Springsteen" redirects here. For other uses, see Springsteen (disambiguation).
Bruce Springsteen 

 
Background information 
Birth name Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen 
Also known as "The Boss" 
Born September 23, 1949 (1949-09-23) (age 58)
Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. 
Genre(s) Rock
Heartland rock
Folk 
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter 
Instrument(s) Vocals
Guitar
Harmonica
Piano 
Years active 1965â??present 
Label(s) Columbia Records 
Associated
acts E Street Band
The Castiles
Steel Mill
Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom
Bruce Springsteen Band
The Seeger Sessions Band
USA for Africa 
Website www.brucespringsteen.net/ 
Notable instrument(s) 
Fender Telecaster 
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American songwriter, singer and guitarist. He has frequently recorded and toured with the E Street Band. Springsteen is most widely known for his brand of heartland rock infused with pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered around his native New Jersey. His eloquence in expressing ordinary, everyday problems has earned him numerous awards, including eighteen Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, along with a notoriously dedicated and devoted global fan base. His most famous albums, Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A., epitomize his penchant for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily life. He has sold over 60 million albums in the U.S. alone.[1]

Springsteen's lyrics often concern men and women struggling to make ends meet. He has gradually become identified with progressive politics. Springsteen is also noted for his support of various relief and rebuilding efforts in New Jersey and elsewhere, and for his response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, on which his album The Rising reflects.

Springsteen's recordings have tended to alternate between commercially accessible rock albums and somber folk-oriented works. Much of his iconic status stems from the concerts and marathon shows in which he and the E Street Band present intense ballads, rousing anthems, and party rock and roll songs, amongst which Springsteen intersperses long, whimsical or deeply emotional stories.

Springsteen has long had the nickname "The Boss," a term which he was initially reported to dislike but now seems to have come to terms with, as he sometimes jokingly refers to himself as such on stage. The nickname originated when a young Springsteen, playing club gigs with a band in the 1960s, took on the task of collecting the band's nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates.[2]