Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born on this very day in 1949 and the world has never been the same. Here are some fun facts about everybody’s favorite Boss:
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The Jersey rocker was actually first influenced by fellow Garden State crooner Frank Sinatra, after hearing him on the radio. Later, and more fittingly, it was Elvis Presley who gave the young Springsteen the music bug.
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In 1965, Springsteen’s mother borrowed $60 to buy her 16-year-old son a Kent guitar. He was so moved by this that he later wrote about it in “The Wish.”
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From presidents (Barack Obama) to punk rockers (Joe Strummer of The Clash), Bruce’s fans run the gamut.
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The Boss has won 20 Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
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Bruce originally wrote his 1980 hit “Hungry Heart” for The Ramones but was advised by his manager to keep it for himself.
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Springsteen was the recipient of the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors — an annual celebration of those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.
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Bruce broke box office records for his show Springsteen on Broadway and won a special Tony.
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According to Pollstar, Bruce and the E Street Band clock in at #4 on its list of all-time ticket sellers.
So in honor of the Boss’s b’day and all he’s given to us, why not up your Bruce game and reach a little higher than your plain old concert tee from ’87. We’ve scoured the internet to find the best, most fun, even the quirkiest Bruce Springsteen birthday merch out there, from books and coffee mugs (who wouldn’t want to start the day with a fresh cup of joe and the Boss?) to a chic stamped cuff bracelet and cute kids’ togs. Get ready, cuz baby we were born to…….shop!
Harry N. Abrams
Let’s start our selection with a few serious items for studious fans, shall we? Veteran Rolling Stone scribe Brian Hiatt crafted this self-explanatorily titled volume. Got a budding musician in your family? Well, Christmas isn’t that far away…
Amazon
What did Bruce do after blowing up on 1980’s River tour? Turn inward and (briliantly) dark. Travel back to 1982 and learn how his landmark solo album came to be.
Amazon
It’s hard to overstate the importance of Bruce’s 1984 blockbuster. Yeah, it topped the album charts in nine countries, yielded 7 top-ten singles here at home and had him selling out stadiums instead of mere arenas. More interesting, though? It was both his most “pop” and most political record ever. Read the story of how it all came together and made rock history.
Audible
Bruce has been closing his 2023 shows with “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” Now he can be part of yours with this audio version of his 2018 memoir. And yeah, that’s right — it’s free with an Audible trial subscription!
brucespringsteen.store
Here’s something for that special someone direct from Bruce’s own merch store — the Boss snapped circa 1980 on the streets of New York. This print measures 18″ by 24″ and comes with a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity.
Amazon
Lest you think we’re gonna be all literary and serious about this … check this out! It’s almost too cool to take out of the box, but if you do, may we suggest listening to Duckness on the Edge of Town while you splash away?
Jersey Girl – New Jersey Apparel Co.
Even if you’re just from New Jersey in spirit, you can still rock this fun tee.
ROXXOR Decals
Beautiful in its simplicity, and with attitude to spare, this decal will tell the world all it needs to know about your priorities. Heh!
Etsy
Nothing off-the-cuff about this bit of bling: It’s the title of his greatest masterpiece, and words to live by.
Etsy
“The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.” While we can’t condone ending a sentence with a preposition, we gotta admit: These sage words are also the reason for drinking morning coffee!
Amazon
You’re never too young to get indoctrinated into the Church of Bruce. Here’s some bedtime reading you and the wee ones will enjoy!
Brucespringsteen.net
Two sold-out jaunts through Europe, the US and Canada in two years — not bad for a a septuagenarian! Commemorate that feat with this retro-cool tee, complete with a listing of select conquered cities on the back.
Moonlight Collections
With this old-school nameplate necklace over your heart, you can tell the whole world that you and Bruce are going steady … in a manner of speaking.
KingLive
When you come home from the factory, or working on the highway, or going down by the river, how nice would it be to have Bruce and the Big Man welcoming you?
Etsy
This may be our fave item of all. Why? 1) Only fellow fans will immediately grok the quote, and 2) They and you will wonder, as we do: Why is there a cat on this shirt? Why???
Happy birthday Bruce, we love you!
