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Happy Birthday to the One and Only Bruce Springsteen
Still rockin’ at 73
There are very few dates circled on my calendar: my kids’ birthdays, the Arsenal vs. Tottenham derby, Christmas, Easter, and today, September 23rd. That’s because, on this day in 1949, the world welcomed the second-most important infant of the past 2,000 years: Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen. Yes, it’s the 73rd birthday of the man who gave the world “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Badlands,” “The River,” and oh so much more.
It boggles my mind that the icon I began following in 1975 (when I was 9 and he was not yet 26) is a septuagenarian who still rocks as hard as he did as a teenager. The Who famously sang “I hope I die before I get old;” Bruce proves that music is what keeps you young. My own lack of any musical ability could be the reason Bruce looks better in his 70s than I did in my 30s.
You may have noticed that I write a fair amount about both Bruce and the E Street Band (the current total is 56 articles, all of which can be found here). On this auspicious day, there’s no reason to rehash any of those. All I need to say is that he’s given me a greater gift over the past five decades than I could ever give him.
It’s a day to celebrate the man, so here are a few of his absolutely joyous performances over the years, starting with a Chuck…
