Bruce Springsteen explains why he felt 'capable of handling' fame at the height of his career

Perth Now

4 days ago

Bruce Springsteen felt "capable of handling" fame when he was at the height of his career.
The 75-year-old rock legend first enjoyed success with his Born To Run record in the mid-1970s and then had a major resurgence with Born in the U.S.A. a decade later, and admitted that while he had "no particular interest" in staying at that level of fame, it was a "cool thing" at the time.
He told The Sunday Times: "Well, I was 35. I had previous experience [of fame] at 25, so I was capable of handling the moment. Ninety per cent I enjoyed the ride, 10 per cent of it was stressful, and my take on it now is that it was a cool thing to be at the height of the cultural conversation in the pop world for a while. I just didn't have any particular interest in staying there. That's a fool's game."
The Dancing in the Dark hitmaker also fronts the E Street Band but now lives in New Jersey with his wife and co-star Patti Scialfa - with whom he has Evan, 34, Jessica, 33, as well as 31-year-old Samuel - and inisisted that the kind of work he does now is more "important than the money" about more about "writing great" music.
He said: "Of course, and I was lucky enough to have Elvis, the Beatles and Bob Dylan, to follow in their footsteps — or not follow in their footsteps. From there I learnt how important it was not to lose focus on who I am or the work I'm doing. It's more important than the money, although it's great to get paid well. It's more important than the fame, although that can be fun too, and a nuisance on occasion. I simply wanted to write great songs, play great shows and have a conversation with a great audience. It is what I've dedicated my life to doing.'