Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen was bound to make waves one way or another. The singer-songwriter’s music is known for detailing the topography of New Jersey and the working-class struggle of the 1970s set to jazzy rock-and-roll riffs.|
Springsteen started his career playing local bars in Asbury Park, where he met the members of his famous E Street Band, named in honor of the street where one-time keyboard player Dave Sancious’s mother lived and the band would practice. Springsteen was supposedly nicknamed “The Boss” because he had a habit of evenly distributing money collected at shows with his bandmates.|
In 1973, Springsteen released his first studio album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. It was well-received but didn’t sell many copies. Many people compared Springsteen’s lyricism with Bob Dylan, but it did little to boost sales. It wasn’t until 1975 when he released his third album Born to Run, that Springsteen received critical and commercial success. The album hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and made him an overnight success.
Themes on Born to Run such as love, chasing the American Dream and his home state became common across many of Springsteen’s projects. Springsteen is among the largest celebrities born in New Jersey and among the few that proudly spout their love for the Garden State. Spots where Springsteen frequently visited or wrote about in his music including Highway 9, the Stone Pony and Convention Hall have become local landmarks.
New Jersey – Colonel History, Industrialization & Organized Crime – HISTORY