With the highly anticipated biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” hitting theaters tomorrow, let us revisit the life and career of the iconic New Jersey rocker, often referred to as “The Boss”, or by his first or last name. This is “Spotlight: Bruce Springsteen.”
Bruce Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949 to Adele and Douglas “Dutch” Springsteen, having two younger sisters. For any fans of cheesy 80s slashers, one sister, Pamela, portrayed the villainous Angela in some of the Sleepaway Camp sequels!
The family was Catholic, as Springsteen posited that it was his religious upbringing as opposed to political ideology that influenced his music. In fact, some of his later songs reflect Irish Catholic themes. Interestingly, a former teacher denoted him as “a loner who wanted nothing more than to play with his guitar.” Boy, did he.
Bruce’s debut album came in the form of “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.”, notably featuring the song “Blinded By The Light” (better known by its 1976 cover). However, the artist’s breakthrough did not come until the 1975 album “Born To Run”, combining cinematic lyricism with the raw energy of rock ’n’ roll, thus cementing him as a major voice of his generation. A personal fun fact is that the title track of that album is played at the start of an annual charity event that I participate in, Yonkers’ very own Chilly Hilly Run. That, alongside “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” reached numbers 23 and 83 on the Billboard Top 100, respectively. The album on the whole peaked at numbers 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, eventually going seven times platinum in the US.
Nearly a decade later, Springsteen once again catapulted to the top with “Born In The U.S.A.”, becoming one of the best selling albums of all time. The title track, often played at Fourth of July parties or political rallies, is widely misinterpreted as patriotic or even the opposite (also incorrect). “Born In the U.S.A.” is a sharp critique of the mistreatment of Vietnam Veterans, some of whom were Bruce’s friends. The album also contains hits such as “Glory Days” (a great song for reminiscing with old buddies) and “Dancing In the Dark”, with the music video of the latter featuring Courteney Cox, of “Friends” and “Scream” fame. Outside of the “Born” albums, great Springsteen tunes include but are not limited to “Hungry Heart”, “Rosalita” and “Badlands”, which is featured in the end credits of the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” film.
The 76-year-old brings these hits and more to life with his E-Street Band, having powerful live performances that last up to four hours, blending rock anthems, ballads, and deeply personal storytelling. Bruce now lives in his home state of New Jersey, with his wife, Patti Scialfa, who initially joined the E-Street Band after the Born In The U.S.A. tour. The couple has three children and even a granddaughter!
