Bruce Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has frequently recorded and toured with the E Street Band. A musical heir to Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan, Springsteen is most widely known for his brand of heartland rock infused with pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered around his native New Jersey. His eloquence in expressing ordinary, everyday problems has earned him numerous awards, including Grammy Awards and an Oscar, along with a huge fan base. His most famous albums, Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A., epitomize his penchant for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily life.
Springsteen's lyrics often concern men and women struggling to make ends meet. He has gradually become identified with progressive politics. Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." was so popular that Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale both attempted to co-opt it during the 1984 presidential campaign, misinterpreting it as a plainly nationalistic song rather than one about the negative after-effects of the Vietnam War. Springsteen is also noted for his support of various relief and rebuilding efforts in New Jersey and elsewhere, and for his response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on which his album The Rising reflects.
Springsteen's recordings have tended to alternate between commercially accessible rock albums and somber folk-oriented works. Much of Springsteen's iconic status in America as well as his popularity stems from his concerts, marathon shows in which he and the E Street Band energetically perform intense ballads, rousing anthems, and party rock and roll songs.
Springsteen has long had the nickname The Boss, a term which he was initially reported to dislike but now seems to have come to terms with — he sometimes jokingly refers to himself as such on stage.
