Bruce will give you 4 hours

If you want your money’s worth at a rock concert, see Bruce Springsteen and he will entertain you for 4 hours straight .Who does that? No one else. I guess because he has been around for 40 years and has a lifetime worth of original songs to choose from or that his gift to America is his passion for music. He just ended an international tour at age 67. I guess time disappears once he gets into his moves and the music takes over his entire being. He owns a farm in New Jersey and built a recording studio there so he really doesn’t have to go anywhere if he doesn’t want to.

The fuel that starts his fire is remembering that he was told once that he wasn’t worth dirt. He has obviously changed that around and is worth millions. The fire started to change opinion of him in Freehold, New Jersey. His growing up life was on the block where Saint Rose of Lima Church stands. There was his house and two other homes that belonged to his Aunts on the same block. Now we know why New Jersey is family to him because it was family. He writes about his old home town in his book called Born to Run.  He describes in the book a good childhood. His mom was a legal secretary.   His father worked for Ford. He writes that his father couldn’t stand him. Bruce never got good grades in school.

He made his experience playing guitar in the bars of Asbury Park and managed to sign his first record deal at age 22. His first two albums did not sell well. Then he wrote the song called, Born to Run and his career instantly changed to success. The song featured his friend Clarence Clemons  on saxophone doing solo riffs that make the song complete. It joined black playing blues with white rockers all in one song. What follows are dozens of hit songs featuring Bruce singing and playing with his side kick on sax. They led very different lifestyles but always connected on stage with the music.

In 2011 Clemons died from a stroke and within days was dead. Springsteen writes that “loosing Clarence was like losing the rain.” It was devastating, quick and suddenly. His songs sounded empty without sax. Then his nephew Jake Clemons stepped up and adds his style to the songs. Bruce had to deal with great bouts of depression.  Do rock stars get depressed? It seems like they get to lead great lives. He has had bouts with severe depression all his adult life. When he plays guitar he is never depressed. Maybe that is why he gives 4 hour concerts. He has a song called My Depression. He gets through it with therapy and medication.  

Bruce  and his East Street Band plays the longest shows in the United States.