, Jon (September 16, 2003). "Springsteen Is Box-Office Boss With
Projected $120M Gross". MTV.
36. Jump up^ McShane, Larry (February 16, 2005). "New Springsteen Album Due in April".
ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 11, 2005.
37. Jump up^ Manzoor, Sarfraz (May 14, 2006). "A runaway American dream". The
Guardian(London). Retrieved April 27, 2010.
38. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band PopMatters Concert
Review".PopMatters. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
39. Jump up^ Tianen, Dave (June 15, 2006). "Born to strum". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Archived from the original on November 18, 2006.
40. Jump up^ "Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
[dead link]

41. Jump up^ "Terry Magovern, Rest in Peace", Backstreets.com, August 1, 2007. Retrieved
August 28, 2007.
42. Jump up^ "'E Street Radio' Channel, dedicated to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street
Band, returns exclusively to SIRIUS Satellite Radio" (Press release). Sirius. September 20,
2007. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
43. Jump up^ Friedman, Roger (October 30, 2007). "D-Day for Britney Spears: New CD
'Blackout' Drops : D-Day for Britney/Bruce: No Radio Play/Denise Rich Raises $5M for
Cancer/Rotten Meets Cruise". Fox News Channel. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
44. Jump up^ "Springsteen Bandmate on Hiatus for Health Reasons". Reuters. November 22,
2007. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
45. Jump up^ Piccoli, Sean (April 17, 2008). "Springsteen concert postponed over bandmate's
death". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
46. Jump up^ "Springsteen endorses Obama for president". USA Today. Associated Press.
April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
47. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Adds Acoustic Obama Shows". Pitchfork Media. October 3,
2008. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
48. Jump up^ "Springsteen plays new 'Working on a Dream' tune at Obama rally in
Cleveland". The Plain Dealer. November 2, 2008.
49. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen News Recording Artists' Eleventh Hour Campaigns
Mostly for Obama". idiomag. November 3, 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
50. Jump up^ Hendrix, Steve; Mummolo, Jonathan (January 18, 2009). "Jamming on the Mall
for Obama". The Washington Post.
51. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c
"Springsteen, Rahman Snag Musical Golden Globes". Billboard.
September 14, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010. Archived from the original on January 5,
2011.
52. Jump up^ Bardsley, Garth (January 12, 2009). "How Mickey Rourke Got Bruce
Springsteen's 'Wrestler' Song For Free MTV Movie News". MTV. Retrieved December 7,
2011.
53. Jump up^ "Report: "The Boss" to play Super Bowl halftime show". Seattle Post-
Intelligencer. August 11, 2008.
[dead link]
.
54. Jump up^ Pareles, Jon (February 1, 2009). "The Rock Laureate". The New York Times.
Retrieved January 29, 2009.
55. ^ Jump up to:
a

b
"Bruce Springsteen's 'Working on a Dream' Set For January 27 Release On
Columbia Records" (Press release). Shore Fire Media. November 17, 2008. Retrieved
November 18, 2008.
56. Jump up^ Lapointe, Joe (January 30, 2009). "Springsteen Promises 12-Minute Party' at
Halftime". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
57. Jump up^ Wallace, Lindsay (February 10, 2009). "Bruce Springsteen Exclusive: 'I Didn't
Even Know I Was Up For A Grammy!'". MTV News. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
58. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c
Mervis, Scott (May 17, 2009). "Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band
break tradition by improvising set list". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 21, 2009.
59. Jump up^ Youngs, Ian (June 28, 2009). "Glastonbury bows down to The Boss". London:
BBC News. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
60. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen covers The Clash at London Hyde Park". NME. UK. June 29,
2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
61. Jump up^ Lustig, Jay (October 10, 2009). "Bruce Springsteen rocks Giants Stadium for the
last time". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
62. Jump up^ Pareles, Jon (October 11, 2009). "For Springsteen and Giants Stadium, a Last
Dance". The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
63. Jump up^ "Obama honours Bruce Springsteen". BBC News. December 7, 2009. Retrieved
April 27, 2010.
64. Jump up^ "The Voices: Artists of the Decade". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on
December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
65. Jump up^ "Top Touring Artists of the Decade". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
66. Jump up^ "Clarence Clemons dies of complications from stroke". The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved November 20, 2011.
67. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Announces New Album, Wrecking Ball". Pitchfork Media.
January 18, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
68. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Squeaks By Adele, Earns Tenth No. 1 Album". Billboard.
September 14, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
69. Jump up^ "From the road: Helsinki". Brucespringsteen.net. July 31, 2012. Retrieved
October 12, 2012.
70. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Named 2013 MusiCares' Person of the Year". Rolling Stone.
June 28, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
71. Jump up^ Knickerbocker, Brad (October 13, 2012). "Bruce Springsteen rocks out for Barack
Obama". The Christian Science Monitor.
72. Jump up^ Orel, Matt (November 5, 2012). "Bruce joins President Obama and Jay Z in
Ohio". Brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
73. Jump up^ Sweet, Lynn (November 6, 2012). "Obama makes last pitch with Boss, Jay-Z in
Ohio". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
74. Jump up^ Caulfield, Keith (September 12, 2012). "President Obama's DNC Speech Boosts
Bruce Springsteen Song Sales by 409%". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
75. Jump up^ "2012-10-31 - BLUE CROSS ARENA, ROCHESTER, NY".
Brucebase.wikispaces.com. October 31, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
76. Jump up^ "Roger Waters and Bruce Springsteen win big at Billboard Touring Awards".
Wxyz.com. November 10, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
77. Jump up^ "Madonna Edges Out Springsteen As Music's Top Money Maker".
Starpulse.com. February 23, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
78. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Nabs Three GRAMMY Nominations; "Springsteen" Gets Two
More". CBS New York. December 6, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
79. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Added To GRAMMY Performance Lineup" (Press release).
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. February 2, 2012. Retrieved December
15, 2012.
80. Jump up^ "50 Best Albums of 2012: Bruce Springsteen, 'Wrecking Ball'". Rolling Stone.
Retrieved December 15, 2012.
81. Jump up^ Greene, Andy (July 1, 2013). "Steve Van Zandt: Not Sure If Bruce Springsteen
Tour Is Returning to America". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
82. Jump up^ "Updated: Additional March 2014 dates added in Australia & New Zealand!".
Brucespringsteen.net. September 2, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
83. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Thanks Fans, Covers Suicide... Again". radio.com. October
11, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
84. Jump up^ "High Hopes: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
85. Jump up^ Greene, Andy (December 16, 2013). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2014
Inductees: Nirvana, Kiss, E Street Band". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
86. Jump up^ Greene, Andy (January 13, 2014). "Bruce Springsteen Exploring Instant Live
Recordings". Yahoo Music. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
87. Jump up^ Greene, Andy (January 22, 2014). "Bruce Springsteen's Instant Bootleg Series:
New Details Revealed". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
88. Jump up^ Caulfiel, Keith. "Bruce Springsteen Aiming for 11th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200
Chart". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
89. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen scores 10th UK number one album". BBC News. Retrieved
January 26, 2014
90. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteens High Hopes to Premiere April 4 on HBO".
Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
91. Jump up^ Wiederhorn, Jon (April 11, 2014). "Nirvana Steals the Show at Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame Celebration". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
92. Jump up^ The Official Bruce Springsteen Website (February 24, 2014). "Bruce
Springsteens MusiCares Tribute Video Out March 25th; new EP Coming April 19th - The
Official Bruce Springsteen Website". Brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
93. Jump up^ Hagen, Mark (January 18, 2009). "Meet the new boss". The Guardian (London).
Retrieved September 18, 2010.
94. Jump up^ Wurtzel, Elizabeth (June 22, 2008). "Bruce almighty, Elizabeth Wurtzel on Bruce
Springsteen's lyrics". The Guardian (London). Retrieved September 29, 2010.
95. Jump up^ Millman, Joyce (April 16, 2008). "A Map of the Future: "Darkness on the Edge of
Town" at 30". brucespringsteenspecialcollection.net. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
[dead link]

96. Jump up^ Richardson, Mark (January 6, 2004). "Album Review: "Darkness on the Edge of
Town"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
97. Jump up^ Interview with Patti Scialfa, "Red-Headed Woman", page 4244, Q Magazine,
1993
98. Jump up^ Katz, Larry (September 15, 2004). "E Street detour: Patti Scialfa leaves hubby
Bruce Springsteen at home during road trip". Boston Herald. Angelfire.com. Retrieved
October 13, 2013.
99. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c

d
Kirkpatrick, Rob. (2007). The Words And Music of Bruce Springsteen.
Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 120. ISBN 0275989380.
100. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c

d
Sawyers, June Skinner. (2004). Racing in the Street: The Bruce
Springsteen Reader. Penguin Books. ISBN 0142003549.
101. Jump up^ Kirkpatrick, Rob. (2007). The Words And Music of Bruce Springsteen.
Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 149. ISBN 0275989380.
102. Jump up^ "Festival Highlights". Boston College. Archived from the original on July 29,
2013. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
103. Jump up^ Jaffer, Nancy (October 9, 2009). "Jessica Springsteen finishes second at
Talent Search Finals East, deciding whether to pursue equitation". The Star-Ledger.
104. Jump up^ Hochron, Adam (2014-01-17). "Monmouth County Fire Academy Graduates
42 New Members - Police & Fire - Marlboro-ColtsNeck, NJ Patch". Marlboro-
coltsneck.patch.com. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
105. Jump up^ Carpenter, Les (January 29, 2009). "No Cheering in the Press Box, Except
When It Comes to the Boss". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
106. Jump up^ "Springsteen: Silence Is Unpatriotic 60 Minutes". CBS News. July 27, 2008.
Retrieved August 27, 2010.
107. Jump up^ "Rocker Bruce Springsteen endorses N.J. gay marriage bill". The Star-Ledger.
Retrieved December 8, 2009.
108. Jump up^ Wong, Curtis (October 2, 2012). "Bruce Springsteen Stars In Gay Marriage
Social Media Campaign". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
109. Jump up^ Fricke, David (January 21, 2009). "The Band on Bruce: Their
Springsteen". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved
February 7, 2009.
110. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen Bands: from Rogues to E Street Band, passing from
Castiles and Steel Mill". brucespringsteen.it.
111. Jump up^ Santelli, R. Greetings from E Street (book)
112. Jump up^ "TWENTY-TIME GRAMMY WINNER BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TO BE
HONORED AS 2013 MUSICARES PERSON OF THE YEAR". Grammy.org. June 28,
2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
113. Jump up^ "Academy Award for Best Original Song 1994". Songwritershalloffame.org.
Retrieved August 27, 2010.
114. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen". Polar Music Prize. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
115. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 19,
2014.
116. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band". Academy of Television Arts &
Sciences. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
117. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen". Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
118. Jump up^ Kreps, Daniel. "Bruce Springsteen Inducted Into New Jersey Hall of
Fame". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved August 27,
2010.
119. Jump up^ "A Brunch O' Bruce". E!. Archived from the original on November 28, 1999.
120. Jump up^ (23990) Springsteen, IAU Minor Planet Center
121. Jump up^ "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone (946). Archived from the
original on August 22, 2008.
122. Jump up^ Penn, Sean (April 30, 2009). "The 2008 TIME 100 - Bruce
Springsteen". Time. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
123. Jump up^ "Bruce Springsteen wins Critics Choice Award for 'The Wrestler' song". NME.
UK. January 9, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
124. Jump up^ "The Celebrity 100". Forbes. June 3, 2009.
125. Jump up^ "Springsteen Named 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year". Rolling Stone.
June 28, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
References[edit]
Alterman, Eric. It Ain't No Sin To Be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen. Little
Brown, 1999. ISBN 0-316-03885-7.
Coles, Robert. Bruce Springsteen's America: The People Listening, a Poet Singing. Random
House, 2005. ISBN 0-375-50559-8.
Cross, Charles R. Backstreets: Springsteen the man and his music Harmony Books, New York
1989/1992. ISBN 0-517-58929-X. Contains 15+ interviews and a complete list of all Springsteen
songs including unreleased compositions. Complete lising of all concerts 19651990 most of
them with tracklists. Hundreds of previously unreleased high quality color pictures.
Cullen, Jim. Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition. 1997;
Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2005. New edition of 1997 study book places
Springsteen's work in the broader context of American history and culture. ISBN 0-8195-6761-2
Eliot, Marc with Appel, Mike. Down Thunder Road. Simon & Schuster, 1992. ISBN 0-671-86898-
5.
Graff, Gary. The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z. Visible Ink, 2005. ISBN 1-57859-
151-1.
Guterman, Jimmy. Runaway American Dream: Listening to Bruce Springsteen. Da Capo,
2005. ISBN 0-306-81397-1.
Hilburn, Robert. Springsteen. Rolling Stone Press, 1985. ISBN 0-684-18456-7.
Knobler, Peter with special assistance from Greg Mitchell. "Who Is Bruce Springsteen and Why
Are We Saying All These Wonderful Things About Him?", Crawdaddy, March 1973.
Marsh, Dave. Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts: The Definitive Biography, 19722003. Routledge,
2003. ISBN 0-415-96928-X. (Consolidation of two previous Marsh biographies,Born to
Run (1981) and Glory Days (1987).)
Wolff, Daniel. July 4, Asbury Park: A History of the Promised Land. Bloomsbury, 2005. ISBN 1-
58234-509-0.
Further reading[edit]
Greetings from E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Chronicle
Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8118-5348-9.
Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen. Billboard Books,
2003. ISBN 0-8230-8387-X.
Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader. Penguin, 2004. ISBN 0-14-200354-9.
Runaway American Dream: Listening to Bruce Springsteen. Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-306-
81397-1.
The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z. Visible Ink Press, 2005. ISBN 1-57859-157-0.
Bruce Springsteen: "Talking". Omnibus Press, 2004. ISBN 1-84449-403-9.
For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen's Legendary Fans. LKC Press,
2007. ISBN 978-0-9784156-0-0.
Bruce Springsteen on Tour: 19682005. by Dave Marsh Bloomsbury USA, 2006. ISBN 978-1-
59691-282-3.
The Gospel according to Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Redemption from Asbury Park to Magic.
by Jeffrey B. Symynkywicz. Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-664-23169-9.
Magic in the Night: The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen by Rob Kirkpatrick. St. Martin's
Griffin, 2009. ISBN 0-312-53380-2.
Land of Hope and Dreams: Celebrating 25 Years of Bruce Springsteen In Ireland by Greg Lewis
and Moira Sharkey. Magic Rat Books. ISBN 978-0-9562722-0-1
The Light in Darkness. A history of the Darkness on The Edge of Town album and tour. Lawrence
Kirsch Communications. 2009 ISBN 978-0-9784156-1-7
Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters edited by Jeff Burger.
Chicago Review Press, 2013. ISBN 978-1-61374-434-5
Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin. Touchstone, 2012. ISBN 978-1439191828
Official website
E Street Radio
Bruce Springsteen at Idiomag 21 12 10
Bruce Springsteen at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Bruce Springsteen on National Public Radio in 2005
Highlights of Springsteen at Glastonbury 2009.
Bruce Springsteen at NPR Music
"Library of Hope and Dreams":bibliography of published Springsteen scholarship in English.
(French) Francophone Forum devoted to Bruce Springsteen
(French) Francophone site dedicated to Bruce Springsteen
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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Bruce Springsteen
Roy Bittan
Nils Lofgren
Patti Scialfa
Garry Tallent
Steven Van Zandt
Max Weinberg
Charles Giordano
Soozie Tyrell
Everett Bradley
Jake Clemons
Barry Danielian
Clark Gayton
Curtis King
Ed Manion
Cindy Mizelle
Michelle Moore
Curt Ramm
Former members

Clarence Clemons
Ernest Carter
Danny Federici
Suki Lahav
Vini Lopez
David Sancious
Former touring musicians

The Miami Horns
Tom Morello
Jay Weinberg

Studio albums
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Born to Run (1975)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
The River(1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Tunnel of Love (1987)
Human Touch (1992)
Lucky Town (1992)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising(2002)
Devils & Dust (2005)
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
Magic (2007)
Working on a Dream (2009)
Wrecking Ball (2012)
High Hopes(2014)

Live albums
Live/197585 (1986)
Live Collection (EP) (1987)
Chimes of Freedom (EP) (1988)
In Concert/MTV Plugged (1993)
Live in New York City (2001)
Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2006)
Live in Dublin (2007)
PBS Exclusive (EP) (2007)
Magic Tour Highlights (EP) (2008)
Live From the Carousel (2011)

Box sets
The Born in the U.S.A. 12" Single Collection (1985)
Tracks (1998)
The Collection (2004)
Born to Run: 30th Anniversary Edition (2005)
The Collection 1973-1984(2010)
The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story (2010)

Other albums and EPs
Greatest Hits (1995)
Blood Brothers (1996)
18 Tracks (1999)
The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003)
Greatest Hits (2009)
The Promise (2010)
Collection: 1973-2012 (2013)
American Beauty (2014)

Singles
"Blinded by the Light" (1973)
"Spirit in the Night" (1973)
"4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (1974)
"Born to Run" (1975)
"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (1976)
"Blinded by the Light" (re-release) (1977)
"Prove It All Night" (1978)
"Badlands" (1978)
"The Promised Land" (1978)
"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" (1979)
"Hungry Heart" (1980)
"Fade Away" (1981)
"Sherry Darling" (1981)
"The River" (1981)
"Cadillac Ranch" (1981)
"Point Blank" (1981)
"Atlantic City" (1982)
"Open All Night" (1982)
"Dancing in the Dark" (1984)
"Cover Me" (1984)
"Born in the U.S.A." (1984)
"I'm on Fire" (1985)
"Glory Days" (1985)
"I'm Goin' Down" (1985)
"My Hometown" (1985)
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (1985)
"War" (1986)
"Fire" (1987)
"Born to Run" (live) (1988)
"Brilliant Disguise" (1987)
"Tunnel of Love" (1987)
"One Step Up" (1988)
"Tougher Than the Rest" (1988)
"Spare Parts" (1988)
"Human Touch" (1992)
"57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" (1992)
"Streets of Philadelphia" (1994)
"Secret Garden" (1995)
"Hungry Heart" (re-issue) (1995)
"The Ghost of Tom Joad" (1996)
"Secret Garden" (re-release) (1997)
"Sad Eyes" (1999)
"The Rising" (2002)
"Lonesome Day" (2002)
"Waitin' on a Sunny Day" (2003)
"Devils & Dust" (2005)
"Radio Nowhere" (2007)
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (re-release) (2007)
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" (2008)
"Working on a Dream" (2008)
"My Lucky Day" (2008)
"The Wrestler" (2009)
"We Take Care of Our Own" (2012)
"Death to My Hometown" (2012)
"High Hopes" (2013)

Promo singles/charted songs
"Be True" (1981)
"Ramrod" (1981)
"Johnny 99" (1982)
"No Surrender" (1984)
"Because the Night" (live) (1986)
"Chimes of Freedom" (live) (1988)
"Youngstown" (1995)
"American Skin (41 Shots)" (2001)
"Pay Me My Money Down" (2006)
"My City of Ruins" (2011)
"Rocky Ground" (2012)

Other notable songs
"Growin' Up" (1973)
"For You" (1973)
"The Fever" (1973)
"Thunder Road" (1975)
"Backstreets" (1975)
"Jungleland" (1975)
"Racing in the Street" (1978)
"Independence Day" (1980)
"Out in the Street" (1980)
"Nebraska" (1982)
"Highway Patrolman" (1982)
"Pink Cadillac" (1984)
"Stand on It" (1985)
"Jersey Girl" (1986)
"Light of Day" (1993)
"Murder Incorporated" (1995)
"Land of Hope and Dreams" (2012)
"Just Like Fire Would" (2014)

Video releases
Video Anthology / 197888 (1989)
In Concert/MTV Plugged (1992)
Blood Brothers (1996)
The Complete Video Anthology / 19782000 (2001)
Live in New York City(2001)
Live in Barcelona (2003)
VH1 Storytellers (2005)
Wings For Wheels (2005)
Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2005)
Live in Dublin (2007)
Magic Tour Highlights (2008)
London Calling: Live in Hyde Park (2010)
The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town (2010)
Springsteen & I (2013)
Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013 (2014)
A MusiCares Tribute to Bruce Springsteen (2014)
Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes (2014)
High Hopes In South Africa(2014)

Tours
Born to Run tours (197477)
Darkness Tour (1978)
River Tour (198081)
Born in the U.S.A. Tour (198485)
Tunnel of Love Express (1988)
Human Rights Now!(1988)
Bruce Springsteen 19921993 World Tour (199293)
Ghost of Tom Joad Tour (199597)
Reunion Tour (19992000)
Rising Tour (200203)
Vote for Change (2004)
Devils & Dust Tour (2005)
Seeger Sessions Band Tour (2006)
Magic Tour (200708)
Working on a Dream Tour (2009)
Wrecking Ball Tour(2012-13)
High Hopes Tour (2014)

Related articles
Discography
E Street Band
Steel Mill
The Sessions Band
The Miami Horns
E Street Radio
Little Steven's Underground Garage
Mike Appel
Jon Landau
Brendan O'Brien
The Max Weinberg 7
Southside Johnny
Joe Grushecky
Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska

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