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Bruce Springsteen Biography
Written by The Rock Radio staff, May 2005 © The Rock RadioBlue Collar ManBorn in 1949 in Freeholden, New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen grew up among the working class heroes who would go on to populate many of his songs. He learned to play guitar in garage and blues outfits, taking his inspiration from Bob Dylan, The Byrds, and The Beatles. By the time of his 1973 debut, Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, he'd already forged his own unique identity. Growing Up Though he spent time playing the New York City folk circuit in the early '70's, Springsteen's true home was the lonesome back streets and industrialized wasteland of New Jersey. Girding himself with some of his closest musical compatriots (dubbed the E Street Band after a location in Belmar, New Jersey), he caught the attention of Columbia Records and had his first deal by 1972. His first album immediately established him as a social commentator on the order of Bob Dylan. With The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle, also released in 1973, Springsteen began to incorporate a more upbeat sound into his introspective lyricism. Tracks like "The E Street Shuffle" and "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" allowed the band to stretch out and contribute to the feel of the songs. Line-up changes over the next year made the transformation complete. By 1975, original members Clarence Clemons (sax), Garry Tallent (bass) and Danny Federici (organ) had been augmented by guitarist Steve Van Zandt, keyboardist Roy Bittan, and drummer Max Weinberg. Born To Run, released as America suffered through oil embargos, record unemployment, and involvement in Vietnam, struck a chord with audiences world-wide. Featuring the blistering title track, as well as forlorn post-teen anthems such as "Thunder Road" and "Backstreets," the album encapsulated not only a universal sense of entrapment, but offered a small grain of hope to a world weary of war, poverty, and social injustice. Arguably his career highlight, Born To Run also remains one of the best-selling rock albums of all time. 1978's Darkness On The Edge Of Town found Springsteen's song characters becoming disillusioned with the lives they were living- high career hopes had stagnated into dead-end factory jobs, high school love affairs had become frustrated marriages, and the future didn't seem to offer much more. In reality, Bruce's three-year hiatus (due to legal problems with a former manager) had left him stranded in the past. Punk rock, disco, and an increasingly vapid society ruled the headlines, but still he championed the loveable losers of his origins. And though he'd eventually attain superstardom, it'd be another six years before Springsteen regained the popularity he'd found with Born To Run. Reason To Believe With the release of 1980's The River, "The Boss" continued to explore themes of rebellion and loss in songs like "Out In The Street" and "Independence Day." He also once again offered up nuggets of inspiration with tracks like "Jackson Cage," "Cadillac Ranch," and the Top Ten smash, "Hungry Heart."1982's Nebraska, however, found him delving into disturbing subject matter- the title track recounted the tale of mass murderer Charlie Starkweather. As he prepared to enter the next phase of his career, many fans took some solace in the album's final cut, "Reason To Believe." Glory Days
1986's Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live/1975-85 brought his career full circle. The compilation caught the public's fancy and topped the charts. Personally, Bruce was experiencing problems with his marriage and superstardom, factors that weighed heavily on his next offering, 1987's Tunnel Of Love. An in-depth assessment of love gone wrong, the album enjoyed chart success with three songs- the title track, "Brilliant Disguise," and "One Step Up." In 1989, Springsteen shocked fans by announcing his split with the E Street Band. Lucky Town After a brief hiatus, Bruce returned to the public eye in 1992 with the simultaneous releases of Human Touch and Lucky Town. Though the title track to the former hit the Top 40, neither was considered a fan favorite or a critical success. With the 1994 release of the single "Streets Of Philadelphia," Springsteen finally began to reap some rewards for his long stance against social injustice. The song was a Top Ten hit, winning the Academy Award for Best Song and four Grammys. 1995's Greatest Hits featured a temporary E Street Band reunion and four new tracks. The Ghost Of Tom Joad, a solo effort released later that year, continued the social and political themes begun with Nebraska. In 1999, Springsteen was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after a memorable speech by U2 frontman Bono. Before the new millenium, "The Boss" reformed of The E Street Band, and commenced a world tour. Devils & Dust In 2001, Bruce released The Rising. After interviewing the survivors and family members of victims, he managed to create an album as socially relevant and universal as Nebraska, Born To Run, and Born In The USA. 2005 saw the release of Devils And Dust, another mostly-solo/acoustic album. He kicked off a world tour in Detroit in April, 2005. Though he's definitely a man caught between two worlds- the tortured singer/songwriter and the larger-than-life, rev' 'em up rock n' roll star- Bruce Springsteen continues to capture the imagination of both longtime fans and a curious younger generation.
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