10 Awesome Bruce Springsteen Stories That Prove He's The Boss

9. Helping Out An Old Friend

No, the 'old friend' that Bruce helped out was not Bob Dylan (pictured) but actually high school friend Steve Eitelberg, who had known Springsteen since the early 1970s, well before he was selling out stadiums all over the world.

In 1997, Eitelberg's wife Lynn was dying of cancer. It was a challenging time but it was made a little bit better by an appearance from Bruce. Bruce called the hospital that his wife was staying at and asked if he could come and visit. He spent the next day telling stories, playing her favourite song (Secret Garden) and stroking her arm tenderly. The next day Springsteen again showed up at the hospital and spent the afternoon there, doodling a portrait of the family and singing more songs. He returned with his guitar in hand the next day but Lynn had slipped into a coma. She died shortly after.

Bruce was present at the funeral and played Secret Garden over her casket, sentiment that deeply touched Lynn's family and friends. For years afterwards, Springsteen would go to Steve Eitelberg's clothes shop on the anniversary of that day and drink beer and hang out. After noticing a set of conga drums (which a therapist had suggested he take up in the aftermath of his wife's death), Springsteen told Eitelberg that he wanted him to play with him and the band.

He made his musical debut in front of over 20,000 fans in New Jersey playing the conga drums during Spirit in the Night.