"Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. "

Bruce Springsteen is a rock singer and guitarist who first gained fame during the 1970s. In a remarkable musical career, he has sold over 60 million albums in the U.S. alone.

Springsteen's nickname, "The Boss," originated when he was playing club gigs with a band in the 1960s. He took responsibility for collecting the band's nightly pay and distributing it to his bandmates.

Springsteen grew up in Freehold Borough, New Jersey. His father Douglas was a bus driver; his mother Adele was a legal secretary. Inspired by Elvis Presley, he knew he wanted to be a musician when he was 13. In 1965, he spent time at the Freehold home of Tex and Marion Vinyard, who sponsored and supported young, local musicians and bands. There he formed a band called The Castiles; he eventually became the lead singer of the group. He teamed up with singer Robbin Thomspon to form the band Steel Mill, and began performing in Richmond, Virginia in 1969 at the Commonwealth University in Richmond. Later, he moved back to New Jersey to perform in Asbury Park local night clubs and bars.

In 1972, Springsteen signed a record deal with Columbia Records and released his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. During this time many critics compared him to Bob Dylan because of the folk rock-rooted lyrics and music. Soon after, in 1973 Springsteen released his second album, The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle. He gained increasing critical acclaim during this period.

The release of his third album, Born to Run, in 1975, put Springsteen on the cover of Time Magazine. The album was a hit and was played heavily by FM radio stations. His following album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, wasn't released until 1978. Many fans consider this album to be Springsteen's best; it includes track hits such as "Badlands" and "The Promised Land." At the end of the decade, Patti Smith covered Springsteen's "Because The Night," and The Pointer Sisters recorded his unreleased song "Fire," taking it to number two.

Springsteen is well known for the album Born in the U.S.A, released in 1984. The title track was a tribute to his friends' experience in the Vietnam War. Ronald Reagan wanted to use the song for his presidential campaign, but Springsteen requested that he not use the song because he supported Walter Mondale. "Dancing in the Dark" was another big hit on the album.

The 90's carried more success for Springsteen. He released two albums simultaneously: Human Touch and Lucky Town. The albums had a more introspective tone than before, and documented a more mature Springsteen. He won an Academy Award for "Streets of Philadelphia," which was on the soundtrack of the movie Philadelphia.

In 2002, Springsteen released The Rising, a reflection on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In 2004, he and the E Street Band participated in the "Vote for Change" tour, which benefitted MoveOn.org. His album Devils & Dust was released in April, 2005. Some of the lyrics on this album are thought to have been written almost ten years earlier. The title track is a soldier's expression of the Iraq war. The album earned five Grammy nominations, including one for best rock solo.

In April 2006, Springsteen released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a folk music project featuring the music of the great American folk singer Pete Seeger. It was recorded in only three one-day sessions.

Springsteen released the Magic album on October 2, 2007. It was recorded with the E Street Band and was supported by a tour of North America and Europe.