Bruce Springsteen

American musician known as "The Boss," a singer and songwriter, guitarist and leader of "The E Street Band." A prolific writer of his own material, he does marathon shows where he builds a great rapport with his audience.

From a working class background, Bruce had an unhappy, alienated childhood. He bought his first guitar at 18 for $14 at a local pawnshop and began learning songs from the radio. He began playing with the high school band, "The Castiles," at local gigs. In 1969 he formed his own band, "Steel Mill," which played together nearly two years. In September 1971, he formed the "Bruce Springsteen Band," a ten-piece group, which evolved into "The E Street Band." In June 1972 he signed a ten-album contract, releasing a debut album in January 1973. The 1973 albums marked the beginning of Springsteen's career and since then, The Boss has sold tens of millions of albums and won over legions of loyal fans worldwide in his 30 plus years as a "rock and roll legend." They began moving up, topping the U.S. charts by 1977. His incredibly successful "Born in the USA" was released on 17 June 1984, selling over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone and establishing Springsteen as one of the most dominant forces in '80s rock. In February 1986, he rejected an offer of $12 million for "Born in the USA" to be used for a series of commercials. In the past decade, he had performed in over 500 shows.

In 1987, Tunnel of Love was released during a time when Springsteen was facing marital problems. He began singing of lost love, emotional turmoil, and other adult concerns. He set off after this for one more tour with the E-Street Band and then in 1989 they parted ways. Three years later he released two albums, "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town." The first was more radio orientated while the latter is seen as a step forward for the Springsteen. He did a stint on MTV's Unplugged program and then resumed touring in 1993.