Bruce Springsteen Biography (1949- )

Although Bruce Springsteen lyrics embody the spirit of ordinary places his live performances, songs, albums, and tours are anything but.

Bruce Springsteen - History

Bruce Springsteen, or “The Boss,” has accumulated an endless fan base over the course of 30-plus years. “Born in the USA,” Bruce Springsteen hails from Long Branch, New Jersey. When Bruce Springsteen was nine years old, he had his first musical epiphany after watching Elvis Presley on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” prompting him to purchase his first guitar. When Bruce Springsteen turned 16, his mother bought a high-quality guitar for her burgeoning musician. Growing up, Bruce Springsteen began playing with different local bands up and down the coast of New Jersey. When Bruce Springsteen was playing gigs with a band in the ‘60s, he collected the group’s nightly pay and distributed among its members earning him the sticky moniker “The Boss.” In 1965, Bruce Springsteen visited the home of producers who managed young local talent and was placed in front of a band called “The Castiles.”

Bruce Springsteen - “E” Street Band

From then to the middle of the ‘70s, Bruce Springsteen would formulate his iconic “E” Street Band, further launching Bruce Springsteen’s success into ultra-stardom. The “E” Street Band has featured a number of performers; the most well known today would be drummer Max Weinberg, who currently is the lead musician for the “Late Night with Conan O’Brien Show.” Together Bruce Springsteen and his “E” Street Band would write heartfelt, socially conscious songs, which caught the attention of Bruce Springsteen’s first agent, Mike Appel. Bruce Springsteen and Appel would later endure a lengthy legal battle over the recording of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” In 1988 the “E” Street Band took a hiatus and didn’t reform again until 1999 except for a brief reunion in 1995. During that time Bruce Springsteen had numerous solo successes.

Bruce Springsteen - Solo Success

After releasing four successful albums with the “E” Street Band including “The River,” Bruce Springsteen released “Nebraska,” a solo acoustic album. According to a Bruce Springsteen biography, he wrote this album in a depressed state. He still stuck with his American homeland themes but in “Nebraska” Bruce Springsteen portrayed a bleaker, less hopeful America. The album inspired many other bands and even an entire genre of music known to most as the “indie scene” or the “lo-fi” sound. Many artists in this genre use cassette recorders to tape their music which is what Bruce Springsteen used for this particular album. In October 2007, Bruce Springsteen was named “Indie Icon of the Year” by Eye Weekly.

Bruce Springsteen - Lyrics & Sound

The appeal of Bruce Springsteen is his ability to incorporate lots of different ideas into his lyrics without changing the foundation of who he is. Bruce Springsteen lyrics usually center on an “everyday” man or woman struggling to make ends meet. It was through his lyrics that Springsteen began to be associated with progressive politics. Bruce Springsteen is considered one of the most entertaining performers around because of his energetic stage antics and upbeat rock’n’roll riffs.

Bruce Springsteen - Personal Life

In the ‘90s, Bruce Springsteen married fellow band mate Patti Scialfa. They had three children. Bruce Springsteen moved to Los Angeles received negative media attention and was suspected of “going Hollywood.” Rather than sweating it, Bruce Springsteen released two albums at once “Human Touch” and “Lucky Town.” These albums seemed to be more reflective and less jovial. As the winner of multiple Grammy Awards, Bruce Springsteen won an Academy Award in 1994 for his hit song “Streets of Philadelphia,” which appeared in the soundtrack to the film “Philadelphia” starring Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks.

Bruce Springsteen - Current News

Bruce Springsteen has never been a “one man” band so it makes sense that he would form another band in the absence of the “E” Street Band. In October 2006 Bruce Springsteen released “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions” which includes the only album with non-Springsteen material and also contains his interpretation of 13 original folk songs. In 2008, Bruce Springsteen is doing what he does best, touring. Bruce Springsteen toured the east coast and is making a line through the west coast on through Texas. Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic” tour is being hailed by long-time fans as one of his best tours yet with Bruce Springsteen returning to his roots and fans rushing to buy Bruce Springsteen tickets to see “The Boss” on tour.

Bruce Springsteen - Radio Hits

Below is just a partial list of Bruce Springsteen radio hits and discography:

• 1975 – “Born to Run” from the Born to Run album
• 1978 – “Badlands” from the Darkness on the Edge of Town album
• 1980 – “Hungry Heart” from The River album
• 1981 – “The River” from The River album
• 1982 – “Atlantic City” from the Nebraska album
• 1984 – “Dancing in the Dark” from the Born in the USA album
• 1984 – “Born in the U.S.A.” from the Born in the USA album
• 1985 – “I’m On Fire” from the Born in the USA album
• 1985 – “My Hometown” from the Born in the USA album
• 1985 – “Glory Days” from the Born in the USA album
• 1985 – “My Hometown” from the Born in the USA album
• 1987 – “War” from the Live: 1975-85 album
• 1987 – “Fire” from the Live: 1975-85 album
• 1987 – “Brilliant Disguise” from the Tunnel of Love album
• 1988 – “Tougher than the Rest” from the Tunnel of Love album
• 1992 – “Human Touch” from the Human Touch album
• 1992 – “Better Days” from the Lucky Townalbum
• 1994 – “Streets of Philadelphia” from the Philadelphia soundtrack
• 1997 – “Secret Garden” from the Greatest Hits album
• 2002 – “The Rising” from The Rising album
• 2005 – “Devils & Dust” from the Devils & Dust album
• 2007 – “Radio Nowhere” from the Magic album