* ‘Dancing in the Dark' was the biggest of seven hit singles from Born in the USA. peaking at No 2 on the Billboard music charts.
* ‘Dancing in the Dark' was the last song written and recorded for the Born in the USA album. Springsteen was spurred on by manager and co- producer Jon Landau.
* The video features an appearance from a young Courtney Cox.
* American Idol judge Randy Jackson played bass
on Springsteen's Human Touch and Lucky Town albums in 1992.
* Springsteen originally wrote ‘Cover Me' for Donna Summer; Summer recorded Springsteen's ‘Protection' instead.
* Injuries from a motorcycle accident led to Springsteen failing his military draft physical. earning him a 4F classification.
* Highway 9 in the lyrics to ‘Born to Run‘ refers to Route 9 in New Jersey. which went through Springsteen's hometown of Freehold.
* Sean Penn wrote and directed his first movie, The Indian Runner, in 1991, loosely based on the song ‘Highway Patrolman' from Springsteen‘s 1982 album
Nebraska.
* His Oscar-winning song ‘Streets of Philadelphia' was ranked #68 on The American Film lnstitute's list of
The 100 Years of The Greatest Songs.
* He originally wrote 'Hungry Heart' for The Ramones.
* On a stopover at Reykjavik Airport in 2005. he gave airport staff a 2am impromptu six-song set. It remains his only live appearance in Iceland.
* His song ‘My City of Ruins' was written in November 2000 about Asbury Park. New Jersey. After performing it post-September 1 1 as part of the
America: A Tribute to Heroes national telethon event
its hook line ‘Rise up! Rise up!‘ was given a different, deeper resonance for many Americans.
* He participated alongside REM and Bright Eyes in a series of Vote for Change concerts organised to encourage young Americans to vote for John Kerry and against George W Bush in the 2004 US presidential election.
* In 2008. Springsteen announced his endorsement
; of Barack Obama. speaking openly about the need for
‘truth, transparency and integrity in government'.
* He also made an impromptu appearance in Philadelphia at a rally for voter registration in 2008.
* He played at Obama's inauguration.
* At the Grammy Awards of 2003. Springsteen performed The Clash's ‘London Calling' in tribute to
- Joe Strummer. He also opened his recent Hyde Park
show with it.
* Springsteen is the only Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee to induct the same artist (U2) that inducted him.
* He is good friends with Tom Hanks.
* He has appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines simultaneously, an honour he
shares with Barack Obama and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
* He was voted the 23rd Greatest Rock’n'Roll Artist
of all time by Rolling Stone.
* Springsteen's last Scottish appearance was a one- man show at the Edinburgh Playhouse in 1996. Bruce Springsteen plays Hampden Stadium, Glasgow, Tue 14 Jul.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
BRUCIE
Number of current members of the E Street Band
W0".
2 Number of Golden Globes won.
Number of Academy Awards won. '
The age Bruce was when he knew he wanted to become a musician after he saw Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show.
8 Number of Springsteen albums included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Albums of all Time, published in 2003.
Number of nights to be played at Meadowlands Stadium, New Jersey in 2009.
82,500 Capacity of Meadowlands Stadium.
Number of children.
Number of grammys g
Number of wives.
14 Months it took to
record seminal 3 album Born to Run.
16 Studio albums recorded by The Boss since 1973.
$18 Paid for his first guitar at age 13.
£3000 Cost of the fine incurred by The Boss over-running by 15 minutes at this year’s Glastonbury festival.
Number of albums sold worldwide.
4
Lines spoken in his only movie appearance, in High Fidelity, for which he won ‘Best Cameo in a Movie’ at the MTV
Movie Awards. / ’ av: W
$10m
Earnings last year
The Boss’s current age.
6 Ranking in the Forbes Most Powerful Celebrities Top 100 List in 2009.
12 Length in minutes of The Boss’s set at Super Bowl XLIII.
Dates in his 2009 world tour.
9—23 Jul 2009 THE LIST 17