Bruce Springsteen
By: Zac Jerominski
Early Life
Bruce Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949, in Long Branch, New Jersey. He was born to Doug and Adele Springsteen. Bruce first fell in love with Rock 'n' roll after seeing Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show. At 13 Bruce started to take up playing the guitar and at the age of 16, Bruce's mom bought him a Kent guitar. Bruce had a difficult relationship with his father, he was even quoted "When I was growing up, there were two things that were unpopular in my house one was me, and the other was my guitar." Although he had a tough relationship with his father, he later stated that his parents helped him forge his own path. In 1967, at the age of 18, bruce was drafted into the military for the vietnam war. He failed his physical due to his deliberate craziness and was able to then to pursue music full time.
The Road to Fame
During the late 60s and early 70s, Bruce started playing in Asbury Park, in New Jersey. He played in several different bands, before finally finding his big break with his band the E Street Band. After Bruce and his band signed with Columbia Records. Bruce began out slow with not getting much recognition with the first 2 albums he released. Finally in 1975, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band got their big breakthrough with the album Born to Run. The Born to Run album hit number 2 on the Billboard 200. This album helped skyrocket his career. With the album based on Bruce's New Jersey roots and the American Dream, it was a heavily liked album. With the 1978 release of Darkness on the Edge of Town, Bruce and the E street band went cross-country to promote the album. They then became famous for their 3 to 4 hour long performances. Another push to superstardom was the 1984 release of Born to Run.
10th Avenue Freeze Out
Bruce Springsteen- Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out w/ Lyrics
Later Years
After having a divorce in 1989 with his wife of 4 years, Julianne phillips, Bruce married his long time backup singer Patti Scialfa. He then moved his new family to Hollywood, in the early 90s. Before his move to Hollywood, he disbanded the E Street Band in 1989. When he started to produce music more music it stated to have more of an upbeat and happier tempo, which fans did not like because it was away from his roots of music. Springsteen and the E Street Band reunited in 1999, for a greatest hits tour. Bruce was also inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Bruce Springsteen is still a dominant performer in 2016 have concerts all over the world. So, who knows maybe you might be the next one to go.
My Reaction
Bruce Springsteen has always held a firm place in my heart. As a kid I grew up listening to him because he is my Dad's favorite artist and we would hear his music all the time. I love his music, and artist like him. Learning about Bruce Springsteen was fun and interesting because you always learn something new that you would have never thought would have happened to that person. Also, looking back you can see how his music and like many others during the 70's and 80's impacted the way our music is today.
Works Cited
- Angermiller, Michele A. "Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano Honor Veterans at Stand Up For Heroes Concert." Billboard. Billboard, 11 Nov. 2015. Web. 15 May 2016.
- "Bruce Springsteen Biography." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
- Editors, Biography.com. "Bruce Springsteen." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
- "The Official Bruce Springsteen Website." The Official Bruce Springsteen Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.