Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born September 23, 1949 in New Jersey. Little Bruce grew up in Freehold, NJ and had 2 sisters, Virginia and Pamela. Did you know Pamela Springsteen played the cheerleader in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and was briefly engaged to Sean Penn!
Catholic Boy
Bruce was raised Catholic and often talks fondly of his time in Catholic School. “I loved it. The nuns really had a handle on things back then. They really knew the way to a child’s heart and mind. When I was in third grade, I was stuffed into a trash can under my desk by a nun. She told me that that’s where I belonged. It was a wonderful lesson for me. It really helped me with my self esteem.”
Inspired by The Beatles, Bruce bought his first guitar for $18.95 at the Western Auto Appliance Store. It ran on car batteries and had all the bells and whistles. There was a cigarette lighter and an AM radio built right into the guitar. Bruce played in many bands around the tri state area.
In October 1972, Springsteen formed a new band for the recording of his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The band eventually became known as the E Street Band, although the name was not used until September 1974. Springsteen acquired the nickname “The Boss” during this period, when he took Steven Van Zandt aside and made an example out of him. “I made him pull down his pants in front of everyone and I whipped him on the nads with a car antenna. No one said a word after that. I still keep that car antenna in the studio, just as a reminder and a warning.”
History
The rest is history! Springsteen has sold more than 150 million records worldwide and more than 64 million records in the United States, making him one of the best selling artists of all time. He is an incredible songwriter and the ultimate showman, once performing a marathon 24 hour concert, with only one intermission.
Did you know that Bruce once admitted to killing a drifter? “So what, I killed someone a long time ago. It wasn’t even a real person, It was a homeless guy. It was back in the early 1970’s. I was walking along the train tracks in Asbury Park NJ on July 4th, and came across a drifter. He was a hobo, complete with all his belongings in a handkerchief on a stick. A real boxcar Willie. I had always wanted to kill someone and felt this was a perfect opportunity. I picked up a stick and beat him about the head and shoulders, then threw his body down an embankment. It felt great. I went home and masturbated furiously and then wrote the song ‘Sandy’ about the event. I later read that they charged another drifter with the murder. It worked out great. I ended up with a great song, and some other schlemiel is still in jail for the crime.”
Bruce stands 5 foot 2 and weighs 107 lbs. He enjoys drinking white claws and collecting DWI’s. Bruce is the quintessential common man. The blue collar average Joe with a net worth of an ungodly $500 million. Cheers Bruce!
Related Stories: Springsteen Reveals He Once Killed a Drifter
