Bruce Springsteen, born September 23, 1949, in Long Branch, New Jersey, is a legendary singer-songwriter known as "the Boss," who has released 21 studio albums over six decades, mostly with his backing band, the E Street Band. He achieved global fame with Born to Run (1975) and reached his commercial peak with Born in the U.S.A. (1984), one of the best-selling albums of all time, while later works like The Rising (2002) honored the victims of the September 11 attacks. With over 140 million records sold, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016), and Rolling Stone ranked him 23rd among the greatest artists of all time. In 2020, Letter to You made him the first artist to release a top-five album in six consecutive decades, and his 2023–2025 tour pushed his career gross past $2.3 billion. Raised Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, he came from Dutch, Irish, and Italian heritage; his father struggled with mental health issues, while his mother was the family's main breadwinner. His 2016 autobiography and the Springsteen on Broadway residency (2017–2021) further cemented his status as a cultural icon.