There are few musicians who have achieved the incredible success and longevity of Bruce Springsteen. The Boss was born (in the U.S.A.) on September 23, 1949. He has been playing music for over fifty years and has released eighteen studio albums in that time—all of which have received at least a Gold certification, and the majority of which have gone Platinum at least once over. He’s earned countless awards for his work, including twenty Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and induction into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
To his scores of die-hard fans, Bruce’s live performances are an equally significant facet of his legacy. Springsteen has played thousands of shows over the course of his career, building a devoted following of fans that keep coming back to his shows. He has developed a reputation as a road warrior, mounting extensive tours with performances that push four hours per night and that feature constantly changing setlists. Many fans follow Springsteen and the E Street Band, going to countless shows in different cities around the world.
In honor of the Boss’s 67th birthday today, watch him jam with Phish—another band that has earned a deeply devoted following with their live shows—at Bonnaroo in 2009. Springsteen reportedly stayed an extra day after his performance at the festival just to catch Phish, and they invited him up to help them close out their first set, running through rock n’ roll standard “Mustang Sally” and Bruce’s “Bobby Jean” and “Glory Days.” Happy birthday, Bruce!
“Mustang Sally”
[via YouTube user Eric Wolfe]
“Bobby Jean”
[via YouTube user CapturedAlive]
“Glory Days”
[via YouTube user Robe5k]