Bruce Springsteen Biography

The dynamic songwriter, singer and musician Bruce Springsteen gained worldwide success through his intense ballads and rousing anthems. The Boss, best known for his massively successful album ‘Born in the USA’, became on of the best-sellers of all time, earning himself a permanent position in popular culture. Through his determination, longevity and explosive performances, Springsteen has earned nineteen Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award and a strong global fan base.

Bruce Federick Joseph Springsteen grew up in an average middle class family, his mother Adele was a secretary and his father Douglas was a bus driver.

He started playing the guitar at high school and, at the age of 14, had formed his own band, 'The Castiles'.

Influenced by the music of Elvis Presley, Springsteen moved to New York City to try and break into the folk music scene, but failure forced him back home to New Jersey.

He fronted local bands such as 'Rogues', 'Dr. Zoom' and 'Sonic Boom', before settling with 'The E-Street Band' (named after the location of their recording studio), with whom he toured the New Jersey Coast until 1989. The band members included keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan, bassist Steve Van Zandt and Garry Tallent, saxophonists Clarence Clemens and Drummer Max Weinberg.

Springteen's first album, 'Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ', achieved poor sales in 1973, but his dynamic live performances finally got him noticed, while touring with the band 'Chicago', and subsequent releases, 'The Wild and The Innocent', 'The E-Street Shuffle' and 'Born to Run' sold increasingly well.

After spending time resolving issues with band management, Springsteen released the 1978 album 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' which marked the beginning of a series of dark albums from "the boss".

Two years later the album 'The River' was released, and went Platinum overnight in the US, securing Springsteen's position as an international star.

Springsteen released his most famous album, 'Born in the USA', in 1984, which sold 20 million copies and was accompanied by a two year worldwide tour, turning him into a superstar.

Springsteen has featured on MTV unplugged and has a Grammy and an Oscar for Best Song, for the film 'Philadelphia'. He has released a Greatest Hits album, and has recorded new tracks with 'E-Street'.

He married current wife, Patti Scialfa, in 1991 and they live at their homes in New Jersey and L.A. with their children Evan, Jessica and Sam.

In late 2004, he came out in support of Democratic Presidential candidate, John Kerry, singing at a number of huge political rallies.

Devils & Dust was released in April 2005, and was recorded without the E-Street Band. Some of the material on the low-key, mostly acoustic album was written almost 10 years earlier during, or shortly after, the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, a couple of them being performed then but never released.

The following year, 'The Boss' released another radical departure, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, an American roots music project focused around a big folk sound treatment of 15 songs popularised by the radical musical activism of Pete Seeger.

The 2007 album Magic was recorded with the E-Street Band. The album features 'Terry's Song', a poignant tribute to Springsteen's assistant Terry Magovern, who died in July of that year.

Springsteen has declared January 2009 to have been his busiest month to date. In January 2009 he was awarded a Golden Globe for his song ‘The Wrestler’ from the Oscar nominated Mickey Rourke movie. An explosive half-time Super Bowl performance, watched by thousands, successfully paved the way for the development of a highly anticipated dream tour.

Despite his major music success, numerous awards and world wide fame, ‘The Boss’ has also shown his generous, socially conscious side in backing relief and rebuilding efforts in his hometown of New Jersey, and showing compassion and support for the victims and families of victims of the September 11 attacks in New York, on which his 2002 album 'The Rising' reflects.