Bruce Springsteen, or ‘the boss’ as he is known to fans, is 72 years old today (September 23 2021).
The Dancing in the Dark, Hungry Heart and Born in the USA singer is a music icon, with a career spanning nearly five decades.
Springsteen and the E-Street band are known for their legendary concerts, including one performance at Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park on July 15 2012, when they performed Twist and Shout with Paul McCartney, before the sound was turned off after they exceeded the performance curfew time.
Springsteen has also inspired musicians through the decades including Jon Bon Jovi and The Killers, who he recently collaborated with on the song Dustland in 2021.
Born on September 23 1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey, Springsteen released his first album at age 23, on January 5 1973.
The album, called Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J, featured musicians including Clarence Clemmons, David Sancious and Garry Tallent, who would later become part of the E Street Band.
Following the release of The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle album in September 1973, Springsteen released the career defining Born to Run on August 25 1975, featuring the titular album song of the same name and songs including Thunder Road.
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
However, many people know Bruce Springsteen for his anthem Born in the USA, from his 1984 album of the same name.
The album included hit single Dancing in the Dark, which featured a pre-Friends Courtney Cox dancing onstage with the singer in the music video for the song.
Along with albums including 1978’s Darkness on the edge of town, 1992’s Human Touch and 2019’s Western Stars, Springsteen’s five decade career has also seen the musician write songs including Streets of Philadelphia, for the 1993 movie Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks.
(Image: Getty Images for HBO)
Springsteen is well known for performing legendary concerts that can sometimes last for over four hours with the E-Street band, which includes musicians such as Soprano’s actor Stevie Van Zandt.
Sadly throughout the decades, band members including Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons (who also appeared in the music video for Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory) have passed away.
One of Springsteen’s E-Street band members is also his wife, musician Patti Scialfa. They married in 1991 and have three children together.
One of their children, Jessica, is an equestrian who competed at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Springsteen was previously married to actress and model Julianne Phillips from 1985-1988.
(Image: Getty Images)
In 2016, Springsteen released his autobiography Born to Run, in which he spoke openly about his battle with depression.
In an interview with Esquire magazine in 2018, Springsteen said, “I have come close enough to [mental illness] where I know I am not completely well myself.
“I’ve had to deal with a lot of it over the years, and I’m on a variety of medications that keep me on an even keel; otherwise I can swing rather dramatically and . . . just . . . the wheels can come off a little bit.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Following the release of his autobiography, Springsteen completed the final performances of his Springsteen on Broadway Show in October 2017, which was also filmed for a Netflix special.
On October 23 2020, he released his 20th studio album with the E-Street Band, Letter to You, which was recorded in his home studio in New Jersey and entered at number one in the music charts in 11 countries.
Speaking about the album on his website, Springsteen said, “We made the album in only five days, and it turned out to be one of the greatest recording experiences I have ever had.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
