Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, nicknamed "The Boss." He has frequently recorded and toured with The E Street Band. Springsteen is most widely known for his brand of heartland rock, rock and roll infused with Americana sentiments. His eloquence in expressing ordinary, every-day problems has earned him a huge fan base. His most famous albums, Born to Run and Born in the USA, epitomize his penchant for writing about the struggles of a young man growing up in the streets of New Jersey. Comparisons are inevitably made between him and Bob Dylan [1] (http://home.theboots.net/theboots/articles/bangs_btr_review.html) because of his folk rock roots. Springsteen, however has become popular in his own right because of the appeal of his songs. Springsteen's lyrics often concern men and women struggling to make ends meet, and frequently denounce the rich and greedy. He has gradually become identified with progressive politics. Springsteen's "Born in the USA" was so popular that Ronald Reagan chose it to be the theme of his 1984 presidential campaign, misinterpreting it to be a patriotic song rather than one about the negative after-effects of the Vietnam War. Springsteen is also noted for his work for the relief effort after the September 11th attacks on which his album The Rising reflects.