Time magazine called him "the best rock 'n roll singer of his era." My hero and self-described "lifetime musician" Bruce Springsteen (1949-) was born on this day in Freehold, New Jersey.

From his first album in 1973, Greetings from Asbury Park to today, Bruce continues to dazzle and inspire with the sincere spirit of rock and roll.  As writer Eric Alterman put it, "Springsteen is dedicated not just to poetry and great music, but to community and a great time."

"I've always tried to write for my times," Springsteen said. "The details are important because that's how you get under people's skin.. It's my job to work just a little bit of a spark to help you get there."

What a spark! Springsteen's music plummets its way to these secret places of the soul.  He celebrates music... and life. He lives to perform and it shows. About playing, he said: "Ultimately, it's not anything near a selfless experience. It's very self-satisfy It's very self-satisfying and revitalizing... When the metal hits the pedal--bang!"

His performances are redeptive marathons of euphoria... exhilarating... renewing. The Daily Telegraph's David Cheal observed, "Whenever I witness one of Bruce's live appearances, everything else I've ever seen seems like the work of rank amateurs."

In concert, Springsteen holds nothing back and you go along with him because he's a second chance, a beacon of hope, a passionate revelation.

"You're a witness... a witness to your time," Springsteen explained. "And our band... we take the stage as a group of witnesses really. Our purpose is to make you dance and testify... Hopefully you'll move and be lifted up."

Thanks, Bruce... and happy birthday!

More SPRINGSTEEN Quotations

It's wonderful to be alive!