Bruce Springsteen

One of the great rock 'n' roll figures of the late 20th century, Bruce Springsteen created music noted for both its cinematic sweep and its deeply intimate portrayal of average people struggling in the underbelly of the American Dream. Dubbed "The Boss" -- a nickname acquired early in his career -- Springsteen was a complex and often paradoxical figure: a rock icon who defiantly eschewed the trappings of fame; a millionaire who spoke both for and to the working class. But more than the quality and depth of his music, The Boss was known for his hard-rocking, marathon concerts that featured an assemblage of his New Jersey friends in the E Street Band, including Clarence Clemons, Max Weinberg, Steve Van Zandt and Patti Scialfa, who later became Springsteen's second wife. After years of building a loyal following, Springsteen broke out with his seminal album Born To Run (1975), which stood as his best-selling record until the monstrous hit Born in the U.S.A. (1984) was released almost a decade later. Featuring some of his timeless classics, the album proved to be the apex of his popularity. Though he never again reached such astronomical commercial heights, Springsteen maintained a steady output of deeply personal albums hailed by critics and fans over the next several decades while embarking on seemingly non-stop world tours, giving rise to the idea that it was Springsteen -- not James Brown -- who was the hardest working man in show business. Even following the death of his longtime onstage foil Clarence Clemons in 2011, Springsteen continued recording and performing for generations of fans, while releasing both new albums and expanded deluxe versions of his greatest early records. Springsteen published his autobiography, Born To Run, in September 2016.