Springsteen

Book excerpt: Bruce Springsteen turned fifty in 1999—the same year he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He remains one of the last true rock stars and nothing less than a cultural icon, with album sales of fifteen million annually and concerts that are instant sellouts worldwide—now more than ever with the revival tour of the E Street Band. In Springsteen, Christopher Sandford takes us back to the Boss's early days in New Jersey and through the sensational hits and rock-god lifestyle of the mid-seventies ... bringing the Springsteen story right up to the present for a second generation of fans. By interviewing virtually all the major figures in Springsteen's life, past and present, and combining that with his own celebrated skill as a writer and critic, Sandford has created a compelling—and often surprising—portrait, one that gives new insight into Springsteen's music and influence and illuminates the many contradictions in his complex makeup.