It has been a little slow in terms of Springsteen news recently. So writer, Marcus Williams, reached out to me and asked if he could write something up for the blog. I figured why not, as it gives our readers something new to read and from a different perspective. Thanks Marcus for writing up this piece below, very well done. Bruce Springsteen, one of the world's premier rock icons, has had a very productive 2016. He released his autobiography, "Born To Run", in September to widespread acclaim, along with a retrospective album, Chapter and Verse as a companion piece, and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. Most recently, he has embarked on a short book tour to promote "Born To Run" that has brought him all over the country.

Springsteen, who is no stranger to touring, having been a fixture at arenas around the world for decades now, has amassed a massive devoted fanbase. His turnouts on the book tour is definitely evident of that. When he appeared at the Grove in Los Angeles earlier this year, around 1,100 people were in line, some of whom waited overnight for a chance to meet their icon.

Bruce’s massively devoted fan base can be often credited to the listeners ability to relate to him through his music. In Born To Run, Springsteen shed even more light on his troubled childhood, battles with mental illness, and the transformative power of rock’n’roll. As someone who has released their fair share of albums centered around controversial issues (Born in the USA, The Ghost of Tom Joad, and Devils and Dust for instance), Springsteen has been never shied away from expressing his personal views in his music.

The latest run of Springsteen dates has been five consecutive appearances, starting at Books-A-Million in Chicago on November 28 and ending at 2nd & Charles in Kennesaw, Georgia. In January and February of 2017, Springsteen will be off to Australia New Zealand for a tour with the E Street Band.

Bruce might be pushing 70, but given the size of the crowds he continues to draw, he's still one of the biggest rock stars around. Not only is he one of the busiest men in music, he is also without a doubt one of the most hard working.