Bruce Springsteen had a big day, and is getting a prestigious award
The Boss had a big day.
Bruce Springsteen was notified that he'll receive an Ivors Academy Fellowship in the UK for his songwriting; a movie about the making of his indie classic “Nebraska” has come one step closer to fruition; and he wore a tie on stage on March 26.
Actually, he wore his tie on stage for the March 25 show at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, which ended in the early hours of March 26 on the East Coast.
That's a lot to digest. Let's break it down.
New movie
Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”) is writing a screenplay and will direct “Deliver Me from Nowhere,” a film about the making of Springsteen's 1982 solo album “Nebraska,” according to Deadline in a March 26 report. The film will be based on Warren Zanes' recent book, “Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.”
Jeremy Allen White, star of “The Bear,” is the target to star as Springsteen.
Why it matters: Springsteen has been in movies (“Western Stars” and “High Fidelity”) and concert films, and has been the subject of movies (“Blinded by the Light”). Yet he has not been portrayed in a major motion picture to this point. If “Deliver Me from Nowhere” gets made, it would be a first.
Prestigious award
Ivors Academy Fellowships go to those who “impact on the UK's cultural landscape.” The Boss will join Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Joan Armatrading, Sting and more when he's inducted on Thursday, May 23, in London.
“In addition to recognizing my songwriting, the award stands as a tribute to the fans and friends who have supported me and my work for the last 50 years,” said Springsteen in a statement. “This entire country has made me feel welcome every step of the way, and for this, I will always remain deeply appreciative.”
To commemorate the award, a limited edition vinyl of “The Best of Bruce Springsteen” in Jersey Devil Red can be purchased from Amazon.
Why it matters: Springsteen is the first international songwriter to be bestowed the honor.
“There is no one more fitting than Bruce Springsteen to be the first international songwriter inducted into our Fellowship,” said Tom Gray, Chair of the Ivors Academy, in a statement. “Songwriters are powerful storytellers, who capture our lives, loves and hardships. Bruce has always told the greatest stories. The Fellowship marks the esteem in which he is held by all those who share his craft.”
Tie and vest on stage
The Boss wore a tie and a vest with a denim workwear short on stage in San Diego. The tie was tucked into his shirt through the night.
“Three shows, three different outfits,” quipped a fan on Facebook. “He's keeping us ladies on our toes!”
Why it matters: Springsteen can't rip open his shirt, as he's done in other shows over the past two years, when he's wearing a tie.
In other news, Melissa Ziobro, curator at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, will speak with Lorraine Mangione and Donna Luff, authors of “Mary Climbs In: The Journeys of Bruce Springsteen's Women Fans,” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, on Zoom.
It's free but participants must register via springsteenarchives.org or here.
We'll “delve into our passion for our research and book on Springsteen's women fans, 'Mary Climbs In: The Journeys of Bruce Springsteen's Women Fans,' what Springsteen has meant to us in our lives and our work, and what we found by listening to the responses of so many women fans through our two large international surveys,” said Mangione via email.
The event is part of the Archives' Conversations with our Curators series.
The next E Street Band show is Thursday, March 28, at the Chase Arena in San Francisco.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com