James Hoag

Legends of Rock & Roll - Bruce Springsteen James Hoag

"It's All About the Music!"Welcome to another in the Legends of Rock & Roll series. This is, like the others, a mini-biography of one the greatest of American performers and bands, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Come with me for a walk down memory lane as I review the life of Bruce Springsteen, and especially, the music that he produced. We'll visit each of his hits and find out how they came to be written or how they were recorded; and discuss any trivia that might be associated with the music. This book is about the man and the band, but even more importantly, it's about the music. This series is my way of honoring the people that have brought so much joy to our lives over the years. It is an unauthorized fan tribute. Bruce Springsteen has been writing and performing since the late Sixties. Starting out as most performers and song writers do by writing and playing wherever and whenever he could, he was the member of several bands before putting together what is, arguably, the best band in the business, The E Street Band. Success did not come immediately to Bruce Springsteen. The break though came in 1975 with a rocker called "Born to Run". From then on, everyone took Bruce seriously. The Chapters include: Introduction - My remembrances of Bruce Springsteen in general and a kick-off for the book. Early Life - A brief summary of his life before the music started. Making Music His Life - How did Bruce get started in the business?Asbury Park - This is where Bruce got his start. First Album - Was the first one a success? The second one?"Born to Run" - After this album, everyone took him seriously."Darkness on the Edge of Town" - He followed up with another classic."The River" - This was his first number one album, but certainly not his last."Born in the U. S. A." - The album that would truly make him a legend. How many singles did the album produce?Patti Scialfa - Love and marriage was not an easy road for Bruce."Live/1975-85" - The first box set in the history of the charts to debut at number one. Disbanding the E Street Band - Bruce goes it alone, at least for a little while. Bringing Them Back Together - In 1999, Bruce brought the E Street Band back together again and they did a Reunion tour. Politics - For the first time Bruce got behind a candidate for President: John Kerry. Supporting Barack Obama - Continuing his support of Democratic candidates, he is firmly behind Obama in 2008. E Street Band - a mini-tribute to the members of the band, both past and present. Legacy of Bruce Springsteen - Every Legends book has a Legacy section where we review the awards and contributions of the artist. Afterword - My closing thoughts. Grammy Awards - A list of the Grammy Awards won by Bruce and the Band. Discography - A list of the major albums and singles by Bruce Springsteen.