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Bruce Springsteen was known as the savior of rock& roll, bringing together the excitement of music in the ''50s with the introspective lyrics of music in the ''60s to create a new style all his own that has become a new format for musicians. His pop hooks and poetic lyrics, not to mention his heartland rock with eloquent tales mixed in, made him one of the most popular rock acts of all times.
Springsteen was born and bread in New Jersey to a bus driver and a legal secretary. After graduating from Freehold Borough High School, he went to community college for a short time. He was drawn to music after seeing Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show, and his mother took out a loan to buy a $60 Kent Guitar. Before long, he had join The Castiles, and eventually a number of other bands that performed across the country. He was beginning to develop a following, however, in New Jersey and Philadelphia, where he regularly sold out venues.
In 1972, Springsteen scored a deal with Columbia Records and released "Greetings from Asbury Park." The album won rave reviews, but didnt sell particularly well, as he was often grouped in with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, unable to find a commercial audience of his own. His second album, "The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle," held similar fates. However, his following of fans certainly loved them - "Rosalista (Come Out Tonight)" is still a favorite of concert crowds. In 1974, critic Jon Landau actually quit his job to become Springsteens manager. He said in his review, "I saw rock and rolls future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen."
The release of "Born to Run" marked the emergence of Springsteen as the rock force that he was meant to be. The singles "Born to Run," "Thunder Road." "Jungleland" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" all became popular. With the release, he landed the covers of both "Time" and "Newsweek" as the new face of rock and roll. While a legal battle kept him out of the studio for over two years, he honed his touring skills in the meanwhile. When he did return, he was armed with more complex compositions and intellectual lyrics. "Darkness of the Edge of Town" produced the singles "Badlands" and "Prove it All Night."
In 1980, he released "The River," which included the hit single "Hungry Heart" and prompted another massive tour. In 1982, he released "Nebraska," a solo venture without his band. The album didnt sell well, but was marked the "Album of the Year" by Rolling Stone. Two years later, though, he hit commercial success in a big way. "Born in the U.S.A." is one of the best-selling albums of all time, including the massive hits "Dancing in the Dark" and the title track, plus five other Top Ten hits.
After releasing more sedate albums without the E Street Band focusing on his failing marriage and budding relationship with band mate Patti Scialfa, he scored a hit (and an Oscar) for the song "Streets of Philadelphia" for the movie "Philadelphia." The band reunited in 2000 and held a sold-out 10-night engagement at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The concert became a special on HBO and was released on DVD. In 2002 he released "The Rising" with the band, their first collaboration in 18 years. The album was a hit, as was the following tour.
Most recently, Springsteen released "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions." The album included a number of folk songs popularized by Pete Seeger. He is set to release a new album this coming fall. Until then, however, fans can see him where he has always thrived - live on stage.
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