• March 15, 1999

Bruce Springsteen

A Philosopher with a Telecaster, Rock's Blue-Collar Bard Could Only Have Been Born in the U.S.A.

Almost a quarter of a century after Born to Run put Bruce Springsteen on the covers of Newsweek and TIME in the same week, the Boss has all the trappings of fame: a $13 million mansion in Beverly Hills, eight Grammys, an Oscar and membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But the intense, self-effacing Springsteen, 49, remains true to his working-class roots, still popping up unannounced in New Jersey clubs like the ones where he got his start. "Bruce went to Hollywood, but he came back and bought a farm here in Rumson," says Stanley Tokic, 59, owner of the Adriatic Restaurant in Asbury Park, N.J. "He never forgot his heritage." The pain of those early years, marked by the anger of a father who was unable to find steady employment, informs Springsteen's populist anthems. His work, believes Springsteen biographer Charles Cross, "ranks with the short stories of Raymond Carver in terms of what it tells us about the American experience." Springsteen has remained true to his ideals, raising money for Vietnam vets while turning down millions to have his songs misused in commercials. Most famously, he chastised Ronald Reagan after the Wall Street-friendly President tried improbably to ally himself with the blue-collar hero. Springsteen's only misstep was a four-year marriage to model (and later, actress) Julianne Phillips. Fans were far happier to embrace his '91 nuptials with his back-up singer Patti Scialfa, now 45, with whom he has three children. "He loves being a dad," says Nils Lofgren, a guitarist with Springsteen's E Street Band. "He really works very hard at having a normal, centered life."